Trail markers and nature signs In the woods
Maikkku83-PGO
Posts: 8 ✭✭
Some of these would be great waypoints for sure, but when it's just impossible to be sure of the location, should they be rejected or what should I do as a reviewer?
Like when there is only satellite image where you can see nothing but trees blocking the view.
Comments
Personally I 3 star those as I don't believe believe would be maliciously in the wrong place, just GPS drift at worst. But I know a lot of reviewers will just reject offhand
Things like that can be a judgement call, usually they would be 3* location if the rest of the nomination is solid, sometimes however the support pic or the picture of the marker itself don't fit with the suggested location so would then be 1* location.
If there is some indication of a location in the photo and supporting photo and we can see enough to say "Yes, there is a path there" etc that can give a clue that it might be there, then 3*. Photospheres THAT SHOW THE POI are also useful.
"Trail Markers" etc under solid tree canopy that extends unbroken for 100s of metres and no hint of any paths etc - 1* mismatched location.
Eu coloco no Google maps e vou em fotos. Por ser uma trilha, as pessoas postam fotos na internet com um fundo do local que foi indicado. Da pra ter uma base se é lá ou não. Mas de qualquer forma, se estiver na incerteza coloca 3 estrelas
An extra thing you can do in this situation is look up the trail. Named trails will usually have a map of the trail. You can use the trail map and compare it to where the actual pin is located. If the location of the trail marker on the Wayfarer map is on or fairly close to the route shown on the trail map, then it seems plausible that a trail marker could exist there.
If you refer to the Help page Niantic has given us really spot on guidance for situations just like this.
Rating Location Accuracy
Note: At times, you may not be able to view the Wayspot nomination in maps or street views if the real-world location of the nomination is inside a park or under a tree. For these cases, use your best judgement to decide whether the nomination could exist at the real-world location. You can use the submission photo and look for clues in the background to help you decide.
here is the link for reference.
https://wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/new/help/reviewing-a-wayspot-nomination
As they note use your best judgment to decide if the Waypost could exist and if that is the case I would mark 3 or 4.
Hope that is helpful!
Unfortunately there is so much abuse of woodland/parks, I would 1* the location if all you are presented with is a tree canopy, even go as far as 1* mismatch location. I have learned the hard way, if you have a nomination in such a location Photosphere before the nomination is reviewed, that way the reviewers can see that you have made best efforts to show the true location of the POI. If there are no geographical/manmade structures in the local area then this is the only way, or the reviewers just don't know if it's there or not.
This is highly dependent on the location, though. Here in Middle/Eastern Europe we have tons of local paths and routes maintained by NGOs and local municipalities. They are usually mentioned online and/or are tagged on Google Maps, but not necessarily so. Just because there's no trail map online, it can still exist. But I agree that if there's a map, it is very useful indeed.
I would always submit a StreetView via the Google StreetView app to bulk the accuracy of the way point for reviewers. Mention it in the supporting info. When doing the StreetView make sure you are stood still a minute for accuracy when taking the photos.
When there's no photosphere or easily identifiable features in the photo/supporting photo that can be matched with the satellite image then it's a judgement call between 3* and Rejection. I also take into account the nearby Waypoints - is it the same one from a different angle? Would there likely be another one here if there's one there? Is the spacing suspicious looking as if placed in empty cells etc? Not a huge fan of the generic looking trail markers as it is tbh.
So I feel like the guidance on these is fairly clear- its embedded right in the review tool. "If it's likely to exist" then a 3 star is generally warranted unless there is something really fishy about it. For example, if the submitter does not also submit the appropriate pic of the trail, and you find NO evidence on the satellite of a trail, but instead it looks completely off (like business, or homes) then you might want to 2 star the whole submission or completely reject depending on how fishy it looks. I live in Alaska, and so almost all of our satellite images are complete garbage and reviewing is challenging. Thankfully I'm a hiker so that makes its a little easier, but I always do my due diligence to make sure someone isn't trying to submit something on their personal property just for kicks.