2022
At one point in my life over 10 years ago I tried to build a website "Stomago" that pulled restaurant data from the web, geocoded the addresses into lat/long, and overlayed the info onto Google Maps. The idea was to marry searchable restaurant directories (of which many existed at the time), your location, and what you were hungry for, to help you find something to eat.
Like many of my pet projects, it never went past my own personal prototyping (although it did work!).
I love guiding people. I have found that over time I have my own distinct way that I like to engage and help people pick what's best for them. As an owner of a consulting company and one of the leaders of a church, I have no shortage of questions and decisions that I am constantly engaging with that have an impact on a group of people.
Over the years I've had many blogs. Asian Avenue. Xanga. My own hosted domains. Blogspot. But rarely have I been able to keep the writing flowing, and my blogs end up dusty and ridden by cobwebs.
I have a disdain for social media. I don't Facebook (anymore) and I don't IG / Snap / or anything else that people are doing. More recently I did try Yelping as a contributor, and that was ok until I realized I can just add reviews directly to Google Maps.
I love reviewing on Google Maps as it pushes all of the right buttons for me; I love the idea that I can drop helpful, passive advice that can be picked up by people actually looking for input on a platform that I need not maintain. The fact that it's fully integrated into my everything-Android lifestyle is what makes it so easily accessible for me. It's so easy to leave behind a moment for others to read and help guide them along their way.
I try my best to make my reviews meaningful and I do feel like I am creating a bit of a brand for myself. Against the bland backdrop of, "great service, great food" reviews, I like to leave reviews that carry a point or something unique that details and evidences my experience there. I like to leave "PRO TIPS" (i.e. There is no toilet paper in the bathroom! You have to grab some by the entrance first!) that are helpful and add credibility to my reviews.
For me it's not important that people agree with what I said, I just like the fact that I'm leaving behind a trail of authentic experiences: "Your mileage may vary and that's great; here's what I found, hope it's useful for you!"
I'm looking forward to travelling more so I hope I can review other places from a distinctly North American perspective. A future, digitally integrated Rick Steves. That would be amazing.
I also hope that Google's review platform will become a bit more prominent. Currently it feels a bit under utilized, and I'm not quite sure how much weight to put behind Google review scores vs. other sites even for myself when I'm using it to go somewhere for the first time. I noticed a lot of regional differences in quality and quantity of reviews as well.
For now, I do what I can, when I can. I like writing, I love the platform, and I hope my experiences can keep helping people out.
Thanks to everyone reading this as I know many of you relate. I look forward to learning more about how I can contribute as well.
@adventureswithyoo very nice sir
@DannyY wrote:At one point in my life over 10 years ago I tried to build a website "Stomago" that pulled restaurant data from the web, geocoded the addresses into lat/long, and overlayed the info onto Google Maps. The idea was to marry searchable restaurant directories (of which many existed at the time), your location, and what you were hungry for, to help you find something to eat.
Like many of my pet projects, it never went past my own personal prototyping (although it did work!).
I love guiding people. I have found that over time I have my own distinct way that I like to engage and help people pick what's best for them. As an owner of a consulting company and one of the leaders of a church, I have no shortage of questions and decisions that I am constantly engaging with that have an impact on a group of people.
Over the years I've had many blogs. Asian Avenue. Xanga. My own hosted domains. Blogspot. But rarely have I been able to keep the writing flowing, and my blogs end up dusty and ridden by cobwebs.
I have a disdain for social media. I don't Facebook (anymore) and I don't IG / Snap / or anything else that people are doing. More recently I did try Yelping as a contributor, and that was ok until I realized I can just add reviews directly to Google Maps.
I love reviewing on Google Maps as it pushes all of the right buttons for me; I love the idea that I can drop helpful, passive advice that can be picked up by people actually looking for input on a platform that I need not maintain. The fact that it's fully integrated into my everything-Android lifestyle is what makes it so easily accessible for me. It's so easy to leave behind a moment for others to read and help guide them along their way.
I try my best to make my reviews meaningful and I do feel like I am creating a bit of a brand for myself. Against the bland backdrop of, "great service, great food" reviews, I like to leave reviews that carry a point or something unique that details and evidences my experience there. I like to leave "PRO TIPS" (i.e. There is no toilet paper in the bathroom! You have to grab some by the entrance first!) that are helpful and add credibility to my reviews.
For me it's not important that people agree with what I said, I just like the fact that I'm leaving behind a trail of authentic experiences: "Your mileage may vary and that's great; here's what I found, hope it's useful for you!"
I'm looking forward to travelling more so I hope I can review other places from a distinctly North American perspective. A future, digitally integrated Rick Steves. That would be amazing.
I also hope that Google's review platform will become a bit more prominent. Currently it feels a bit under utilized, and I'm not quite sure how much weight to put behind Google review scores vs. other sites even for myself when I'm using it to go somewhere for the first time. I noticed a lot of regional differences in quality and quantity of reviews as well.
For now, I do what I can, when I can. I like writing, I love the platform, and I hope my experiences can keep helping people out.
Thanks to everyone reading this as I know many of you relate. I look forward to learning more about how I can contribute as well.