Upon searching “Pacific Ocean” using Google Maps, one might expect to find a diagram of the world that illustrates Earth’s largest body of water. And yes, the result returns an interactive graphic displaying just that.

But the aquatic destination also gets a rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars, and more than 14,500 reviews, many describing presumably fictional experiences. “Stop down-voting the ocean because of sharks,” chides one.

User-generated feedback is now constantly self-published on sites such as Google Maps, Amazon and Yelp, a crowdsourced education for potential customers about the functions, satisfaction (or dissatisfaction) of products, services and venues. The format is so common it is now often spoofed.

In September, on Google Maps, a critic with the screen name Makorun shared thoughts regarding the Pacific: “Wonderful ocean. Very refreshing, although it needs a heating feature. If it was drinkable I would rate it 5 stars but I’ll keep it at 4 until the developer fixes the water. Almost every species is aggressive, except for the dolphins sometimes. I suggest making it breathable too and maybe add more light in the deep parts of the ocean.” This imaginative paragraph received more than 140 likes.