Making changes

Posted by Charles Spirakis, Software Engineer, Google Maps

At Google, we're encouraged to move to different groups and learn new skills. I recently transitioned to the Maps team -- specifically, to the group that empowers local experts like you to improve your virtual neighborhood on Google Maps. You may remember that not too long ago we launched a feature that enables people to correct marker locations.

I previously focused on behind-the-scenes kernel work, so switching to something as well-known as the Google Maps user interface was quite a refreshing change. Excited and inspired, I got to task by working on a Maps 'recent edits' viewer that provides a real-time view into a sampling of the user edits taking place across the globe. You can just sit back and watch the world's information improving bit by bit, edit by edit. I warn you, though, it's highly addictive (almost as addictive as helping make the improvements yourself!).

Now that it's complete, I'm excited to know that something I've worked on is actually a visible part of the Maps experience, and helps encourage people to improve the information about the world around them. And as a bonus, after all these years, when Mom and Dad ask "So what exactly do you do again at Google?", I can simply point to http://maps.google.com/recentedits and say, "That's what we do!"