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Level 3

local guides - many useres are cheating

I've joined a local guides community a month ago. Since that time I've reviewed about 50 places with my remarks, comments, photos etc. I like competitions, so of course I'd like to have as many points as possible to be at higher level. When I was comparing myself with other users I noticed that there are a plenty of fake comments . Users writing a recommendation "OK" or one word "good" and giving 5 stars to almost all reviews. In my opinion it's northing to do with being a "local Guide" but rather getting some level benefits .

Do you know if Google is somehow preventing such activity? I don't mind if somebody will give 5 stars and write comments OK, but if he is doing it for a few hundreds of objects it's looks like cheating.

Szczecin, Polska
27 comments
Connect Moderator

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

Comparto totalmente @JakubB, tu pensamiento, lamentablemente no tenemos muchas herramientas para bloquear ese accionar, salvo marcarlo como spam o algunas de las categorías que se tiene para esos procederes.

Para mí tendría que ser Google con su gran maquinaria y poder de cálculo, que tiene que corregir estos desvíos, puede generar algoritmos que elimine o bloqueee todos los comentarios con "OK" o "bien", etc. O hacer un análisis global de los perfiles donde tienen muchos puntos en solamente algo y cero (0) en todos los demás, en esos perfiles existe algo que está mal y no es justo para todo el resto que con limpieza colabora 😡

Googler

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

@JakubB A variety of information is used to ensure that contributions to Google Maps adhere to policies and the Local Guides team does care about Local Guides contributing high-quality content to Google Maps to help others. If you find a review or photo that you think violates our policies, you can use the 'flag as inappropriate' icon next to the contribution. A team of specialists will then check if it violates any of our policies (https://goo.gl/dsVNTC, https://goo.gl/G87xzJ) and will take appropriate action. If you've found a specific Local Guide with activity you deem to be inappropriate, sharing their information with us privately (a profile URL and an example of the activity) will allow us to look into it though we will not be able to share our decision. If you do have a specific Local Guide you'd like the team to look into, let me know and I'll send you a private message with information on how to share that information with us. 


Note: Due to the volume of private messages Googlers receive, I do not read or respond to private messages. Please post publicly so others may benefit from your discussion. If you require urgent assistance, please tag a Google Moderator. Thank you!.
Level 10

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

@TraciC, are you think that review report system on iOS is useful now?
Sorry, but I'll upset you. Completely useless and uncomfortable. I already said about it few month ago.

Just look at this screen. I should wait when new page will open (in Google Maps browser), then select a reason and enter my email. We should enter email every time when I would like to report bad contribution.
This is the reason why I don't send reports to you.

 

caUPS6c

 

From Saint Petersburg with ♥ | Russia Local Guides Russian Language Thread

Googler

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

Hi @Ale5ander. That is indeed the process for reporting individual contributions via Android and iOS. I'm sorry it is frustrating to you but as I have noted earlier (and as you are already aware as you've sent us information), if you've found a specific Local Guide with activity you deem to be inappropriate, sharing their information with us privately (a profile URL and an example of the activity) will allow us to look into it though we will not be able to share our decision. If you do have a specific Local Guide you'd like the team to look into, let me know and I'll send you a private message with information on how to share that information with us. 

 

As for the feedback on the process, we'll of course share this with the Google Maps team. 


Note: Due to the volume of private messages Googlers receive, I do not read or respond to private messages. Please post publicly so others may benefit from your discussion. If you require urgent assistance, please tag a Google Moderator. Thank you!.
Level 7

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

Unfortunately I can't agree more.  The whole point of being a local guide is to improve the map, but with the point/reward system it seems to have the opposite effect.  I recently came accross a user who uploaded the same picture for several dozen of places.  He/she took a close-up picture of an entrance of a bank and used it for all offices of that bank - it's actually too close to make out which office it really belongs to.  Now I've reported a few of them, but I can't spend all my time reporting each and every picture (he/she has done the same for several banks and similar companies).  This person also uploads the same picture for duplicate locations; after all, it's more profitable towards your score to provide the information twice than to report the duplicate... Seems those are issues Google needs to address.

 

This being said: is there a way to report a guide like this instead of reporting every picture?

Level 5

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

It's also zero help, to me at least, when deciding to visit a business!  I always try to describe the biz, and note pluses and neg's with a large audience in mind! 

A one-word reply is not a business rating! 

Level 8

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

Hi!

 

I've found a user who is cheating by my opinion. Could you send me a private message with information, how can i send you URL to his profile, please? He has 24k points, 73.6M photo views and he's adding screenshoots of 3D google maps photos (made by GOOGLE) as his OWN photos. 

 

Thank you very much!

Level 9

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

@JánŠ  > you have to send by private channels to the moderators the link of the  user profile. (if you post the link in public, the moderators will hide the link to protect the users)

 

Also > I agree with all of you, they are people cheating... but no system is perfect...and Google tries his best to make it perfect and improve it.

 

 

 

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Level 7

Re: local guides - many useres are cheating

@JánŠ and @IbanV

 

If your on a PC, I would use the " Send Feedback " Function and tell Google exactly what he/she is doing and provide the URL to their account.

 

Furthermore @JánŠ ,I would suggest reporting the obvious stolen 3D google maps photos (made by GOOGLE) and @IbanV the same picture for several dozen of places.

 

@SusanK

 

I agree that a one word comment or reply doesn't help , though many people are doing it.

 

FYI = I've noticed reviews where there are no words whatsoever.

 

Also it's easy to find those abusing the system (REDACTED )