05-14-2018
01:41 PM
- last edited on
04-19-2022
03:21 PM
by
grazittiApiTest
Editor's Note: This post was written previously and the featured Local Guide is not currently an active Connect Moderator.
Connect Moderators are Local Guides just like you and me, moderating Connect side-by-side with Googlers to help improve the experience for everyone. You may see them welcoming newcomers, explaining the program, answering questions, and sharing their knowledge with others.
Each month, we share some personal insights from our Connect Moderators. This month, meet @IlankovanT from Sri Lanka.
Name: Ilankovan Thushyantha
Location: Batticaloa, Sri Lanka
What I love about being a Local Guide: Being a Local Guide is so much fun for me. I enjoy capturing 360 photographs of the places I travel and creating virtual tours for people who cannot travel as I do. I have been a photography enthusiast from my childhood. Writing genuine reviews of the places I visit also gives me soulful contentment. Overall, being a Local Guide completes me.
Why I'm a Connect Moderator: I want to help others who have questions on Google Maps and want to make Connect a better platform for everyone to ask and clarify their questions regarding the practical use of Google Maps. This keeps me more involved and always keeps me busy replying to threads and responding to people on Connect. I think this is what made me a moderator.
My favorite place to explore: I love exploring nature, especially rainforests, and also I enjoy snorkeling/diving in the ocean enjoying the beauty of the marine life. The blue ocean makes my mind and body relax, forgetting the outer world.
My favorite type of contribution(s) to make on Google Maps: My all-time favorite aspect is adding my 360 photos to Google Maps, also I enjoy creating virtual tours and writing reviews on visited places. Also, I love sharing the message of being a Local Guide with the community. I’ve hosted quite a lot of meet-ups so far gathering youth, differently abled and other members of the society. Through this, I am sure I have influenced many other people from my community to contribute to Google Maps in a genuine manner.
Languages I read/write/speak fluently: English, Tamil
Places I'd like to visit: Mount Everest will be my next dream destination to visit.
One thing I'd like everyone to know about me: I am a nature lover who has photographic eyes which captures whatever I see then and there. I love sharing the message of sustainable resource utilization and accessibility. I have hosted many meet-ups such as beach cleaning, mapping green for free rain and the use of Google Maps for differently abled people. In essence, I am a social animal who loves to contribute to Google Maps.
(Reference: [RECAP] Anuradhapura Photo Walk)
We hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know @IlankovanT. Say hi or ask him a question below as he has a lot to share about Google Maps and maps in general.
Interested in becoming a Connect Moderator? Learn more here.Interested in learning about other Connect Moderators?
Learn more about Ermes - ermest @ December 2017
Learn more about Ivan - iyudhi @ January 2018
Learn more about Karen - KarenVChin @ February 2018
Learn more about Ludwig - LudwigGermany @ March 2018
Learn more about Farid - FaridMonti @ April 2018
05-14-2018 02:05 PM
@IlankovanT so many of us have a deep respect for the ocean and environment in common! Great to read more about you. 🌊
05-14-2018 02:06 PM - edited 05-14-2018 02:08 PM
Hi @Atsukot
Thanks for sharing and dedicated this month to ilankovan,
He is a great contributor for Google Maps and such a humble connect moderator,I personally learn a lot from him,
He always inspired us ,from his creative ideas and through meet ups, Thanks for be with us @IlankovanT
Have a nice day
05-14-2018 02:31 PM
Amazing Local Guide, moderator, contributor and person! I'm happy to share this community with such commited members as you, @IlankovanT. I will never forget when you wrote my name, placed it in a tree and then planted it in a school at Sri Lanka. That story is always in my heart. Thanks a lot for being so attentive and posting such interesting content to the community.
I will love to learn about your next adventure in Mount Everest! 🙂
Thanks a lot for the post @Atsukot! I think it's very important for every member of the community to know that there are amazing moderators 🙂
Happy Guiding!! 🙂
05-14-2018 02:36 PM
A very big hello to @Atsukot 🙂
Thank you so much Atsukot for bringing the star (Connect Moderator) of this month.
Hi @IlankovanT
I am so happy to see you here. And I am glad we met personally during LGSummit17 in San Francisco and had the opportunity to know each other and exchange ideas.
Wishing you all the best.
Cheers
05-14-2018 03:06 PM
Thank you so much everyone! @brittym, @AkmalB, @ValeriaA_, @Badruddeen
And thank you @IlankovanT for giving us an opportunity to introduce you to the Connect community!
05-14-2018 03:07 PM
Thanks @Atsukot for this post.
Great post about @IlankovanT, I friend long time before his moderator experience, that I can remember from my first steps in Connect. Ecologist, great photographer, honest person, always starting interesting initiative. At the same time, a person for fun.
Meeting with you at LGSUMMIT17 was a great and funny experience.
Is beautiful to know a bit more about you. I love to have a tree in Sri Lanka with my name, and I love to know that a big part of this community is represented in there.
Hope to have another glass of wine with you in October, Ilankovan
Ermes
Explore Accessible Life in Google Earth - The program is now Public for Everyone to contribute
Read before posting: Need Help? - Help Us to Help You | A Reflection on "Original Content" - What if this Photo ... is Yours?
Join Us: #LocalGuidesCleanTheWorld | Waste Report #onGoogleMaps
Love the Planet: A Rose for the Planet | Accessible Life at Connect Live 2019
Helping People: Maps of earthquake in Italy | Mapping in Emergency area
05-14-2018 03:15 PM
Indeed @IlankovanT is a great guy, I admired his journey & overall progress over time in the program.
Thanks for sharing @Atsukot 🙂
05-14-2018 03:51 PM
@Atsukot thanks so much for writing about @IlankovanT. I know him for last year summit even I have no time to talk in a person. He is a humble connect moderator and having a great idea of hosting a meet up. I love his idea of planting a tree with a Local Guide name on it. It is great to know him. Thanks Local Guides!
05-14-2018 04:34 PM
Thanks for the introduction to @IlankovanT to us @Atsukot!!
I've always enjoyed your photography collection that you post! It's been great to getting to know you in the last two years! Looking forward to seeing more great initiatives from you and also photos!! 🙂