I stop when Memorial Bench Submit
yanghao1-ING
Posts: 56 ✭✭
I've been on Wayfarer since the start... when it was OPR. I stop reviewing when I see a memorial bench because I 99% of the time reject them (the submitter doesn't prove the person in memory is a historical figure or an important influence person in the community). However, they still get approved because some submitters and reviewers think memorial benches are a sure thing. Therefore this is really affecting my rating in wayfarer. Niantic Casey stated in the past "How to handle nominations with memorial benches or plaques: Memorial benches and plaques should be treated similarly to gravestones in that they're eligible only if dedicated to a noteworthy member of a community or historical figure. The burden of proof for demonstrating that the bench is noteworthy falls to the nominator and is a great use case for the supporting information field."
Just recently I came across this submit that just proves my point. Note the supporting info.
Comments
If your goal is agreements, then approve.
This is certainly a low effort submission as they just copied the description straight from the bench and provided no additional information about the person memorialized.
Exactly... I had a few submitters in the past that know the rules and state why that person was important (using the support info area to explain). I've even looked up some benches to see if an obit, memoriam was posted online for more info and if the person was important to the community. Plus I looked up how easy it is to have a memorial bench set up (it's just money to do so). It's unfortunate for that family's loss but submitters need to do some research. Not just snap photos here or there.
It even says it was "recently placed". So that person's mourners probably come by every now and then (same as a recent grave in a cemetery). Insensitive.
And they are trying to influence reviewers by stating memorial benches are always a good stop.
I always reject them (except in the very rare occasions where the submitter makes a case for the person being significant or where the bench design is especially artistic) and have never fallen below great.
Memorial bench - 1* "generic memorial bench" rejection or "Text / 3rd party Text - text copied from 3rd party source - 1*".
Take your pick.
The only way I accept a memorial bench is when they give a really really good detailed information & actually prove to me how important said person was. They really have to sell it though & these nominations are normally obvious that they should be accepted. For me the person the bench is in dedication to would have to have been active within their community somehow & recognizable. If someone just died & their family bought a bench to memorialize them though, although it may be public it’s not necessarily a good point of interest because it has no significance without a very good detailed information about said person. Only to those who personally knew said person. Even then, these are normally hard to get accepted but sometimes they can squeeze through depending how important the person was. Especially if the info tells interesting facts about the person & their accomplishments
I accept them or skip them. There's not many memorial benches around my part of Australia. Usually community organisations or people who have donated parkland - unsung - still noteworthy. .... And people dying young. There's a bench near me dedicated to a young man who passed away in his early twenties - read the coroner's report - some quite sad details still deciding whether I will nominate that or not.
I know of 5 'memorial' benches in about 5km radius from me.
1) a dedication to a community group that has been working for the broader community since the1970s
2) Red painted chair to remind folk that scurge of domestic violence is still with us and the community as a whole needs to help change that.
https://intel.ingress.com/intel?ll=-27.5902,153.06911&z=20&pll=-27.589979,153.069526
3) A young man whose passing was contributed to by quit smoking medication.
4) Betty Collins who donated her time to caring for Toohey Forest. Her bench is on a **** trail in toohey forest
5) Julie who died too soon while on holiday..... by a volcano!
So given the the lack of memorial bench dedications in my part of the world they are a novelty and point of interest.
They at least could have mentioned that the person was a long-time resident of said area.