Google review of Mount Everest: One-star review is the peak stupidity

We’re sorry, this feature is currently unavailable. We’re working to restore it. Please try again later.

Advertisement

This was published 3 years ago

Google review of Mount Everest: One-star review is the peak stupidity

By Craig Platt
Just by looking at a photo, you can tell that Mount Everest is a one-star destination, right?

Just by looking at a photo, you can tell that Mount Everest is a one-star destination, right?Credit: iStock

"It is an act of worship just to sit and look at high mountains," Sir Edmund Hilary once said.

But, according to Google reviews, even the world's biggest mountain just isn't impressive.

Google might be heavily integrated into our lives, but sometimes its reliance on automation can result in things that are just dumb.

The company has threatened to leave Australia due to the federal government's proposed law that would require the big search and social media companies to pay for content provided by big news publishers.

While Google pulling out of Australia might be considered an empty threat, given the billions in revenue the company generates here, it has made some people think about what a Google-free life would be like.

Google isn't just web and news searches, it's maps, email, word processors, translation and much more.

And then there's Google reviews. Those star ratings for everything from restaurants to surgeons, offered up by random people with no verification or moderation.

Some time ago, Google started allowing people to review tourist attractions. These could include man-made attractions like Disneyland, or natural attractions like waterfalls.

Is there any real value in Google reviews compared to the ones you find on a dedicated travel site, like TripAdvisor?

Advertisement

Well, if this review of the world's tallest mountain is anything to go by, the answer is no.

Mount Everest has just one review on Google, from a user named Charles Schroeder. He gives this incredible example of the majesty of nature just one star out of five.

His comment: "I have never been."

Thanks for that, Charles.

The blatant ridiculousness of this review has seen it receive a whopping 2474 likes on Google. It began getting more attention on social media over the past week. Written two years ago, it remains the only review of Mount Everest and the only review from Charles Schroeder (and the review has seemingly not been reported despite being written by someone who openly admits they haven't been there).

I, too, have never been to Mount Everest, yet I can imagine the impact of seeing the 8849-metre mountain might be worth at least a couple of stars.

It's certainly not the view of the hundreds of hopefuls who head there each year to try and reach the summit. In 2019 the place became so overcrowded a photo of climbers literally queuing up along the mountaintop to reach the summit went viral. But none of them posted a review on Google afterwards.

Credit: AP

And reviews from people who haven't visited Everest aren't the only thing to be wary of on the internet. Nepal just announced plans to ban a pair of climbers that posted photos of themselves on the summit of Everest. Experts believe the photos are fake and that the pair have never been to the summit. Fake claims of climbing the mountain have become quite common in recent years, according to a New York Times report.

Perhaps one of this pair posts reviews under the name Charles Schroeder.

See also: How to spot fake reviews on travel websites

See also: Thai hotel to drop charges against guest who wrote bad reviews on TripAdvisor

Sign up for the Traveller Deals newsletter

Get exclusive travel deals delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up now.

Most viewed on Traveller

Loading