OPR Candidate Action Guide - A Wayfarer History Lesson

PkmnTrainerJ-ING

To be clear first of all, this is very old guidance and the current Wayfarer Criteria ( https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/criteria/eligibility ) should be followed. NOT this. This is just for showing how things used to be. Again, don’t follow this for your reviews.

However as @GearGlider-PGO linked to it, I thought it would be fun to share what the previous guidance was, and for anyone who wasn’t around reviewing in the days of OPR to see and perhaps understand why some things were accepted that wouldn’t be now.

Any guidance on the list that you find surprising? So here’s the guidance;

What makes a good Portal?

High-quality Portal candidates are those that help Agents discover and enjoy their community, such as:

A location with a cool story, a place in history or educational value.

• Interesting story behind the location/object

• Signboards with educational information

• Historical significance (apart from just being old)

A cool piece of art or unique architecture

• Statues, paintings, mosaics, light installations, etc.

• Venues that showcase fine art (e.g., performance art theaters and museums)

• Buildings designed by renowned architects/structures famous specifically for their architecture

A hidden gem or hyper-local spot

• A popular local spot that you would take a friend visiting your community for the first time

• A popular spot where locals gather, but may be lesser-known outside the community

• Tourist spots that showcase local flavor and culture and that make your city neighborhood unique

• More off-the-beaten-path tourist attractions (i.e., if you weren't a local, you wouldn’t necessarily know to go here)

• Adventurous tourist attractions - think lookout towers, observatories, signs or markers atop mountain peaks, etc.

In addition to using the above acceptance criteria, we often add candidates that are a special nod to industries and networks that connect people around the world, just as Ingress connects Agents around the world.

These include:

• Public parks

Public parks are great, high-quality places for Portals: they are common all around the world and encourage players to walk, exercise and enjoy public spaces

• Public libraries

A nod to education and discovery, cornerstones of Niantic & Ingress; Includes little free libraries, provided they are not on private residential property: does not include mobile libraries

• Public places of worship

A nod to the otherworldly, which is integral to the story of Ingress

• Transit stations

A nod to the transportation industry, which also connects and unites people around the world. Accept transportation hubs (like Grand Central Station), but not every single small transit stop (like a subway station or a bus stop)

Low quality Candidates

If you come across any of the following, please reject it as a low quality Portal by rating ★ star for the "Should this be a Portal?" question:

• Candidates on the grounds of primary/secondary schools

•Candidates on private residential property (including farms)

• Candidates that obstruct the driveway of emergency services and may interfere with the operations of fire stations, police stations, hospitals, military bases, industrial sites, power plants, and air traffic control towers

• Candidates that are not permanent, including seasonal displays that are only put up during certain times of the year

• Candidates that are natural features (Includes pictures of landscapes as well as submissions where the subject is a lake, river, stream, mountain, volcano, waterfall, etc.; photos that include man-made points of interest - plaques, signs, etc. - near natural features are acceptable)

Please give the Portal a ★ star if the candidate has the following issues:

• Candidate is not an object but the photo of a person/group of people, body parts, live animals

• The photo is pulled from a third party source (shows a watermark) or is low quality (e.g. pitch black/blurry photos or photos taken from a car)

OPERATION PORTAL RECON

MEMORANDUM: CANDIDATE ACTION GUIDE

***UNCLASSIFIED***

***FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION***

This document discusses various candidate types for agents participating in Operation Portal Recon.

NOTE: When the general policy is Accept, then please rate using 2 to 5 stars using the guidelines outlined in the training/help. See the help section Ratings Scale on the OPR site for more detail.

NOTE: When the general policy is Reject then please rate 1 star unless there is an exception in the policy detail.

***BEGIN***

Candidate: Antique/Rustic Farm Equipment

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT if on private residential property or a farm. ACCEPT if on display in a public park or museum and is visually unique or historic.

Candidate: Apartment/Development Sign

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless they are historic or have some significance.

Candidate: Cairn (Stacked Stone Monument)

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★

ACCEPT if significant in size and unique and meets other criteria in terms of being publicly accessible and safe to access. Falls under the criteria of adventurous tourist attractions.

Candidate: Cemetery

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless the cemetery is historical or has special significance in the community (see guidelines for gravestones/markers).

Candidate: City/Street Sign

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT regular street signs/city signs that have no historical significance

Candidate: Exercise Equipment

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★

ACCEPT if the candidate is in a park or community gathering place; falls under the criteria of public spaces that encourage walk and exercise. If there are multiple pieces of exercise equipment, ACCEPT one submission for the whole group and not for each individual piece of equipment.

Candidate: Fire Department

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless the candidate is a memorial/museum that does not obstruct the path of the emergency vehicles. ACCEPT candidates in low density areas if it does not obstruct the path of the emergency vehicles.

Candidate: Fire Lookout Tower

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★

ACCEPT if open to the public. Falls under the criteria of adventurous tourist attractions. REJECT lookout towers being used as private residences.

Candidate: Fountain

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★★

ACCEPT if it has pedestrian access, i.e. agents can walk up to it. REJECT spouts in the middle of the lake with no access.

Candidate: Gazebo

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★★

ACCEPT if the candidate is in a park or community gathering place; falls under the criteria of public spaces that encourage walk and exercise.

Candidate: Golf Course

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT hole markers and other locations ON THE COURSE. ACCEPT if in areas where agents can sit and socialize (like cafes or club areas).

Candidate: Gravestone

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless the gravestone belongs to a famous/historic person or notable member of the local community and is more than 50 years old and community norms for use of the cemetery are open to historic visits and other uses.

Candidate: Highway Rest Area

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless the rest stop has any significance like being a popular tourist spot or a historic location. ACCEPT in low density areas if it has character or amenities.

Candidate: Historic Home

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless the home is not a private residence and is open to the public.

Candidate: Hospital

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT if the candidate is on or inside the hospital building or is in any location where it could obstruct emergency services and access to the building. ACCEPT candidates in hospital gardens if they are not in the path of emergency vehicles.

Candidate: Hotel/Inn

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless the hotel/inn is historical, has an interesting story or is a unique local business.

Candidate: Mass Produced Corporate Art

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless the candidate has some significance such as being the first or having an interesting story behind it.

Candidate: Memorial Bench

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless for a notable member of the community or in a low density area.

Candidate: Memorial/Dedication Plaque

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless for a notable member of the community.

Candidate: Mountain Top Marker

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★★

ACCEPT permanently attached logbooks, structures, or signs.

Candidate: Playground

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★★

ACCEPT if the candidate is in a park or community gathering place; falls under the criteria of public spaces that encourage walk and exercise.

Candidate: Post Office

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★

ACCEPT. Connects and unites people around the world.

Candidate: Ruin

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★★

ACCEPT. Falls under the criteria of tourist spots that showcase local flavor and culture and that make your city/neighborhood unique provided that the site is open and accessible to the public or can be accessed from an open sidewalk or viewing area.

Candidate: RV/Mobile Park

Policy: Reject

Suggested Vote: ★

REJECT unless it is historical, a community gathering spot, has an interesting story or is a unique local business.

Candidate: Survey Marker

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★

ACCEPT if on a trail or helps you explore the location. Falls under the criteria of off-the-beaten-path tourist attractions.

Candidate: Trail Marker

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★★

ACCEPT. Falls under the criteria of adventurous tourist attractions and encourages walk and exercise.

Candidate: Water Tower

Policy: Accept

Suggested Vote: ★★★★

ACCEPT if accessible without entering a restricted area, is uniquely decorated, or are otherwise a notable monument.

LukeAllStars-ING

I can already see people ignoring this sentence

To be clear first of all, this is very old guidance and the current Wayfarer Criteria ( https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/criteria/eligibility ) should be followed. NOT this.

and review like below/using it as a template

PkmnTrainerJ-ING

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/comment/113407#Comment_113407

I did think some might. So thought I’d try and make it as clear as possible to have deniability in future. 😆

I did notice there was no “Private Residence” on this list. Maybe it wasn’t even considered people would nominate their kitchens or bedrooms back then. 😂

HankWolfman-PGO

I wasn't a part of OPR, but have friends that were and I did see them use it. I must admit, I do miss the clarity of the old formatting for guidelines. They're not perfect, especially given the criteria is obviously a bit different nowadays, but the format itself is nice and simple and provided a good reference to check against and provided less ambiguity.

GearGlider-ING

The good ol' CAG. The wayback machine archive of the G+ didn't have everything that was on the CAG page on the OPR site. It's missing a small intro of what kinds of areas are good and bad.

CAG.jpeg

This is all I have left of it, I have no idea why it's a jpeg but it is.

PkmnTrainerJ-ING

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/comment/113413#Comment_113413

Ah that’s where the private residence bit was. Knew it must have been referenced somewhere.

Gendgi-PGO

I remember thinking it odd that a few of them have less than 5* suggested votes. I remember reviewing post offices and catching myself changing my vote from 5* to 4* "just in case" I was ever audited for following the guides.

I wasn't a fan of how some of them read a little misleading. "REJECT (unless)." Golf courses, especially, I thought was weird.

Also, let's not talk about "Accept: 2*" 🙈

PkmnTrainerJ-ING

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/comment/113413#Comment_113413

Thanks for that image. Managed to copy most of it across and add it to the post with some minor format changes.

GearGlider-ING

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/comment/113416#Comment_113416

Yeah, the few that said "REJECT unless" were basically daeth knells for those things. I talked to so many people back in the day that were convinced you should reject every memorial bench no matter what.

Though I do wish they'd bring the [\part back about apartment/development signs.

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/comment/113420#Comment_113420

Thanks for transcribing all of it!

oscarc1-ING

Thanks for sharing! I've been looking for this to travel down memory lane and compare how things have changed.

MargariteDVille-ING

This came between the top post, and the current requirements:

Help > Eligible Wayspots

High-quality Wayspots are those that help players discover and enjoy their communities. Whether you’re nominating a Wayspot or reviewing a nomination, it’s important to know whether a given object or real-world location is suitable for acceptance. To be considered an eligible Wayspot, a nomination must fall into at least one of these categories:

 

Locations with a cool story, a place in history, or educational value

 

Interesting story behind the location/object or has historical significance (apart from just being old).

 

 

Cool pieces of art or unique architecture

Statues, paintings, mosaics, light installations, etc. 

Venues that showcase fine art (e.g., performance art theaters and museums)

 

 

Buildings designed by renowned architects/structures famous specifically for their architecture

 

 

Local attractions and hidden gems

Popular local spots that you would take a friend visiting your community for the first time. 

Popular spots where locals gather but are lesser-known outside the community

Tourist spots that showcase local flavor and culture and that make your city/neighborhood unique

 

Adventurous, off-the-beaten-path tourist attractions—think lookout towers, observatories, signs or markers atop mountain peaks, etc.

 

In addition to using the above acceptance criteria, we often accept nominations that are a special nod to industries and networks that connect people around the world, just as products built using Wayfarer connect Wayfinders around the world. These include:

 

Public Parks

Public parks are great, high-quality places for Wayspots: they are common all around the world and encourage players to walk, exercise, and enjoy public spaces. However, park benches, picnic tables, or other common features might not meet criteria unless there is something significant about them.

 

Public Libraries

Public libraries encourage education and discovery. This includes little free library locations, provided they do not appear to be located on private residential property but does not include mobile libraries.

 

Public Places of Worship

Public places of worship are often meeting spaces for the community. This does not include places of worship that also host childcare centers, preschools, or primary/secondary schools.

 

Photos, Titles, and Descriptions

The quality of a nomination's photo, title, and description also influences the likelihood of acceptance. Follow the guidelines below when nominating or keep these guidelines in mind when reviewing nominations:

 

Photo Guidelines

• Please do not submit an image to which you do not own the copyright (i.e. watermarked stock photos).
• Please do not submit images that are blurry, taken from a vehicle, or not properly exposed (too dark or too bright). 
• Photos should be of man-made points of interest. Please do not submit images of people, body parts, or live animals.

Title Guidelines

• A Wayspot may not have an “official” title (i.e., fountains and statues without names), but we welcome creative titles to distinguish the nominated Wayspot from other similar Wayspots.
• Please do not include real names, codenames, or faction/team names.
• Please do not include emojis or emoticons.
• Please do not include HTML.
• Note: We cannot accept title or description edits for historical markers. Please direct these edits to hmdb.org.

Description Guidelines

• Descriptions are not required, but consider including detailed information that users might find interesting about the Wayspot. For example, interesting facts about art, architecture, historical significance, etc. You can also use the description to explain why the Wayspot is unique, historical, or significant.
• The “Description” field on Wayspot submissions may be used to populate the “More Info” link on the Wayspot details page.
• Please do not include emojis or emoticons. 
• Please do not include HTML or URLs.
• Please keep our Terms of Service in mind when providing descriptions

Help > Ineligible Wayspots

Some nominations should be immediately rejected if they fall into particular categories. Submitting unsuitable nominations slows down the Wayspot review process, so please refrain from submitting nominations that match any of the following criteria:

 

Nominations that are images of mass-produced art pieces or objects

 

Don’t nominate these unless the subject has some cultural significance. Generic street signs qualify as mass-produced objects.

 

While this decorative parking bollard may be visually appealing, it is a mass-produced object.

 

Nominations with no safe pedestrian access to the Wayspot’s real-world location

 

 

Nominations with images that are not objects, but rather people, body parts, or live animals.

 

 

Nominations that are images of natural features

 

This includes nominations where the subject is a lake, river, stream, mountain, volcano, waterfall, etc. However, images of man-made points of interest (plaques, signs, etc.) near natural features are acceptable.

 

Nominations that are images of objects that are not permanent

This includes seasonal displays that are only put up during certain times of the year.

 

Nominations that are images of objects that do not have a fixed real-world location

This includes operational boats/trains, food trucks, or mobile libraries.

 

Nominations with a photo or other materials to which you do not own the copyright (i.e. watermarked photos, photos from the internet, etc.).

 

Nominations whose real-world location appears to be located on private residential property (including farms)

Please be sure to closely review nominations whose real-world location appears to be within 40 meters of private, single-family residential property, and nominations whose real-world location appears to be in a neighborhood park. To be clear, nominations should be rejected if their real-world location appears to be on private, single-family residential property or might encourage people to go onto private property (e.g., because the real-world location is at the end of a private driveway).

 

Nominations whose real-world location appears to obstruct the driveways of emergency services

This includes anywhere that may interfere with the operations of fire stations, police stations, hospitals, military bases, industrial sites, power plants, or air traffic control towers.

 

Nominations whose real-world location appears to be on the grounds of primary/secondary schools, child care centers, or daycare centers 

 

Nominations that are images of adult-oriented stores or services

Including liquor stores, adult entertainment, **** ranges, firearm stores, etc. Establishments that serve alcoholic beverages like bars and pubs are acceptable. 

 

Nominations submitted by accounts with a history of spamming inappropriate nominations

If we believe you are spamming nominations inappropriately, you will receive a warning and may lose nomination privileges for repeat offenses. 

 

Nominations that are duplicates of existing Wayspots

Check to make sure that the Wayspot you’re nominating or reviewing doesn’t already exist. If it does, the Wayspot will be marked as a duplicate during the review process, and the image you submitted will be added to the live Wayspot.

Help > Potentially Confusing Nominations

Some nominations may or may not make suitable Wayspots, depending on context. Use the guidelines below to determine whether a borderline Wayspot is suitable for acceptance:

 

Indoor nominations

Indoor nominations are eligible, so long as they are accessible to the public in some capacity. Note that these nominations are less likely to be approved because they are more likely to be on private residential property (see Ineligible Wayspots) or to not be areas in which groups can congregate and play comfortably.

 

Eligible:

 

Graffiti and street art

While spray-painted artworks and murals are acceptable, graffiti tags that just include the graffiti writer's name or initials are ineligible. Additionally, graffiti tags are often regularly removed so they may also be ineligible under the non-permanent criteria.

 

Eligible:

This piece of street art, other informal artworks, and works created with spray paint are eligible so long as they represent cool pieces of art.

 

Ineligible:

This graffiti tag is just the artist's initials.

 

Nominations with photos that include people

As a general rule, don’t submit photos that include people if you can avoid it. If you can’t (like at a crowded tourist attraction), you may submit a photo with people in the frame, so long as they aren't the focus or posing for the camera.

 

Eligible:

The Eiffel Tower is a popular tourist attraction, so taking pictures without people in the frame would be difficult. 

 

Ineligible:

This statue could be photographed without the person standing next to it.

 

Private homes that are registered historic landmarks

Regardless of historical value, if a real-world location is being used as a private residence, it is ineligible.

 

Ineligible:

 

This historical building is actually someone’s home, so it’s ineligible.

 

Statues, sculptures, or monuments without pedestrian access to the Wayspot’s real-world location

Regardless of any other criteria, if a nomination doesn’t have pedestrian access to the real-world location, it is not eligible.

 

Ineligible:

This sculpture is located in the middle of a roundabout and can’t be accessed by foot. 

 

 

Cemeteries, Burial Grounds, and Gravestones

Avoid nominations whose real-world locations appear to be cemeteries, burial grounds, or gravestones. Gravestones may be accepted, but only if the gravestone is publicly accessible and it belongs to a historical figure or significant community figure.

 

Eligible:

This gravestone belongs to a prominent cultural and historical figure, is publicly accessible, and is a popular tourist destination.

 

Memorials

Memorials are eligible, but only for significant figures in a community or for significant events. Memorials that contain human remains should adhere to the acceptance criteria for gravestones. 

 

Eligible:

This plaque contains detailed information about why this person is a significant historical figure.

 

Low-Quality Photos

Eligible Wayspots with low-quality photos are ineligible, even if they meet all other acceptance criteria.

 

Ineligible:

This place of worship qualifies for acceptance, but the photo is too blurry.

 

Generic Local Businesses

Generic local businesses don’t meet criteria on their own without having historical/cultural value, community significance, or distinctive architecture.

 

Ineligible:

 

Additional Examples and Guidelines

• Athletic fields - Eligible, as long as they are publicly accessible. If the fields are marked by signs, submit the signs as Wayspots. Also, ensure that the Wayspot appears to be at least 40 meters away from a private residence.
• Building foundation stones - Eligible, if they demonstrate historical value.
• Charity drop-boxes - Ineligible, as they are mass-produced objects.
• Flagpoles - Ineligible, as they are mass-produced objects. Only with accompanying plaque or info board detailing cultural or historical significance. 
• Lighthouses - Eligible, as long as they’re accessible by foot.
• Memorial bench/plaques - Eligible, if dedicated to a noteworthy member of a community or historical figure. 
• Objects installed in a series - Objects installed in a series can be submitted as a group or individually, depending on the distance between them. If they are relatively close together and share a single sign, consider them as a single Wayspot, but please ensure that the objects are in fact related before nominating. If they are relatively far apart, consider them as multiple Wayspots. 
• Playgrounds - Eligible, as long as they are not located on primary and secondary school grounds, child care centers, day care centers, or private residential property. Indoor playgrounds should be evaluated on their cultural and historical significance.  
• Post offices - Eligible, as long as they are standalone buildings rather than individual postboxes, windows, etc. 
• Sidewalk stencils - Ineligible, as they are not permanent.
• Signs for locations/objects that are already existing Wayspots - Eligible, if they are a significant distance from the object or location. For example, a sign for a monument could be a separate Wayspot than the monument itself. If a sign for Wayspot is nearby the Wayspot itself, it can be used as a supplementary photo for the existing Wayspot.

Trailheads, trail markers, mile/distance markers, etc. - Acceptable, if they have a trail name on them. Simple mile markers along a trail with nothing other than a number should be rejected.