Hello fellow Wazers! My name is Matt and I enjoy Wazing!
Well I am here to try and become a better Area Manager by providing a source of communication between other Area Managers and users. You can send me a message to me at: the1who
My interests and why I came to Waze stem from lack of updates to bigger, mainstream GPS devices. Not only that, but their rather cumbersome way in which they facilitate getting map updates to devices. I found Waze when I got my first smartphone and wanted to try out the different options and features that came with ease of owning a GPS enabled device that was beyond just a standalone GPS device. The more and more I looked into Waze, the lack of updates occurring in my area, the more I realized I could make a difference and make a great product better.
Now not only am I an Area Manager editor, I am also a country wide editor. I still try to put as much detail to my local favorites since I reside near them, but I do enjoy helping others out, or looking a vacation destination and seeing how I can improve it for a visit. It is this thought that I think helps others out as well. I enjoy making it good for myself, but also making it better for someone else too.
With Waze ever growing, there have been times that map updates to devices took a bit long, but it has never been as long or as frustrating as any other GPS devices. We can produce updates to maps far faster, and far more accurate than others. For example, in KC, I have helped probably some, not all, divert around the US 169 closure. Something that other products can't even compromise on now, even as I just check. Or even the other example of I-435 and Front Street's 'Diverging Diamond' it was something that I put on the map well before others could release updates on and it was on the clients within weeks.
It is success stories like this that make me more avid fan, one that stems from my very local frustration with the map not being updated. We locally may know how to get around, but when others are coming from afar, if you update your area locally, then visitors will have that same knowledge you have that the other devices might not get up to date for say half a year if they are lucky enough to be on top of it.
But beyond just map updates and providing more accurate and better updates to maps from our local knowledge, it is the social aspect and the products that derive from the social features. Traffic jams and accidents, hazards and just social fun make using Waze everyday a new way to enjoy driving.
Looking forward to being a valuable asset to Waze and the community. Thanks and Happy Wazing!