When I first started using Google Maps reviews I was asked by Google to put a picture of a place I am currently and share it with people. I wanted to try it so I snaped and uploaded a random photo of a coffee place I was in, and the photo made a great success! I was in one of the most visited coffee places in my city and the photo I uploded back then was the first photo of that place. It became a cover photo of this place on Google 
I noticed it only after a year and then I started doing more photos and reviews on Google Maps. It was just fun for me and my collegues were smilling like “do you think anyone will ever read what you just wrote”?
But now, after 3 years a lot of my friends come back to me saying how great the Google Maps places rates and reviews are, and they remember how it was when it was still in the beginning with not a lot of places reviewed in my country.
Both me and my firends now agree that this is the FUTURE!
Everywhere we travell to, we first type the place name and if we want to eat/drink somewhere we base our choise on Google rates and reviews.
Same goes for all other places: Bars, Gyms, Tourist attractions, Museums etc.
It is just a way of life - I upload and share my opinions and I check and read others suggestions - at the end of the day, I always find the best places wherever I go to.
So Google, thank you for such a great, useful and fun program!