Whilst reviewing the new configuration of Google Map’s new mobile layouts for Points of Interest (POI), or business listings I discovered one specific change needs to be rolled back and reconsidered. (Starbucks, Hankridge Way, Taunton TA1 2LR)
I discovered that Google is overlaying images with text taken from reviews. The image below is one of my images with text overlaid from someone that I don’t know and have no association with.
The text used was from a Local Guide who gave a negative comment, taken out of context, about the cleanliness of the venue - her review was actually 4*.
My image was 10 months old. I have since visited and left a long review and added a number of images and videos - I left a 5* review.
I would have been slightly less agrieved if words from the review I created had been used, but as well as text from the review there are also two author icons and a [category (number)] label. I am not at all happy to have my images used in this way. I have seen another example where the image bore no thematic relevance to the words that were used from a review.
My image has been associated with someone else’s comments and if someone clicks on the image they may associate the comments as coming from me. Suggested solution further down in the thread
What is more comical is that space is taken up at the bottom of the screen “Know this place - Help others to decide” I’m logged in and it can’t recognise that I have already left a review.
I will try and write another comment about the changes which I have mixed thoughts about working title “Video killed the photo star” and the lack of consistency in the way images are presented depending on the route you take to see them.
I have just checked and cannot see this happening on my Android smartphone @nigelfreeney . Perhaps this new layout hasn’t rolled out yet in the land down under. Just a thought, have you tried restarting your phone Nigel? Anyway, I see that you’ve tagged Deni but please note that we are currently in the festive season.
Merry Christmas down under. It seems very likely to be regional testing. I’m jst giving Deni some immediate feedback and alertng everyone else who may be in the testing zone to keep an eye out for it and give their feedback. Certainly not expecting an immediate response. There are some interesting other aspects to the layouts which I will try and outlinebefore the new year - manflu notwithstanding. On that note I have to retire for sleep.
The AI is simply connecting words from reviews with elements detected in images. I vaguely remember seeing more ridiculous examples related to photos from restrooms.
I feel this feature makes the placesheets more interesting. And I don’t mind my photos being used like this, but I also acknowledge your concerns.
Why am I not surprised when things I just discover on Google Maps you have generally seen ages ago I’m such a ‘newbie’
I read your original post and agree that it has the potential to make the listings more interesting. Unfortunately, the issues that I see are sacrificing the people/businesses that are negatively affected without any control. Your example of the toilet shot is a case in point.
So my suggestion to make this less likely to cause collateral damage is to put some controls in place. It seems there are three possible ‘victims’ in this process:
The photographer
The reviewer
The owner of the business or POI
Feedback for Google Maps
@DeniGu If each of these three has the unilateral power to veto the resulting image/text combination, then this would reduce the negative impact when the AI gets it wrong.
If the veto form also gave a combination of a list of sensible reasons, and a free text area where these options were inadequate, then this would allow the AI to improve more quickly.
This would also potentially help reduce the inevitable SEO gaming. It also doesn’t stop Local Guides posting negative content where that is applicable and appropriate.
This feature would also need an alert process so each of the three would receive an email notification with a review link to avoid making the process unnecessarily burdensome.
Thank you for your feedback and for summarizing the points that you feel need to be improved. I’ll make sure to forward your concerns and suggestions to the relevant team.
@nigelfreeney , this has been going on for quite some time. When I first noticed it my heart sank because I thought someone had stolen my photo and added it to their review. Then I figured out what was going on. I’m also not a fan.
Yes, it may bring our old photos back to life. But as you’ve pointed out, we lose control of the context.
Awesome, right? I’m so glad “Beach” is associated with my photo vs some negative response. This feature is likely the only reason my photo is still prominently shown, but in other cases I’d rather not have the possible association with other’s reviews.
No @TravellerG it is not only in India. I also get the question “Do you manage this business”. Not only when adding a new place, but also when answering daily questions about places already listed.
i regularly but not frequently get this pop up too. It is a logical process that is triggered by someone wanting to add a new listing, or change the details of an existing listing that hasn’t already been claimed. Once you have answered no to the pop up you shouldn’t see the pop up for the same listing. It’s probably the most efficienet way of ensuring the maximum number of listings are claimed by the owners. The next step is the process of proving that you own the listing. If it is new this is pretty easy to do - I have usually just done it with the email address I use to manage the listing I currently have. If it is an existing listing it may involve responding to a postcard that gets sent to the address of the listing. Alternatively they may ring the telephone number on the listing.
I hope this helps to explain why you are seeing these.
Of course, thanks for your detailed explanation, though I’m familiar with most of those points. For your kind information, I have heard of LGs explaining about this point… My point is that this is misleading for some LGs in rural areas with limited knowledge of the question/English.
Anyway, it is more complex and more country/people centric.
Thanks for your valuable feedback and companionship.
I remember reading this a few weeks ago and have waiting for it to happen to me (here in the San Francisco Bay Area, CA, USA), and then it did, noticed it TWICE within 10 minutes. One of the photos was brand new, having only posted it a few minutes earlier. The other was one of my 25 1M view photos, which had been bumped from being featured to the 4th spot. Perhaps as @JustJake said, it was repurposed, as it seems to get a decent number of views even though it’s a few spots ‘over’ from #1.
I’m feeling the same way some of you are, since I can imagine some of the feedback might not align well with the photo I’ve submitted. On the other hand, at least a better quality photo was used to push the comment, and perhaps it replaced something that probably shouldn’t have been there in the first place. (I edit every photo I post, and feel pretty good about the quality when posting).
I have been seeing this on East Coast, USA, since @MortenCopenhagen mentioned it in May. I tend to feel more like you and @JustJake , @shunsader than Morten.
I’m not keen on the idea of having my image associated with text I didn’t write. I’m surprised that the AI would add a negative comment to a gallery photo {I was wrong Steve}. My experience is that is that when you tap you get the review and reviewer, and have to tap again to find the photographer. Which I just looked at again and it makes it look my video is part of the review. Besides us, who really looks at who posted a video or photo?
@tony_b , I thought I had come up a solution, which is to post videos, but after checking a couple of poi’s I found review text on one of my videos. Maybe they are less likely to do that, but I don’t care enough to spend a lot of time tracking the problem.
On a positive note I did notice that in the gallery my videos show a “this was uploaded x days ago” tag.
There are some interesting other aspects to the layouts which I will try and outlinebefore the new year - manflu notwithstanding. On that note I have to retire for sleep.
