Photo Submission Points Suggestion

[#1]

Reviews of more 200 characters get double points - a nice incentive to make an extra effort. I propose to do the same (double points, so 10 instead of 5) or something similar for adding the 1st picture to a POI, if only to get rid of the placeholders that are used for the regions where no street view images are available. 

The fact that a picture can be shown in Maps instead of the placeholder is more "valuable" than adding the 20th picture of a popular POI, just as a long review is more valuable than the quickly posted "Good service".

[ChristyFromCanada]

Great idea Jan,

For example, I am a Level 5 guide who has been intimidated about how to use my "first" cell phone's camera. I have yet to post a photo because I haven't taken any pictures yet. Well, all the beautiful photos that guides around the world posted, actually made me realize how well these pictures really help one to get a  "feeling for" another country, even one I've never visited!

All those photos made me  want to see more photos and I spent a lot of my time encouraging these Connect Guide's to enter more of their pictures of their beloved countries.

I still had not taken or posted a single photo!

Sometimes I'm such a coward! Seriously!

And as a Grandma to 6 grandchildren, I should set a better a example for them. That's part of the reason that I kept going with Localguidesconnect.

I want to show them that just because a person is retired , doesn't mean that you can't volunteer, and make a difference in this World!

Also I do have health issues and I cannot get around to the places , I used to frequent every summer when we brought our children North to our family cottage (called "camps") in the North. And this town is also my husbands and my own "hometown". We grew up here. Both of our fathers worked most of their lives working in the local papermill on the Spanish River. So, I know all the places I've reviewed. But I've been afraid to even try to get photos onto Connect until I just read your new idea, Jan. Thankyou so much. Your idea is such a good one. People who are shy about their ability to take good photos. This wouls encourage them to try! Great idea. I thought all those lovely photos were being entered into a kind of Photo Contest and I knew I couldnt possibly enter my photos, even if I had any! 

See how easy it is for new guides to be intimidared? This is a GREAT idea, Jan. Good Luck with it. I hope lots and lots of people read this and will vote for your wonderful, unselfish idea!

[Boatman]

Like your idea.

Would also be Great to find a way to determine if some has made an effort when taking a photo. Many photos (including some of mine) are garbage and shouldnt get same amount of points. 

[Koby]

I agree @JanVanHaver  The first photo should be worth an extra 5 points. I hope we now get acknowledgement for posting the first photo when we add (an approved) new POI.

[LucioV]

Agree

[deepakjhic]

Nice idea @JanVanHaver

[aka_Rὁn]

Great idea !

[Anonymous]

that's a good idea @JanVanHaver Thumbs up for you.

[Stuart_S]

The way that points are awarded for posting photos on google maps could be improved. There is currently an incentive to post as much content as possible without regard for quality. I have been having a lot of fun lately earning points and upgrading my local guide level. I quickly learned that the easiest way to earn a ton of points was to take and post dozens of photos of every location I visit. I can earn hundreds of points in just a few seconds this way.

The point system should incentivize users to post a smaller number of higher quality photos. For this reason, I suggest giving users additional points based on photo views. For example, guides could earn one point for every hundred views of a submitted photo. I also think this would add a fun, video game like feeling to submitting content. I know I would login every morning to see how many people have viewed my content and check how many points I have earned. I would also focus on getting pictures that I know  are in demand. For example, I was the first person to take a picture of the inside of a local dry cleaner. That photo has over 41,000 views. I also just added 10 photos of a Starbucks that already had 500 photos. I think that I should earn more points for the first kind of photo.

[JanVanHaver]

Hello @Stuart_S, I agree on your suggestion to give more points for adding the 1st picture. In fact, here's a suggestion to do so I submitted a while ago:

https://www.localguidesconnect.com/t5/All-Ideas/Double-points-for-1st-photo/idi-p/1011910

[Ivi_Ge]

Hello @Stuart_S,

Thank you for sharing your idea.

As @JanVanHaver said, he has been suggested the similar idea and I am going to merge your idea with it.