Your review has not been published. Do you know why?

Google Maps tips & tricks
21

Il tuo caso mi sembra diverso @DENIT33 , in quanto tutte le tue recensioni sono nascoste. Tu le vedi nel tuo profilo?

Perciò credo che più che compilare il form per ogni singola recensione tu debba provare questo form per vedere se ci sono restrizioni nel tuo account. A questo viene data una risposta scritta.

Contemporaneamente dovresti compilare anche questo , per una verifica di tutte le recensioni.

Per il futuro purtroppo non ho la sfera di cristallo, so solo che la situazione è complicata dalle implicazioni legali che molti paesi stanno mettendo in piedi, e sinceramente ne sono molto dispiaciuto.

Mi dispiace molto vedere oneste Guide Locali soffrire per colpa di un gruppo di imbroglioni, con una attività che purtroppo coinvolge milioni di attività commerciali e di false Guide Locali

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22

Hi @ErmesT

Thanks for both of your replies.

You asked where in your post you accused Local Guides of violating guidelines. The answer is “by omission”.

Your post explains the problems Google and other review sites face with spammers, This is super legit, and I clearly remember your earlier predictions for an upcoming total end to all public review sites for legal reasons. But it did not happen :wink: . And I clearly remember your prediction that the new flagging of hidden reviews will make a lot more Local Guides aware of their reviews being hidden. This prediction was spot on.

Your notion that nothing else changed is not correct. The form to report wrongfully hidden contributions is currently a pseudo solution since no action is taken upon the submissions. When did we last see a report from someone getting their reviews republished because they filled out the form? Compare this to the length of wait recommendations and the number of people requesting solutions to the hidden reviews problem. I have been waiting for 4+ months!

The spam filter is overreacting, and this makes a lot of Local Guides upset and demotivated, and decide to stop making reviews. I think it is necessary and important to communicate this fact effectively to Google employees.

I understand the need to put things in perspective and not see things in black and white. I have contributed to this on several occasions, as you know.

Posting your newest piece on hidden reviews and what Local Guides can do to help without acknowledging the need for Google to get the spam filter under control so less honest reviews get removed, and fewer volunteers experience the despair of being accused of wrongdoing when they did not violate the guidelines is beyond my sense of fairness and respect of volunteers.

Keep in mind that Google constantly reminds us to be helpful and respectful, while they decided not to provide the needed tools to help volunteers who get wrongfully accused of sharing fake engagement. There are no solutions we can suggest currently.

This is not just a difference in temperament and history/experience with dealing with volunteers. I have been an employee of an NGO for 21 years. We had at least 10 volunteers for each paid professional employee. So understanding and respecting volunteers is built into my brain.

I believe we are doing a better service to Google by vocalizing and explaining the consequences of their combined actions related to the balance between 1) fending off the spammers, 2) keeping volunteers engaged, and 3) tendering to the business owners. The balance is currently off by a lot - and we need to help the voices within Google who are advocates for treating Local Guides with the respect their honest volunteer efforts deserve.

Maybe I’m overly sensitive when I read disparate messages from Local Guides giving up on Google Maps because the spam filter is hurting them and their motivation and when they realize that form submissions go nowhere.

Suggesting Local Guides to understand, report spammers, discourage friends from writing fake reviews, report fake reviews (when flagging is not acted upon!), and flag businesses who ask for positive reviews in exchange for a discount are drop in the ocean and not comparable to the needed adjustments of the spam filter.

I hope I made it clear that you and your new post are not the problem. The problem is that there is a much bigger problem at play here - one that needs to be addressed and one that only Google can solve.

All the best

Morten

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23

@ErmesT I was trying to use the @ but it was not working properly (got HTML check error in the comment box). I know it is a small line between fake and real review, but with the provided Dataset Google have from Maps and for example from the uploaded images.

My Idea with Computer science background would be as also mentioned earlier to use the GEO-Data from images and from the timeline(GPS tacking timeline in maps) of the account for the fake detection. This could provide a good information basis to start of, I have no idea if googles algorithm use this provided Information to detect fake reviews. I think this could help a lot to prevent fakes, because the fake reviews for example with only 1-10 reviews mostly don’t connect their smartphones to this account, they get created and write fake reviews on some local businesses.
I also checked for Germany some website where you can buy google reviews and most of the time there are some specific wording you should use in the review, I know this is a lot of overload and work for the algorithm to check these review buying platforms for these keywords. But I think most of the time the Local Guide or small bot Account were not actually in these businesses which they review, so checking the GEO data from the timelines of these account could prevent a lot of fake reviews. So it would be nice if google dives into the paid review businesses and try to analyze the Data which is found there, for example some businesses which are buying reviews there and check the reviews of this business to train their Algorithm (I think this is some kind of Machine Learning Algorithm. But also here it needs to be separated if a business buys 5-Star reviews or if it’s buying 1-star reviews to harm the competitors in their city.
I know this is a big load of work, but this could help Google to identify fake reviews and provide a better platform.

2 Likes
24

Dear @ErmesT

Those two points I mentioned in my last post, are the essence of my position. In short, the lower the trust and confidence, the higher the need for control. Such a condition can quickly lead to a vicious spiral where the trust capital erodes and then the voluntary commitment is diluted.

The essential thing, in my opinion, is to ensure that those who receive the honorable title of LG, go through such a process where every step is rewarded with a degree of trust. In every non-profit engagement, honor and trust are the absolutely most important rewards that participants receive.

I also mentioned in passing something like Trusted Local Guide (TLG). Google may choose to apply progressive examination of reviewers inline with current rewarding system. For example, up to level 4, every second review can be examined by Google, then every 5th up to level 5, every 10th up to level 6, and every 20th up to level 7. From level 8, somewhat more liberal examination can be applied (every hundred or so).

As said, starting with mistrust and the use of such harsh accusations as “fake engagement”, we risk starting a vicious spiral where the absolutely important thing, ie trust, is sacrificed.

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25

Thanks @MortenCopenhagen

It reads to me that Google’s harsh way of formulating (to not publishing a review), without further explanations and guidelines to act, is something that can be solved quite quickly with a softer tone in the wording.

However, the strategic solution is probably close to the process and criteria for rewarding LGs to become TLGs. This can only be done by Google.

1 Like
26

Hi @MortenCopenhagen

best post ever.

Thankyou very much!

Tassilo

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27

@MortenCopenhagen

Perhaps it’s time for all of us to recognize this simple fact: Google is not capable of this. Simple as that.

Perhaps some AI forerunners such as OpenAI or someone like it in the future will be abler to deal with this. As of current moment, though, I think Google is totally incapable to deal with or even face this issue.

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28

Hi @ivanos

I think this is a so-called quick and dirty solution while waiting for a real one. We must not underestimate the consequences of the legal requirements. Although we are volunteers, Google is a legal entity that can be held accountable for content that is published.

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29

Grazie @MortenCopenhagen , grazie di cuore.

Hai descritto esattamente quello che sto percependo.
Spero che questo tuo post sia divulgato a tutti i volontari e ai lavoratori di Google…

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30

Ciao @ErmesT ,

Grazie per l’informazione. Io vedo le mie recensioni, questa mattina ho ricevuto un feedback da un gestore di una recensione pubblicata nelle ultime 2 settimane.
Una modifica di ieri é stata pubblicata. Una foto di ieri ha più di 200 visualizzazioni… detto questo non so cosa pensare. Tutto molto strano

Comunque seguirò i tuoi consigli, nel frattempo speriamo ci siano delle risposte e dei cambiamenti da chi gestisce tutto questo.

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31

Aspetta. Ti chiedo scusa @DENIT33 .

Da PC vedo le tue recensioni, mentre dal telefono non ci riesco.

Fammi controllare più tardi su qualche altro account. Ti faccio sapere.

Un abbraccio

1 Like
32

Hi dear @ErmesT and hi to all LocalGuides!

I am one of those who is in the same situation as you (!) and other Local Guides. Most of my reviews are not visible and if I try to edit or redo them from scratch they are not taken into consideration. I am also part of the Italian support of Google Maps and every day there are at least three or four people who complain about this fact. You can also explain to them that’s because a reinforcement of the Google algorithm that analyzes reviews with the aim of avoiding abuses and violations of the guidelines (also reporting to the official announcement page How reviews on Google Maps work or dedicated posts here on Connect.

The problem is that there is a complete lack of “human contact” from Google and this greatly demoralizes users so much so as to push themselves to remove from the Local Guides program or not to write and publish more reviews on Maps. Ready-made answers are not enough and indeed very counterproductive: in the end, these make you feel like just a number, one of many and you get the perception that your appeal is always managed by algorithms. It could also be that the appeal is managed by a Google employee, but I doubt that he will start analyzing the history of reviews or published photos user by user: he will be based on a table always proposed by this famous algorithm and then he will pull the sums.

I therefore find myself in agreement with @MortenCopenhagen : in the end there is always a lack of “human contact” and too much trust is placed in the algorithm rather than in the user.

You asked what suggestions could be made to improve this situation that is affecting and demoralizing many users every day.

This is what I would propose : before canceling a user’s reviews or photos, or definitively blocking him as a Local Guide, I would reprogramme the management of the anomaly starting first from a simple contact email, notifying the user that anomalies have been detected in the contributions. I would specify if the anomaly found concerns reviews or photos and how the user can remedy it. A nice confirmation button for having read the content of the mail at the end of the mail.

You leave it for like a couple of weeks or a month and if Google doesn’t receive a response from that account or sees that the user continues to persevere with contributions that are not in line with the terms , then can proceed with deleting the user’s contributions (if it doesn’t respond after a very couple of weeks probably of accounts bogus).

If the user is notified first, there is the possibility that he will become aware of the anomaly (whether voluntary or non-voluntary) and therefore be able to act appropriately and correctly. As they say: “forewarned is forearmed!” If, on the other hand, the user, according to personal knowledge, does not detect anything anomalous, he can report the matter to the Google Team who will check if it is a “false positive” detected by the algorithm.

So it’s just a matter of warning the user first, not letting him discover one day that his contributions are no longer visible on Maps or worse still that his Local Guide account has been deactivated.

I understand that behind the contributions of Google Maps there are enormous numbers of reviews, photos and videos, but letting an algorithm (and its AI) manage everything alone and leave it with full decision-making autonomy, this can actually be quite scary (and in this case we are talking about Google Maps, not other more important services (without detracting from Maps! :grin: ).

You Ermes still have the problem with the reviews”that could be fake engagement" ?

Have a good day,

David

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33

@I-am-Q

This is not a solution. Solutions resolve problems. This resolves nothing. Legal issues, if indeed there possibly is any, are part of the problem.

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34

Indeed @ivanos , therefore I used the expression “quick and dirty”.

35

@MortenCopenhagen

Thanks for the follow-up on behalf of all the people facing this issue.

However, as a genuine local guide, I shall keep posting my honest reviews and wait for a miracle.

Thanks,

Jadhav

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36

Since three weeks I had over 400 reviews “not posted” from more than 1200 reviews, made appeil to 250 of them , all 250 are approved and posted again. But the Fun is gone… Today every review I make is “not posted” . For me it’s game over. I quit on maps. I never posted something bad . I made a whole week mails , chats with Google , but no answers , mostly Standard answers.

Maybe TripAdvisor van help me …

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37

You mentioned “quick and dirty solution”. It’s quick and dirty. But it’s not a solution.

@I-am-Q

38

Ciao a tutti. Ho letto il post e tutti i commenti ma è molto tardi e forse non ho letto attentamente, chiedo scusa in anticipo se sto sbagliando, ma non ho visto scritto che le recensioni possono essere scritte da chiunque abbia un account google anche se non è un LG ma penso che questo invece sia uno dei punti fondamentali per il problema. Come ho già scritto in altre occasioni il numero di LG è diventato incontrollabile per Google che tuttavia non mette nessun paletto, anzi, continua ad inviare proposte di diventare LG ai nuovi recensori. Vedi @ErmesT tu sicuramente lo sai meglio di me, per accedere a qualsiasi tipo di volontariato serio bisogna superare dei test o avere dei requisiti particolari, per diventare un LG è sufficiente scrivere due parole o pubblicare qualche foto. Ho segnalato personalmente piu di un profilo di livello 10 le cui recensioni erano fatte di saluti agli amici e parolacce, che hanno sul loro profilo pubblicità delle loro attività o dei loro profili social con addirittura il numero di telefono in bella vista nella descrizione del profilo (non solo italiani o europei), sono ancora li!

Io sono tra quelli che ha smesso di pubblicare e di fare qualsiasi altra attività su Maps perché è veramente frustrante.

Ma non sono qui per lamentele, vorrei solo dire che se Google non permettesse più a chiunque di scrivere recensioni e smettesse di “arruolare” LG senza mettere dei requisiti base, forse si potrebbe ripartire eliminando una buona percentuale del problema.

I requisiti richiesti potrebbero essere:

Superare un test con domande circa la comprensione delle regole che dovranno essere accettate precedentemente con la dichiarazione di presa visione pena chiusura profilo. Il test non dovrà essere un modulo compilabile in maniera anonima ma dovrà avere i dati personali ( nome, cognome, indirizzo, numero di telefono e data di nascita), tanto i nostri dati Google ce li ha già a meno che non ne abbiamo inseriti di falsi. Qui può scattare la prima verifica di allineamento dati tra quelli del profilo e quelli del test. Quindi, se io creo più profili fake non posso utilizzare lo stesso numero di telefono o lo stesso indirizzo perché in questo caso avrei un duplicato nel database delle informazioni che farebbe scattare una verifica, troppo complicato? Penso che gli LG onesti meritino un minimo di tutela da parte di chi sfrutta il loro lavoro di volontario. Un altro argomento che non ho letto riguarda i gadget che in alcuni Paesi ricevono come gratifica, di cui spesso leggo qui la gioia per averli ricevuti o la rabbia per non averli ricevuti. Questo se lo si guarda con occhi puri, può essere un buon incentivo ma può anche essere un buon motivo per scatenare rabbia e odio che si riversa sul lavoro di guida locale. Ho letto alcuni commenti dove uno scriveva che fotografava tutti i negozi della sua città e scriveva recensioni a caso perché così gli sarebbero arrivati i calzini, un’altra invece che scriveva di inserire tutte le strade sbagliate per vendicarsi perché non aveva mai ricevuto niente in 4 anni! Io ho festeggiato i 5 anni pochi giorni fa e gli unici gadget che ho sono gli adesivi che mi hai regalato tu al wine meetup a novembre.

Forse ho scritto un mucchio di stupidate ma al momento non mi viene in mente altro. Grazie a te e a @MortenCopenhagen per essere sempre sul campo di battaglia, forse anche l’unione dei moderatori in questa situazione sarebbe di aiuto, di tutti i moderatori anche quelli che si vedono molto poco qui… qui aprirei un altro capitolo ma questo è un altro post…

Buonanotte :kissing_heart:

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39

Buonasera, ma non comprendo perché ho due recensioni in attesa da molte settimane senza nessuna indicazione da Maps, ho variato la recensione ho cancellato alcune foto ho modificato altre foto ma le recensioni continuano a rimanere in attesa, mentre per una terza recensione risulta non pubblicata ed anche in questo caso non ricevo spiegazione?

Potresti aiutarmi a comprendere grazie.

LG

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40

Hi @Luigi969

I can not explain why your particular reviews got hidden, but I believe the honest answer is that Google wants to eliminate spam reviews. And the AI spam filter they use is not trained sufficiently, so a huge amount of honest reviews end up as collateral damage. Or let me put it even more bluntly: Google is not allocating the ressorces needed to help Maps users when their reviews get wrongfully hidden by the out of control spam filter.

This is a very unfortunate situation as a lot of trustworthy volunteers are giving up on contributing and improving Google Maps.

Sorry.

Morten

1 Like