What is the first thing you do when you want to visit a new place?
I believe in the past the answer to this question would have been to ask your friends. We go to those people closest to us and ask their opinion. We inherently trust our friends and expect our friends to know who we are and the things we appreciate or even what we dislike so they can direct us to a place where we will be happiest, based on their knowledge.
Our world is shrinking through connectivity. I have a group of close friends who know me, but I am likely to exhaust them or their knowledge before all of my questions are answered. When I can reach out to people I do not know, but have instant access to real life reviews, I can get higher quality feedback at larger quantities to make an even better decision. And, BONUS, my friends don’t get tired of my incessant inquisitions!
Now, since I benefit greatly from reviews and answered questions, I believe my natural response should be to give back. First, it is super simple, and second, I believe it is helpful! I will continue to review good, and bad experiences so others are better informed. I will answer scripted questions and respond when I can to the user questions. I can be friendly and helpful to others, even strangers, so others can experience the same increase in quality of life.