Generic Survey Markers Are A Mistake
Breenzy-ING
Posts: 27 ✭✭✭
I'm sorry, but accepting every single one of these by the side of the road was a huge mistake.
They are the most generic and boring wayspot. They do not promote exploring and purely exist to clutter the map.
If you really think they are good enough, each state has a downloadable file with every single one that you can import. Let's stop cluttering Wayfarer with these reviews.
Now, I'm not saying there aren't some good ones. You still have these classic handmade ones, generally at interesting locations that you have to hike to, these definitely are the types we should accept, but the generic stamped metal disc, just no.
Niantic, it's not too late to undo this mess, don't grandfather them, just wipe them out. Clean up the game.
Comments
I agree, the simple markers have no value as wayspots.
Universal markers should be rejected, but please note that there is no certainty that these markers are universal based solely on the claim of the submitter. Even if a marker appears to be universal, locally specific ones that are only present in that region may be approved. Further samples and background information are necessary to prove universality.
Niantic Criteria challenge said that they do not count unless they are historic/heritage and or have special interest and that you must provide the appropriate evidence of heritage and or special interest etc.
They also identified that the position of a POI so close to or in the road is dangerous. Nearly every single one is. Mass produced, generic, visually non unique and non interesting.
It being a criteria challenge it meant that three people and a dog read it. And everyone else carried on as normal. Nor did Niantic make any effort to onboard, update and continue to proactively spread the good news about their new criteria clean up.
Generally nominated by people who either A want to be the mostest nominator (and hey how easy are reviewers to roll on getting these in so why not!!!) B want Waypoints in their 'burb or C want to eff up the game 'cause they enjoy making lives miserable.
Good luck getting Niantic to clean up the DB - educate people appriately - train their AI to current and retrospective :-)
Watch my head roll for the above :-)
Please note there are some cracking Markers. Trig points. Some wonderful ones that have 'mazing heritiage. But they are very few and far between.
While I agree those markers shouldn't be accepted, I don't think that we should leave Niantic to clean up their database from them. Last time they did to NL mosaic tiles, they just wiped them out without considering that some tiles are officially installed.
Can they make them not appear in game though - any game. The DB can be left alone. I mean. Problem is people see them and keep nominating. And Niantic don't educate well enough for reviewers to know any different.
I get what you mean. You don't want punish the few for the sins of many where legitimate nominations exist.
Still the vast majority are are a pestulance. ;-) and must be smote (leaving the good ones behind :-))
I've been trying to get some of them removed under PRP and pedestrian access, it's not easy though, the removal request gets auto rejected most of the time nowdays (before the current system it was about 50/50). I've had success in appealing the really obvious ones after I took geotagged photos but there's just so many.
I probably wouldn't advocate for a Netherlands style cleanup, but I wish there's a more streamlined process of submitting removal requests.
Please remove all of them
Pretty easy to search for all as they have a common naming pattern.
I'd actually advocate for a Netherlands style cleanup. And then fervently hunt those who subsequently (re-)submit them afterwards with endless email threats and poor excuses of reasons to reject appeals. I still see these successfully appealed (even though I don't like them contrary to my neutral stance towards them).
Not gonna happen, not under a lazy Wayfarer product manager's watch.
The reason why I personally wouldn't advocate for a Netherlands style cleanup is because there are a few that I would consider good candidates such as the one in Cape Banks near the wayspot formerly known as Shipwrecked and another I saw in voting on some island in the middle of Lake Jindabyne (didn't check if that one ever got through). They both come under good places to explore and I'm going to get my boat out onto Lake Jindi this summer because of wayspots.
Having said that I wouldn't be too sad if a nuke it from orbit cleanup occurred.
A few out of, probably around 8,000 with the rest in suburban streets, so minor collateral is necessary, but only like ten that's probably worth keeping. The one on Lake Jindabyne was nice (aware of who requested its nomination) and along Cape Banks (also aware of who nominated it) near Shipwrecked. There's also one at Lady Macquarie's Chair at the Sydney Botanic Gardens along the harbour on a coastal rock which was kinda cool too.
Should they ever get nuked, it's really as easy as a resubmission for those good ones and blocking off the rest. But I think the AI is heavily against survey marks given "Decision on you Wayspot nomination" for many of them coming from some local. Surely Niantic might have some wisdom in choosing which ones should stay and which aren't?