There are faux pas and there are FAUX PAS. Google Maps by virtue of its global scope and the occasional tin ear of its algo has managed to periodically insert itself into the culture wars of 21st Century. Google Maps has been accused of Chinese bias by the Indians and Indian bias by the Chinese and of course the real battles of Jerusalem often take place in the virtual world of Maps. However, Google may be trying its luck by taking on the French in both matters of food and language.

Reader Keonda has pointed out on my post about Google Maps newly instituted sentiment analysis feature that Google is now showing the more granular review information in Europe. However, apparently it is showing up on the localized Google language sites in English.

The French take their country, language and food very seriously. By showing sentiment analysis on Google.fr of French food in English, Google may have just stepped into one very huge aggregation of merde. It would seem to me a sure fire way to anger everybody from Sarcozy to the subway conductor. And trust me, you don’t want to anger the subway conductors in France.

Note on this example search for the Lasserre Restuarant in Paris:

Sentiment analysis has to be a very complicated algo and it would seem to be very culturally and linguistically based. There are likely to be even regional differences in expression. For example I can’t imagine how the review for the Medical Marijuana Provider in LA would translate (Hey dude, that was some good shit!). Perhaps for now, Google has just figured it out in English.

If that is the case then perhaps it is premature to be showing it on the regional sites. Unless of course they are prepared to do battle with Le Monde and the powerful French unions.