Ask HN: Anyone else notice how useless Google Maps reviews have become?

[rabuse]

I'm a "local guide" with their reviewing system, and it seems they have shadow-banned nearly 90% of legitimate reviews I've left over the years. It's quite alarming, because it seems any business can just flag a negative review now, and have it taken down to boost their overall rating, while obviously allowing companies to have 1 review accounts leave a fake 5-star rating. It has completely removed my trust in their rating system after witnessing this.

[mPReDiToR]

This isn't just GOOG products, it's everything with a review.

It's cheaper to buy a thousand five star reviews than improve your service to the point where honest reviewers give you top marks.

The review/stars system is not fit for basing decisions on. Unhappy people are more likely to leave a review in frustration and one bad review outweighs twenty good ones. The deck is stacked poorly.

I do leave reviews when I'm happy about a place, but I try to make it obvious I've been there and am relating an experience rather than just tapping a star.

[maelito]

I wonder why there is no review system between friends.

Friends' advice is a very good metric.

Add in some discovery mecanism to avoid loops, and you've got a cheap and trusted system.

[reify]

Who on earth bothers to use google maps any more?

They are so retro 1950's.

Organic maps on me blower and openstreetmaps on the old Puter.

Blinding mucker!