British Post Boxes
Duiomar-PGO
Posts: 457 ✭✭✭✭✭
I can't wait for the inevitable threads on the implications recent events have on what post boxes are acceptable in the UK. I know there's enterprising submitters firing up their QEII submissions as we speak.
Post edited by NianticAtlas on
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Maybe it's time to accept that these are not acceptable? Apart from very, very rare types ( That's not you VR) and culturally relevant types like the Olympic boxes etc.
No, Elizabeth II postboxes won't suddenly be any more relevant than they are. I think the majority of UK reviewers who come here would probably realise that, assuming they're at least somewhat clued up on the existing postbox situation.
I don't have strong feelings either way towards them, but it is frustrating how many threads are derailed by very UK specific concerns.
Coming soon from Niantic Postman Pat's Adventures...
According to Niantic none are eligible but UK reviewers have their own way of doing things. I doubt this will change much.
Did the forum really just censor a word contained within an article on a different website...? 🤦♂️
It did 😆
I'm sorry for your loss, reviewers in the UK - I know she was a popular and beloved ruler for many, and will be widely mourned.
Just my view, shared in a UK group;
Postboxes are sketchy enough for their eligibility under Niantic’s updated criteria (great place to be social/exercise/explore) and many not meet any of those in many cases.
As Queen Elizabeth II has now sadly passed, this does not automatically make her cyphered postboxes (E II R) eligible. Do not submit them unless they meet criteria in another way (such as Olympic golden boxes).
As this was shared, and we are on about postboxes, why not.
Shows how many postboxes exist in the UK for each monarch so E II R are very much mass produced
Yeah, I had that conversation already, that her passing on wouldng all of a sudden make these eligible (unless it was the last ones installed before her passing and could be proven, or maybe if a couple were installed after her passing, as they would all be oddities). What i would say though, the first of the new ones installed in each country with the new monarchs sigil would be good pois, but again, would need proof that's what they are
QIIs are too common still.
The upcoming Charles mailboxes will be a unique sigh though….
"First CR-III postbox in the UK - historic!"
It came about from someone trying to get a GV postbox as a couch portal.
Question got asked in an AMA thread or something to a Niantic rep in a way that talked up the fact that they have an old monarch's cipher on them, completely glossed over the fact that there's more than 15,000 of them in the UK, and nobody here would say they were notable or historic.
Niantic rep goes "oh yeah, that definitely sounds like a good historic candidate", and the floodgates of idiocy open.
So now we've got the devil's bargain when reviewing - if you want upgrades you don't want to go by the rules, you want to go by how you think others are interpreting the rules. There's GV postboxes all over the place, so do you reject or accept a nomination when it comes to you?
I've even already seen QEII postbox portals in the wild before this. It's going to get worse, and the only way it'll stop is if Niantic put some checks in place (like with the swear filters).
"It looks like you're trying to submit a postbox, the vast majority of these are not valid, are you sure you want to continue?"
@NianticGiffard Dare/care to weigh in on this?
I’d argue that the very very first one will be, and will be eligible.
There will be a news story about it for sure, so the submitter will be able to prove it is the first one.
Q31: There has been a lot of debate in the UK OPR chat around Postboxes, there are many people that view them as an iconic part of British culture and there are several rare Postboxes from previous monarchs. Everyone is in agreement that the most common EiiR (Elizabeth II) Postboxes shouldn’t be portals but we are looking for a ruling on whether NIA believes the older and Rarer Postboxes could be good portal candidates under historical and cultural category especially in lower density areas?
A31: If they are visually unique or historic they can be accepted. A regular mass produced postbox should be rejected though.
That is from https://ingressama.com/ which as it says is old criteria.
Critiria, I think, has shifted a massive amount in the last year?
I've nominated most types apart from EII and previously accepted most types too.
I liked them because I thought they did have an iconic aesthetic and had history behind them. Seeing so many in game has definitely changed my view on their iconic status and I think the historic side is not enough on its own to merit acceptance. Even the lovely penfold type:)
I accept anything pre ER. I will do the same now. If there was an easy way to determine the age of the ER, I'd consider a slight broadening of the scope. But anything pre ER (i.e over 70 years old and often alot more) comfortably fits the bill of being historic for me, and rare enough to not be overwhelming.
Is historic enough for eligibility? Does accept mean 5*, 4*, 3* etc?
How about K6 telephone boxes?
I believe Casey once said K6 phoneboxes weren't eligible, so that's generally what I go by. However, if it's got a listing on the Historic England site or it's in use as a little free library (or something else interesting that isn't a defibrillator), I tend to be more in favour of those.
I’m actually a bit stunned that yet again U.K. postboxes are up for debate.
I can only offer apologies to the rest of the global community for this.
For the life of me I can’t understand any need to revisit this, and the timing is so insensitive.
Perhaps the U.K. community could call a truce over all the arguments for the next few days 🤔
I have a George VI postbox (individual story behind it) that has been in voting since 22nd June 2020. Had a better system been in place I’m sure it would have been in the database and games for 2 years. I estimate that within the next few weeks it will be picked up for Niantic to decide. It will be decided based on what ever rules are in place at that time and I am mentally preparing for what will be an unjust reject.
The shifting sands of wayfarer criteria and it’s interpretation do not work, when globally the decision time is so varied. It creates even more confusion and sense of inequality.
The unfortunate need to revisit this is purely a symptom of the fact that so many are already in the system, which leads to regular arguments about "which George should we / could we accept" and the regular submission of any and all postboxes because they are either "historic" or "all the other postboxes in the area are Stops already" - people keep submitting them, and then get upset they don't get accepted. Something Niantic could put a stop to with a single definitive "these - yes, those - no" post. It's the same as "Trail markers" in various countries, Cycle Route markers, French Faction Fights, Polish arguments and Little Free Libraries - all recurring areas where reviewers are either confused about the limits of the criteria or are areas of ongoing problems. A bit of wobble room and judgement for most nominations are fine, but there are some where Niantic just need to make a "final decision", along with exemplar photos.
HM Queen Elizabeth II isnt dead for 24 hours, and here we are already. I hope Niantic would just remove all postboxes everywhere in the world and just tell reviewers to reject all.
First of all, my deepest condolences to the UK.
And while the succession of the throne has happened (already?), I don't think that every existing postboxes will be replaced immediately with current king's one. Which means, the previous queen's are still dominating all over UK, I guess?
Yeah, none of the ER2 boxes will get removed. They'll all still exist and they'll still form a majority of all of our postboxes. From now on though they will start to produce CR3 boxes instead. So ER2 boxes should continue to be rejected.
It was always going to be this way. There were already those itching to submit more coal years before.
Yes though I'm not sure I see the difference between them and any postboxes including VR.
1. There's far too many, so 1* for a very long time.
2. Why is getting more stops more important then showing respect? Can't people wait until at least her funeral! She's been dead for less than 24 hours. Get your priorities right.