I usually get asked "Why are you a Local Guide?" at least once a day - and when I do get asked I love to explain the program and the benefits. Not the benefits you may think, but - the benefits like making and meeting new friends every day from around the world and in my city. Prior to joining local guides I had friends who we would meet up every once and a while, and now I have made over 900 new friends in the past year. Each one a person who had similar interests, lived in the Toronto, or were visiting Toronto. And then there are the friends I have met where they have read one of my reviews or seen one of my photo's and have commented or contacted me.
There was a time when map making was a top down - people made maps - distributed them to the public and the public waited for the next publishing date for changes. Now we live in a world that locals can customize the map and through this process make friends with other mappers and business owners that they help out.
At the end of the day - what satisfies me most is reducing the frustrations - helping people with disabilities know whether there is a handicap available entrance, or the hours of a business, correct ones. Who knows how many times before I've gone to a restaurant and the hours were incorrect..
Thanks Google for opening up the Map for everyone to improve the experience with maps - for introducing us to new friends and helping us meet like minded people from around the world. If points, kudo's and badges measured the positive experiences of other aspects in life - I'm sure it would be a better world all round.
Richard Trus
Co-Moderator - Google Local Guides Toronto
Google Trusted Photographer
2022
