The article addresses this specifically, it’s not ruined because of the market, people want the market in the shot. “The juxtaposition of the soaring volcano and the banal sight of one of Japan’s most ubiquitous shops have made Fujikawaguchiko a popular location for photos”

I believe part of the difference between the two apps is Apollo had yearly subscriptions users which Reddit didn’t seem to want to accommodate for, so he would have been on the hook paying for those users. While Narwhal just had a ad unlock making it easier to move to version 2 with a subscription.

This is an account of someone who just hung out in an Ikea, no thanks! https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-3008

Solano county is north east of SF, not north west like the article claims.