Wayfarer Update: Nia Response Request

Gendgi-PGOGendgi-PGO Posts: 3,534 Ambassador

Good day. 

I appreciate that we are in a bit of a transition period with communications. However, considering the topic of this post, I, as well as my fellow Explorers, would really appreciate feedback or recognition sooner than later.

About a week ago, we were informed about upcoming updates to the Wayfarer platform in two posts with slightly different and, no offence, unclear and incomplete communication. We were told updates would include cryptic things like "upgrades we are making to the backend" and "tackling tech debt." While we certainly don't need to (and shouldn't) know every change that happens, significant modifications should be made clear to us, the user, especially if it includes things we believe may be bugs that are actually "working as intended."

I understand more changes may be coming, however right now has been a very stressful time for many reviewers (and submitters) who feel that things like the new maps interface while reviewing is a substantial set back and makes it a more difficult process than it should be. Especially since verbiage on the update also said "the look and feel will be the same," which is definitely not accurate.

It's now been a week without any response from Niantic about the many issues that have been brought up. What I would like is a simple acknowledgement this week about the bugs being posted and what current features are considered final or if we can expect actual improvements rather than setbacks to the system going forward.

Pros and Cons of the updates have been discussed in length https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21587/updates-on-your-wayfarer-and-pokemon-go-experience-discussion-thread and https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21677/wayfarer-looks-different-now

I believe this is a list of what the users believe are bugs that have yet to be acknowledged:

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21680/an-epilectic-flash-occurs-when-giving-a-nomination-1-star-overall-during-review

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21759/updated-wayfarer-no-longer-allows-image-popups-to-be-closed

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21670/no-longer-able-to-view-street-view-or-sattelite-view-on-the-nomination-page

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21717/wayfarer-update-unable-to-withdraw-from-in-voting

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21749/the-pegman-function-and-the-ability-to-switch-from-map-to-aerial-view-are-missing

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21687/location-edits-zooming-too-far-out

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21674/the-filters-menu-on-the-nominations-page-is-now-an-unorganized-mess

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21672/large-empty-space-causes-autoscroll-to-not-scroll-to-the-submit-button-after-answering-what-is-it

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21671/autoscroll-does-not-work-properly-when-suggesting-a-new-location-while-reviewing

https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/21664/wayfarer-streetview-bug-in-new-wayfarer

Please, start the trend for forward communication so every update doesn't need to begin with "sorry for the silence on the matter."

@AnsonNIA-PGO @NianticGiffard @NianticTintino

Thanks for reading and the Wayfarer Explorers look forward to an open line of communication.

«1

Comments

  • Sunkast-PGOSunkast-PGO Posts: 82 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021

    I couldn't agree more with this post. It's quite appalling the lack of any response to what is essentially in many Wayfarer's opinion a botched update.

    Just to compare, look at Twitter's response when it made a couple small UI changes about a week ago. Twitter users were immediately complaining about eye strain and headaches due to the UI changes. Twitter responded very quickly acknowledging user complaints and even reverted the changes.

    News article for reference: https://interestingengineering.com/twitter-reverts-design-changes-due-to-eye-strain-and-headache

    Now compare that swift response and action by Twitter to the lack of any response, even acknowledgement from Niantic, to the complaints here regarding the numerous bugs that currently make Wayfarer incredibly unpleasant to use.

    The lack of timely, and proper communication, along with resolution of issues seems to be a recurring issue with Wayfarer. This is not the first time changes have been made that negatively impacted Wayfarer. However this is probably the worst update the Wayfarer team has ever implemented. Couple that with the absolute appalling lack of any response regarding these issue and it is unacceptable.

    Wayfarers do a lot of free labor, and situations like this just make me feel like we are being taken advantage of and are nothing more than guinea pigs time and again.

    What would a proper reaction have been? The team should have responded within 48 hours acknowledging the issues, and immediately reverted the update so it could be fixed. This update clearly was not ready to be released. And still should be reverted while it is fixed.

    Personally I have zero interest in reviewing or nominating with the Wayfarer site being so broken. The lack of any meaningful response merely reinforces my belief that Niantic could care less about Wayfarers.

  • Testandoojogo-INGTestandoojogo-ING Posts: 18 ✭✭

    Again Niantic implements changes without presenting a previous version, now we have to use the platform full of bugs and we have almost no answers about the solution of the problems.

    It's sad to see how Niantic wastes the potential of this platform.

  • sophielab-INGsophielab-ING Posts: 266 ✭✭✭✭

    If people are reviewing then it's not broken to the point where it needs to be fixed so working as intended unfortunately.

  • Rodensteiner-PGORodensteiner-PGO Posts: 1,705 ✭✭✭✭✭

    i think we need a Letter of the Community, just like Zoe did.

    Maybe the spearheads of wayfarer could sit together and work something out? Maybe we should also demand more (or at least, demand anything, because, well we do not get anything besides a cr-update).

    Maybe a Letter of the Community, this could lead to a get-together with the Wayfarer Team via Skype or smth else.

    And theres always the possibility that we could all lay down or work until we get a product that isnt broken?

  • Rodensteiner-PGORodensteiner-PGO Posts: 1,705 ✭✭✭✭✭

    the problem is rather that there is noone left to fix it. new personal has ???

  • sophielab-INGsophielab-ING Posts: 266 ✭✭✭✭

    But enough of the reviewers won't quit so it will just be complaining so feel free to not do anything.

  • Rodensteiner-PGORodensteiner-PGO Posts: 1,705 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited August 2021

    the world wouldnt have changed. people standing up and saying "Enough! We need a change!" is what we need

  • Gazzas89-PGOGazzas89-PGO Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭✭✭

    My "letter" was partly a joke.


    I think most people have stopped reviewing though, like, there's no way the same amount are still reviewing, might be lucky if 15 to 20% are still reviewing and even they probably will be doing less than they were

  • cyndiepooh-INGcyndiepooh-ING Posts: 1,319 ✭✭✭✭✭

    someone on this forum informed me that the update had turned on scrolling in the settings - i hadn't looked there since i hadn't touched them but i was able to turn off that unpleasantness at least

  • DracFury-PGODracFury-PGO Posts: 146 ✭✭✭

    It was fine as it was. Okay, yes, i was using Wayfarer+ , such a big QOL improvement on the previous default view of the reviewing process. Now it seems that has be pushed out and is imcompatible with this new "setup". The new setup is worse than the previous version! 🙈 Just Roll it back and TEST your new stuff before rolling it out.... And yes i still have no idea when nominating will be turned on again. Ive driven past several GEMS recently and ive no been able to stop and nominate! :(

  • DerWelfe2205-PGODerWelfe2205-PGO Posts: 374 ✭✭✭✭

    I stopped contributing to wayfarer a couple months ago. Niantic gave up and I don't see why anyone would still expect anything from them.

  • UTuba35-PGOUTuba35-PGO Posts: 18 ✭✭


    Long-time lurker, first-time caller. Just popping in to add the fact that I've stopped reviewing due to the inability to submit and the increased difficulty to review. I was willing to do some free work for Niantic because there was some nominal benefit to me: improving the game experience for myself and my local community. The Wayfarer upgrades make me more averse to reviewing with the buggy new system. That, combined with not having any more local nominations to upgrade, means that I've lost any motivation to add value to the Wayfarer database. Now I just check in occasionally to make sure that upgrades from new agreements (courtesy of reviews from weeks or months ago) are applied where I desire.


    The HTML base had fewer issues than the current new methods appear to. I may be entirely incorrect about this, but how would I know with no communication? Revert to that, patch the minor bugs, and help us help you.

  • TheSFAdmiral-PGOTheSFAdmiral-PGO Posts: 65 ✭✭✭

    You people are surprised?

  • Kawhinot-INGKawhinot-ING Posts: 189 ✭✭✭
    edited August 2021

    Normally, I would have said to reach out to in-game Support, but when I recently attempted to get an answer recently on one of the bugs, they basically evaded answering my question. And while I was interacting with different people.

    So it appears they are deliberately ignoring the situation. There hasn't been a response in this forum yet from them. And don't forget Niantic ignored the people who spearheaded the HearUsNiantic efforts until they were finally pressured to do so.

    So at this point, if Niantic doesn't care about addressing the situation, I'm going to go on another hiatus in nominating and reviewing because the effort is not worth the hassle and frustration.

    I used to encourage other players in the community to nominate and review, but I am now avoiding doing that as well because I can't recommend people to do so any more due to the experience they would go through

  • jimbenning-PGOjimbenning-PGO Posts: 18 ✭✭

    Let's not forget the mountains of evidence provided by people who did not receive Russian upgrades+rewards despite providing evidence, only to be told that their evidence was fake news lmao

  • Gendgi-PGOGendgi-PGO Posts: 3,534 Ambassador

    @NianticTintino just wondering if you've had a chance to read this or any of that other outstanding bug reports & issues we've been bringing up over the last few weeks.

  • Retharan-PGORetharan-PGO Posts: 13 ✭✭

    Still able to submit nominations through Ingress. Why would Ingress still be available when its part of the same system?

Sign In or Register to comment.