This week is the last week of my Local guide’s journey on Google Maps GPS. This is my public profile:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/Eq6tMja7CuQQWrLV6?g_st=ac
Over 10 years since 2015, I have created new places and new business profiles, taken photos, shot videos, reviewed places, corrected a lot of mistakes, and posted updates. This was a channel for my creativity that I saw as helpful for people and businesses.
Unfortunately, my vision didn’t match reality. I have more than 70 million views for my contributions. However, not even once in these 10 years, I met someone who encouraged me, gave me good feedback, or any kind of feedback. Yes, when I go to some businesses, some people treat me well more than a usual customer, but I never get feedback about my creations. Digitally, I get rare likes that are far disproportionate to the quantity and effort I put into them.
Yes, my main reason was to help people, especially during the Coronavirus time when I was risking going out more than usual and posting necessary information about places. Of course, people are unaware of the effort I put in, the sacrifices I make, and the suffering that I endure physically because of my extreme sensitivity to lighting, glare, screens, and lamps. I didn’t expect people to understand these aspects. All I wanted was to have feedback, connect to some people based on my creations, have discussions about my posts and what to improve, to get new ideas and new tips. None of this happened.
Why? I don’t know. I can make many assumptions, but I will never know the real reasons “settling” in their heads.
✓Maybe because they prefer talking about me, not my creations:
I just became famous, and they started caring about who I am and what I do like they are following the news. No positive emotions when they see me. Rarely do I get some smiles, but I don’t know if they are genuine or fake because they are forced smiles. Sometimes I get genuine smiles but I have no idea of the reasons behind them. So I don’t feel any positive emotions because of them.
✓Maybe because the Google maps content is still new for Society:
Nobody before 2015 created content on Google Maps. It’s very recent. It started flourishing around 2015 when the Local guides program started. Yes, other local guides don’t get likes either until they have around 3000 followers; sometimes they get, on average, 50 likes. Of course, travelers who are a lot more social than me, get a lot more followers and more likes. I’m not comparing myself with them or competing with them; we are very different, and our content is very different. So, the majority of local guides, in general, get very few reactions digitally. Understandably, people don’t care about reacting like on YouTube videos: A video can have millions of views but the viewers don’t bother giving feedback. Yes, that’s “normal” for now for Society. I will not debate on this and let Other creators defend themselves the way they want. For me, I’m standing for the recognition that Digital creators get from Society.
As I see it, they are taken for granted because they have no social rights. It’s a new field. Nobody knows how to reward them properly. Regulations are absent.
All of this is understandable, but if the people to whom they create are also oblivious and don’t recognize their value, what’s the point of continuing to create?
Recognizing is at least participating in their creations, supporting them emotionally and financially if they benefit from their creations, encouraging them, and giving them ideas for new creations. This happens only to the very famous content creators. All the others are taken advantage of without mercy. Nothing is free in Life. If I benefit from a creation, I need to pay the creator either with money, emotions, free services, or new ideas and feedback. So one of these 4 types of rewards needs to be given to have a healthy, balanced new digital Society.
✓Maybe they assume I create only for businesses and not for them:
These are the majority of people who are Fi users. They don’t understand that some people want to help people in need even if they are strangers. They think they have a hidden motive behind this help because this is how their brain 🧠 functions: Never help someone until you are sure to get something back. They help only animals without expecting a reward from them. However, humans are always in debt to them. With the exception of some developed INFPs and ENFPs, all the Fi users are selfish by default and care only about their very close circle ⭕. If you are outside it, you have no value for them until they need something. Yes, their innate psychology is like this, but do they have to stay underdeveloped? Yes, it’s their choice, but many situations require getting out of selfishness so Society can function properly and even thrive.
The underdeveloped countries are underdeveloped mainly because of the selfishness of the people in Social power. I will not talk about political power because it’s another analysis that I don’t go into. When the role models, people who hold good values become weak and the narcissists and manipulators become strong thanks to other countries’ help and other cultures’ support, Society becomes enslaved to external values that don’t help it develop but stay under the shadows of another country or culture that will never let them become independent or stronger than them.
✓Maybe they think I get paid by businesses in some form:
The Google Maps local guide program is different from Instagram. It’s forbidden to get any reward from any business. All the creations and reviews must be authentic and conform to reality. So, the “filters” mindset of Instagram is unacceptable on Google Maps. It’s a wonderful policy that I agree with.
However, people who benefit from the creator’s content should be grateful in one of the 4 ways mentioned before so he/she can continue creating confidently.
The rewards can be:
money 💰
Emotions
Free services
New ideas 💡and feedback
I hope I was clear in my affirmations and position.
I stopped Google Maps creation as soon as I became certain that people prefer talking about me, not my creations, think I get rewarded in some way, assume I create only for businesses, not for them, or it’s still a new and unusual platform.
Leave a Reply