Update google_maps_flutter README with support, SLA and contribution …

[caio1985]

Added Google Maps Platform support information (SLAs, Deprecation policy, how to report issues) and contribution guidelines.

[gemini-code-assist]

Code Review

This pull request updates the README.md for google_maps_flutter by adding a new 'Support' section. This section clarifies the open-source support model, semantic versioning adherence, and provides guidance for filing issues and contributing. My review includes a suggestion to update the contributing guide link to point to the more specific guide for the flutter/packages repository, which will be more helpful for potential contributors.

[stuartmorgan-g]

This package is offered via an open source license.

This is true of all of our packages, so not something we would say in every README.

[stuartmorgan-g]

For the rest of this paragraph, this is a lot of SDK-specific detail that we would generally not document at this level. Is there a general policy docs page that we can link to instead?

[stuartmorgan-g]

All of our packages uses semver, as does essentially the entire Dart package ecosystem, so we don't say this at a per-package level.

[stuartmorgan-g]

If you find a bug, or have a feature request, please file an issue on GitHub.

There is already a standardized link to this on pub.dev, which is where essentially everyone reads this documentation, so we don't generally include it.

If you'd like to contribute, please check the Contributing guide.

We just document this at the repo level, not in every package.

[stuartmorgan-g]

I think "Resources" would be a better section title than "Support", since we don't have an official support system.

[stuartmorgan-g]

If you would like to get answers to technical questions from other Google Maps Platform developers, ask through one of our developer community channels.

In the context of this README, "our" would be the Flutter team, and this is not a Flutter team resource. This seems like a potentially useful resource to link to, it'll just need language that doesn't sound like it's affiliated with the Flutter team.

[stuartmorgan-g]

@caio1985 Are you still planning on updating this to a more streamlined version?

[caio1985]

@stuartmorgan-g this has been added recently to our flutter samples in case you find it helpful to reference in the current README if that does not violate any of the standards.

[stuartmorgan-g]

this has been added recently to our flutter samples in case you find it helpful to reference in the current README if that does not violate any of the standards.

I find that page very confusing, and suspect that most of our clients would as well:

Terms of service for Flutter SDK

google_maps_flutter is not the Flutter SDK. This is the Flutter SDK. Linking from a Flutter package to a ToS that uses the term "Flutter SDK" differently than the Flutter team (or anyone in the Flutter community) seems actively confusing.

Ultimately, I think linking to this page from the google_maps_flutter README may cause more confusion than it would solve. In the context of a page that's hosted on the official Google Maps site it makes sense to clarify that the library that section is about isn't a core Google Maps offering, but in the context of the package itself—when the package is not hosted by, published by, or claiming to be supported by, Google Maps itself—linking to a different organization's official statement about the library seems like it muddies the water (because it raises the question: if the library is not a Google Maps offering, why are we linking to what looks like official Google Maps documentation about the library?).

My understanding is that the impetus here was someone wanting to be able to point to official confirmation of the Google Maps position on this wrapper; doesn't the existence of that page address that without needing to link it from here? Do we have examples of cases where people starting from this README are assuming that this is an official Google Maps offering?

[caio1985]

This discussion started because the Maps Support Team was getting support related questions about google_maps_flutter and asked us (DevRel) to add those statements to the README file of it to avoid confusion - if you want I can put you in touch with the manager on an email thread so we can better think how to address this.

The impression I have based on that is that developers might think this plugin is maintained by Google Maps and turn on to Maps Support for questions related to it as they are interested in using Maps features, the technology (Flutter) for them might just be a requirement and not as preponderant as the product.

[stuartmorgan-g]

This discussion started because the Maps Support Team was getting support related questions about google_maps_flutter and asked us (DevRel) to add those statements to the README file of it to avoid confusion - if you want I can put you in touch with the manager on an email thread so we can better think how to address this.

Yes, I'd definitely like to understand the scope and context of what kinds of questions/confusion are coming up in practice. For instance, some kinds of questions are properly addressed to Maps Support because they are about the wrapped SDK's behavior (example), so language implying that nothing about the results of using google_maps_flutter would be supported by Google Maps Support could create different types of confusion. Also, the solutions for technical questions are likely different than for support policy questions. Depending on what the main issues are, the solution(s) may be different.

[stuartmorgan-g]

From triage: @caio1985 Did you still want to update this to the more reduced form we discussed?