This is surreal. You're a volunteer google guide, you're actually helping google by being a local guide. And now they're having free work done for them by you. Now does Google have the worst customer service, or does Google have the absolutely most terrible customer service?
I'm not doing it for them. When I'm in a new city, i use google maps to see what's what. Is that restaurant a terrible tourist trap? Do they have food that I'd like? You get the gist. Since i rely on it it's only fair that i do my part for the other people relying on it. It doesn't take a long time to leave a small review of a restaurant or museum, or correct opening hours. Certainly less than it'd take me to find the same information without Google Maps.
I too am a level something Google Guide. It really frustrates me that Google is the medium in which we cooperate. I would prefer to contribute to an open, not-for-profit platform. Unfortunately, no such platform exists and if it did, I doubt it would be as good as Google Maps. Not because of a lack of programming, design, and other talent, but because the big tech companies have made it impossible to compete. With patents, control of user discovery (via Google Search), control of availability to users (via app stores and restricted capabilities such as Android Auto & Apple CarPlay), aggressive undercutting/loss-leadership (Google Maps is free to users but businesses pay a massive premium to be seen), wide-spread suppression of debate (say something bad about a FAANG? You might never be able to work there), and absorbing of potential competition (via acquisition of any small startup that innovates in the same space), it’s virtually impossible to enter the space and survive independently.
