Understanding Google My Business & Local Search
Google MapMaker Soliciting Regional Editors
In anticipation of the re-opening of MapMaker as announced last week, Google is now actively soliciting applicants to become regional editors.
Here is an email that I just received asking me to apply to be a regional editor.
Subject: Invitation to become a Map Maker Regional Lead
Date: July 17, 2015 at 2:59:19 PM EDT
| As you may have seen in our forum announcement, Google Map Maker will be reopened for editing in early August, and we’ll be relying on trusted users in specific regions to help us make decisions on edits submitted in their regions. To enable this, we’re selecting users who have a long history of making high-quality edits using Map Maker and inviting them to become a “Regional Lead” for their region.Based on the contributions you’ve made to your region, you have been shortlisted for consideration as a Regional Lead. As a Regional Lead, you will have the power to approve or deny edits made in your region. While Google operators may still moderate edits, the Regional Leads will predominantly determine the outcome of many edits. In short, you become part of an elite team of Map Maker users that lead mapping in your area. You also receive access to regional forums to interact with mappers in your region and a private forum where you can interact with the Google Map Maker team.Please indicate your interest to become a Regional Lead by filling out this application form (link removed). This application will be open until July 22, 2015. We will evaluate users who express interest and select qualifying users as Regional Leads. We will get back to you by July 27, 2015.To keep up with the spirit of this program, we will require you to sign a “Non-Disclosure Agreement” if you are selected. This means you agree to keep the contact information and substance of your discussions with the Map Maker team confidential, unless stated otherwise.
Last but not least, we want to reiterate the high level of trust we place in our Regional Leads — our most committed users — regarding the edits you make or approve. You’ll be the front line of the Map Maker community to prevent spam or abusive activity that will lead to poor experiences on Google Maps. We will also be monitoring closely for spam, and any users found engaging in such activities will be blacklisted and may lose their ability to use Map Maker. We trust you to exercise sound judgment as a Regional Lead. Thank you for your continued support and patience. We look forward to hearing from you soon! |
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The note is interesting in several ways. Firstly, while I have done a ton of Map and Mapmaker edits I have avoided being too involved with the MapMaker community because the technology was so arcane with no simple path to learning but even more so because the other volunteers did not seem collegial.
Also in reading the note, there is no description of their expectation of this new category of volunteer. How much work is needed to be considered active? How much work is there? What is a region composed of? What tools will we have available?
Lots more questions than answers at this point.
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Comments
15 Comments
I also received an invitation today, but through a different Google channel. It appears they are reaching out through various user communities to solicit these Regional Leads.
I think it’s a good idea- I’ve had many edits denied by Google Reviewers with very low edit numbers who are half a world away and probably do not understand local attributes very well.
They should pay people!!!
All those profits and they won’ t pay people. For shame.
@Dave I think I read that they only have $64 b on hand. Not enough to start paying the volunteers. Sorry.
Mike, It’s a shame you don’t think we’re collegial. I guess that’ll keep you away from Leads if you get selected?
@andrew
We’ll see.
I got one too and I’m not very active with edits. Pretty much all I do is occasionally report spam.
So at first I wondered if they were targeting TCs. But maybe they are just casting a wide net and inviting anyone that has X# of edits?
@Linda I am not sure the criteria. I too wondered.
@Dave. You are right. In my area of Australia, I was one of the top editors for about 200km north & south but if you had a retiree or some of the people I saw editing for a ‘hobby’ and paid them just a small retainer a week you would have a SUPER MAP. It was so frustrating to see bad edits get approved and then good edits not approved and some of them you could see what the editor wanted to achieve and with a little tweak to their edit it could have been massively improved.
Mike: You need a “LIKE” button so we all can Like Paul’s comment or at least give him an aye aye Mate!!!!!
I’m wondering if it is just within the US or if they’re inviting Canadians too.
@Cathie, I’m Canadian and received an invitation too. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are inviting people around the world.
I like how they are talking this opportunity up by saying “become part of an elite team of Map Maker”… Really you are just checking markers!
Has anyone noticed that there are open edits and leads already for other countries? Brazil for example. Not the US. Not the country that made Google what it is. For shame Google, for shame.
I am from Indonesia, I got invitation too…so they don’t pay us???
No they do not
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