In my eyes they still both help the community in the same way. One gives books, one gives food donations to those who may not afford it. I can see value to community in both and both and it could show how there culture in the community is caring. Thats why im wondering lol
The "A great place for exploration" is a more welcoming and more encompassing acceptance criteria than many players give it credit for. I mean, "a highly visible local landmark" is certainly more than enough to qualify under this category, even if "landmark" is not otherwise explicitly listed. Or "<country>'s biggest foil ball" is still an attraction worthy of becoming a wayspot, even if it isn't also attached to a foil-ball museum.
I fail to see how a locally-unique little bit of architecture at a church doesn't fit under this category.
Heck, this one even fits snugly into the "A great place to be social with others", as you're working with your local community to help others in need. Even a very-boring corkboard where one staples their job-seeking or lost-cat flyers qualifies in this section.
Perhaps @NianticTintino has further insights as to why such a structure would or wouldn't be allowed.
Q49: While little free libraries are valid portal candidates, what about blessing boxes (miniature food and hygiene banks)?
A49: NIA OPS response is, “At this time no. Libraries are part of our criteria and are included as a nod to education and discovery. Blessing boxes would not fall into this category.”
You could argue that the artistic nature of a particular box could allow it to fit the acceptance criteria (and I wouldn't disagree). However, there is also the issue that these locations, like a more formal food pantry, would likely fall under the "sensitive location" rejection reason.
I don't really like the eligible/ineligible stance most people like taking. Review the nomination and make a decision.
Almost all of the ones I've seen, I've had to reject for being on private residential property, so that makes the decision fast. I've gotten to approve a few that were located in cultural/ethnic centers where they were intended to be places to share & explore local or exotic flavors.
I was still going by the flat statement from Niantic that these are ineligible and rejecting them as 1* sensitive location. Thanks for finding the statement, and I see your point @Gendgi-PGO about more latitude than strictly eligible/ineligible but was trying to follow Niantic guidelines. Since I don't see anyone from Niantic saying to consider them, I will continue to reject. Thanks everyone that weighed in.
As with anything, it is up to the nominator to prove their nomination is valid. Then, using their best judgment (and given the limited time available in which to review a single nomination), it is up to the reviewer to decide if a nomination should be accepted. Since Niantic does maintain an exhaustive list of different "things", there are many "things" which are not an obvious yes or no, and if you come across such a "thing" whilst reviewing, is it up to you decide if it should become a Wayspot. Where I live, we do not use "blessing boxes" (from what I can tell) so I've never had to review one myself.
I don't know about you guys but if I could not afford food and had to rely on a blessing box to feed my family I would not want to pull up with my wife and kids in the car, get out and ask a bunch of people on their phones playing pokemon to politely move so I could feed my family. I would most likely continue driving by from being too embarrassed to get out in front of all the people and just go to bed hungry. Now I see this as being different than a LFL.
And it might be really neat architecture and unique but emergency rooms usually include some kind of neat artsy structure or mural but it interferes with emergency work. I see a unique hand crafted blessing box as location sensitive as it interferes with a less fortunate person needing something and they would most likely not want people hovering around them at the time.
I would 1* as a sensitive location (as I do for food shelves and such) but I know in the past they were eligible under the criteria so the location edit may be an old wayspot from back when they were eligible.
I do not think it is right to have a location that people that have fallen on hard times may need to utilize for a basic need like free food attract a bunch of people on their cell phones that may loiter there to play a game.
cyndiepooh-ING
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There are lots of things that might be non-eligible but they have been approved.
One (or as many as you want) existing wayspots doesn't mean that they are acceptable now.
No, they are still not eligible. But it doesn't mean players will stop nominating then in hopes of getting one pass nieve reviewers.
Just wondering, why would a blessing box be ineligible but a free little library which does the same thing but with books would be eligible?
I've never heard of that before !
I guess it's because books are cultural objects while food is not. @Jtronmoore-PGO
In my eyes they still both help the community in the same way. One gives books, one gives food donations to those who may not afford it. I can see value to community in both and both and it could show how there culture in the community is caring. Thats why im wondering lol
The "A great place for exploration" is a more welcoming and more encompassing acceptance criteria than many players give it credit for. I mean, "a highly visible local landmark" is certainly more than enough to qualify under this category, even if "landmark" is not otherwise explicitly listed. Or "<country>'s biggest foil ball" is still an attraction worthy of becoming a wayspot, even if it isn't also attached to a foil-ball museum.
I fail to see how a locally-unique little bit of architecture at a church doesn't fit under this category.
Heck, this one even fits snugly into the "A great place to be social with others", as you're working with your local community to help others in need. Even a very-boring corkboard where one staples their job-seeking or lost-cat flyers qualifies in this section.
Perhaps @NianticTintino has further insights as to why such a structure would or wouldn't be allowed.
October 2019
Q49: While little free libraries are valid portal candidates, what about blessing boxes (miniature food and hygiene banks)?
A49: NIA OPS response is, “At this time no. Libraries are part of our criteria and are included as a nod to education and discovery. Blessing boxes would not fall into this category.”
You could argue that the artistic nature of a particular box could allow it to fit the acceptance criteria (and I wouldn't disagree). However, there is also the issue that these locations, like a more formal food pantry, would likely fall under the "sensitive location" rejection reason.
Wouldnt this be pre criteria reset
Here you go, after the November 2020 refresh.
I don't really like the eligible/ineligible stance most people like taking. Review the nomination and make a decision.
Almost all of the ones I've seen, I've had to reject for being on private residential property, so that makes the decision fast. I've gotten to approve a few that were located in cultural/ethnic centers where they were intended to be places to share & explore local or exotic flavors.
Thanks
I was still going by the flat statement from Niantic that these are ineligible and rejecting them as 1* sensitive location. Thanks for finding the statement, and I see your point @Gendgi-PGO about more latitude than strictly eligible/ineligible but was trying to follow Niantic guidelines. Since I don't see anyone from Niantic saying to consider them, I will continue to reject. Thanks everyone that weighed in.
As with anything, it is up to the nominator to prove their nomination is valid. Then, using their best judgment (and given the limited time available in which to review a single nomination), it is up to the reviewer to decide if a nomination should be accepted. Since Niantic does maintain an exhaustive list of different "things", there are many "things" which are not an obvious yes or no, and if you come across such a "thing" whilst reviewing, is it up to you decide if it should become a Wayspot. Where I live, we do not use "blessing boxes" (from what I can tell) so I've never had to review one myself.
I don't know about you guys but if I could not afford food and had to rely on a blessing box to feed my family I would not want to pull up with my wife and kids in the car, get out and ask a bunch of people on their phones playing pokemon to politely move so I could feed my family. I would most likely continue driving by from being too embarrassed to get out in front of all the people and just go to bed hungry. Now I see this as being different than a LFL.
And it might be really neat architecture and unique but emergency rooms usually include some kind of neat artsy structure or mural but it interferes with emergency work. I see a unique hand crafted blessing box as location sensitive as it interferes with a less fortunate person needing something and they would most likely not want people hovering around them at the time.
I would 1* as a sensitive location (as I do for food shelves and such) but I know in the past they were eligible under the criteria so the location edit may be an old wayspot from back when they were eligible.
I do not think it is right to have a location that people that have fallen on hard times may need to utilize for a basic need like free food attract a bunch of people on their cell phones that may loiter there to play a game.
Niantic have said these things are 1* nominations. No further discussion needed - just 1* "Does not meet criteria".