Yeah not bad, I’m sure you could use federated login to allow the users’ personal google acct to hit the maps api and pull reviews. But yelp/google/amzn/etc all manipulate ratings and reviews behind the scenes without any transparency which is a deeper problem and why I am always critical of reviews in general. But like I said, if you and I created an OSS review plugin/service for use in OSS maps, it wouldn’t be long before it was corrupted in some regard… somehow. Cynical I know but the review data is just so damn JUICY to everyone.

No let me apologize I was overly harsh on that criticism.

yeah there really isn’t a way around reviews

I think it’s just too valuable to stay open and free, someone will always want to monetize (from the business, the reviewers, the ‘pop up’ order on the map, etc)

I too have found myself in the same boat, especially because Google Maps is probably (for my life) their best product. I was in the early contributor beta and have been pretty consistent in leaving reviews over the last 10+ years (although the offers for comp’d dinners have disappeared) - I’ve made an effort to be better, I have CoMaps on my phone, and I’ve started contributing to OSM. I think what would really seal the deal for me to shift completely would be integrated reviews. As you said, google and yelp have the market cornered for that, but there is no transparency.

edit: that transit app website is the worst marketer crap I have ever stepped in, scrolled so many fucking pages of artistic empty-words and vision speak and still have NO FUCKING CLUE what the app does. JFC.

Too many companies living aboard the sunk-cost ship. Burn that trash to the ground.

Like my beloved Nokia N900 and my current Pixel 6 had a bastard love child and I am all about it.