In this post, I’ll highlight 5 things I do my best to avoid when reviewing a place.
Bad Photos
The above image compares two photographs of a meal taken from the same device at different angles. The device used is Huawei Y6 II, which has just a 13MPX rear camera. None of the images are edited except the left one was captured with “Good-Food” mode enabled, which is my camera’s default feature and I changed the plate too. Without any doubt, left one looks far better than right one. One doesn’t have to carry a DSLR for good images but the smartphone’s camera deserves the same respect. While capturing an image, I do keep in mind that my uploaded images and reviews may have a direct impact on the restaurant’s business. So, I do my best to adjust all angles and lights in a nice manner to capture a decent image.
Uploading an image already on the Maps
If I am to visit the Eiffel Tower in Paris, I’d never upload any image of the tower because it’d not help anyone anymore. Everyone knows it is there and now it’s even available in 3D on maps. I usually avoid uploading images of super famous landmarks as they can’t bring any further good.
Uploading selfies
I’m biased towards not uploading personal selfies in photos section or as a review because:
- It sometimes makes no sense.
- Other people in the photo might object
- Maps users are more interested in the environment or some other attractive feature of a place and not my face.
However, it is sometimes okay to add selfies for example, one may try to show that a place has good views and is a nice selfie-point. Similarly, once I visited a cafe which was offering a 10% discount if you take a selfie there and upload on maps. Such scenarios do make sense.
Writing a lengthy review
When it comes to writing a review of a place, I prefer to be concise and to-the-point. My utmost effort is to write that information which would help others. For example, I’d mention monthly and yearly charges (if not already mentioned), extra benefits and possible drawbacks when writing a review for a hostel. Such a review will deliver a clearer idea about the place to the readers.
Adding irrelevant content
When I used to travel out of the city, Maps was my only tool to find hotels and other places nearby. I experienced many irrelevant images and outdated or even misguiding info quite a times. That of course caused a lot trouble. As a Local Guide, I do my best to add only relevant and helpful content. Sometimes, I even go ahead and ask for missing info like working hours, active phone numbers or so. Surely, it helps making the Maps better and more trustworthy platform.
