September AMA - Discussion

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Comments

  • KOWLOONsGT-INGKOWLOONsGT-ING Posts: 186 ✭✭✭

    I agree with your opinion.

    I've posted a similar agenda for AR scans before.

    If this proposal is incorporated into the system, location impersonators will not be able to AR scans and will be able to prevent fraud.

  • KOWLOONsGT-INGKOWLOONsGT-ING Posts: 186 ✭✭✭

    Do you have any idea to provide guidance dedicated to supporting information separately from the title and description in the help?


    If you enter the URL in the supporting information, you will receive an unreasonable rejection. This happens due to inadequate help.


    Not limited to this, could you please revise the help for the elements added from OPR (peripheral photos, upgrades, etc.) to match the latest system?

  • msz21-INGmsz21-ING Posts: 43 ✭✭✭

    I'm sorry if I repeated the same comment, I have always had issues posting comments onto the forum and often have to repeat them.

    My first question is,

    Will it be possible to rework the Upgrade Mechanics to change to something like an Upgrade Points system?

    The idea would be that you can get points or credits that you can trade in for either upgrades which would still be 1 upgrade point or other things like an extra nomination or cosmetic items which would require more points/credits to get.

    The other question is when would we get the new folks who would be the ambassadors for reviewing that was hinted at months ago?

    Another question is, are there ways for normal agents/trainers to help create events? I had previously hosted Wayfarer Bingo Competitions and even had a Card where you would fill in the slots, since my last post didn't go through you can see an example of it in my profile. I would gladly love to share them and the rewards can be 10 Upgrade Credits/Points since you can easily host those competitions weekly on the forum or tweak it as needed.

  • LukeAllStars-INGLukeAllStars-ING Posts: 4,625 Ambassador

    In situations where you got a play equipment in review, but the playground already has a POI (eg. slide exists and someone submitted the swing), whats the correct way to go? Rejecting (which rejection reason?) or duplicating (even though they are technically not duplicates) or eben approving?

  • Hooters24-INGHooters24-ING Posts: 2 ✭✭

    Why even Wayfarer has bugs, does the intern at Niantic also work on wayfarer?

  • Hooters24-INGHooters24-ING Posts: 2 ✭✭

    What's the point of adding POIs if you remove the best one of the Niantic games: CatanWE?

  • ZinkyZonk-INGZinkyZonk-ING Posts: 300 ✭✭✭✭

    Is the wayfarer team considering how to accommodate neurodiverse folk. Sometimes my tendency for rigid thinking has me getting very very cranky/depressed about a rejected poi. 'Just nonsense to have a gazebo/park shelter rejected' loops on repeat around the brain.

  • TrevorAlan-PGOTrevorAlan-PGO Posts: 993 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think once a month would be too often. I suspect there may be some risk of abuse if the reset is too often, but I agree that maybe a shorter period would be helpful, 6mo? Some people may use it to mark where they are currently living (me), but others may want to help out an area but not for an entire year.

  • MargariteDVille-INGMargariteDVille-ING Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @FinalJudgmentZX-PGO Blessing boxes aren't valid, out of respect for whoever needs to collect food there. The whole point of the box being outside, is so that those who need, don't have to go into a building and feel scrutinized. They shouldn't feel scrutinized by gamers hanging around either.

    Church playgrounds are not good. People leave their children in the care of others there (even if it's just on Sunday mornings). It would be a great place for a non-custodial parent to kid nap their child. Their teachers are trained to look for suspicious behavior.

    (At park, neighborhood, or apartment playgrounds, the parent stays with the child.)

    Scout and Youth buildings at churches are also not good wayspots - same reasons as church playgrounds. Don't be creepy.

    The church main building entrance is 99% not the entry to a daycare.

    Also, statues and gardens away from the playground are fine. They were put there so people who need solace can come, even if the church building is closed.

    I'm not sure about church sports fields. Should a church be wayspotted up as if it's a public park? Would they want people walking around their sports fields when only the office is open?

  • WheelTrekker-INGWheelTrekker-ING Posts: 3,380 ✭✭✭✭✭

    They have stated that they want to provide some option to appeal rejections, there are other questions about that.

    Meanwhile, you can post your nominations in the Improvement section if you want to listen to feedback, or if this situation is too hard to manage for you, then you should talk in person with someone that can help you, a forum is not a good way to communicate things.

  • MargariteDVille-INGMargariteDVille-ING Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2021

    @FinalJudgmentZX-PGO ALL locations with primary goal to serve the underprivileged are considered "sensitive" by Niantic, including Blessing Boxes (aka Little Free Pantries). Specifically, Blessing Boxes are not good wayspots out of respect to those who need to get the free food. They are outside a building so the hungry don't have to go inside and feel scrutinized. They don't need to feel scrutinized by gamers either.

    Church playgrounds aren't good wayspots. Parents leave their children in the care of others there (even if only on Sunday mornings). Teachers are trained to look for suspicious people hanging around. (For one thing, non-custodial parents could try to kid napp their own child there.)

    (At park, neighborhood, or apartment playgrounds, the parent mostly stays with the child.)

    Scout and youth buildings are also not appropriate wayspots. Don't be creepy.

    The church main entry door is 95% not the door to the daycare, Bible School, Sunday School, or youth group, so it's OK. Church buildings have multiple purposes. The main door / worship area is keyed to the community more than its youth areas are.

    Statues and gardens away from a playground are fine. They were put there for when someone wants solace and the building isn't open, or if they prefer solace outside - day or night.

    What about church sports fields, pavilions, etc? A church is not the same as a public park. Church members finance the place, not taxpayers. Would the church be OK if someone is wandering around their soccer fields when there is no match? On a weekday when the office is open, but nothing else? What about after dark, and the fields aren't lit? Would that bring liability to the church?


    Edit to add @AisforAndis-PGO who also asked about Blessing Boxes. See first paragraph, above.

    Post edited by MargariteDVille-ING on
  • Ilya95-INGIlya95-ING Posts: 20 ✭✭

    I'd like to request a comment on the effeciency and feedback of two Wayfarer-related instruments.

    First of them is a "Reporting Abuse in Wayfarer" form. When agent reports incorrect nickname of another agent, he usually gets some kind of responce (that nickname is OK for Niantic/we'll force agent to change it). When agent requests a location change to <10 meter via scanner, he gets a letter stating that "reviewers have evaluated your request and decided something, you may appeal their decision". When we use a Wayfarer Abuse form, we basically request/report similar things (location edits over 10 meters or inapproprite title description edits). However, (1) we got a disclaimer that the person who reports something via form should be active in Wayfarer. Whatever that means, is it normal that we can only get some support if we are Wayfarer-active? So some bad actors can request my home portal renaming harassing me or submit the portal far from its real location obtaining unfair in-game advantage, and they would just get away with it if I haven't reviewed any nominations recently? (2) Why does the form submitter doesn't get any feedback regarding the processing of his request, unllike the requests via scanner which where discussed earlier? (3) Is there any available statistics on this form efficiency? To my experience, it was extremely ineffective, the abusive portal renames resume whenever specific agent is playing and so on. If, for example, some actions is taken after only 5% of the requests, does that mean that 95% requests are misleading? Probably not, it means that the system requires serious rearrangement and ensuring of better clarity regarding what you want to see in the form.

    The second issue is an efficiency of the portal removal request submitted via scanner. It also seems pretty inefficient (only portals on school and kindergarten areas are likely to be removed after request processing, to my experience). It also seems like a waste of time for support team: they have to investigate some outdated maps/street view data/photos to, most likely, find some outdated info about the portal and reject the claim. Wouldn't it be better to provide players some opportunity to attach the proofs? For example, in reply of the letter about received request.

    Thanks for your time!

  • etzekiat-INGetzekiat-ING Posts: 3 ✭✭
    I know it's an AMA. That is why I have raised this issue.
    I am interested to know if Niantic plans to adopt any measures to solve the problem of the increase in absurd proposals that is taking place in recent months.
    and that is why I have added some proposals that I think could improve the system.
    


  • Posted in the wrong (old) AMA thread. No idea why the old one is at top of discussion.

    Since trails are always a hot topic:

    Could there be some revision/consideration of trail features? I know that in some places (not my area), there are markers every 1/4 of a mile (or even 1/10), which get generic and repetitive. But in most areas, you might go a mile or two (or more!) along a trail without markers or other features. But hiking and getting out to explore is supposed to be one of the things the games are encouraging. So, could notable features along a trail be acceptable -- memorial benches that might not be for a noteable person, boardwalks that maybe aren't quite a footbridge, etc? And maybe that's accompanied by clarification regarding the numberic mile marker only type things that are generic.

  • Could there also be clarification regarding PRP? This is another thing that there are regularly tons of questions and debate about. A few areas I can think of that could use clarification: single family vs. multi-family, is there a size that multi-family needs to be (statues or fountains at small 4-6 unit apartment buildings), and what is acceptable at a housing complex (playgrounds yes, pools no, the piece of art in the rental office ?).

    Also, would love to see a final verdict on the dreaded sidewalk ****/verge/whatever you want to call the chunk of property between the sidewalk and the road [a popular location for little free libraries], since that also comes up frequently.

    Just to note: I've read the discussions on PRP regularly. I think I have my own clarity on it. But there's lots of debate about them with lots of inconsistent opinions, which is why I'm asking for official guidance.

  • MargariteDVille-INGMargariteDVille-ING Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If a nomination's potential duplicate list includes another object that looks exactly like the nomination (because it's another instance of the same thing), should that be marked as a duplicate?

    For example, if a nomination is a park entrance sign, and another park entrance has the exact same sign 200m away - Niantic could choose to show existing wayspots in a 150m radius or a 250m radius or whatever. If they chose a 250m radius, and so the existing park sign shows in the potential duplicate list, should the proposed identical sign be marked as a duplicate?

    While on the other hand, if a nomination is a park entrance sign, and another park entrance with the exact same sign is 500m away, and Niantic shows all portals in a 250m radius as potential duplicates - obviously they don't care if the exact same sign is repeated 500m away.

    Repeat questions with trail markers. If the nomination is for a trail marker, and another trail marker that looks the same is shown in the potential duplicate list, is it a duplicate?

  • Theisman-INGTheisman-ING Posts: 1,001 ✭✭✭✭✭

    To answer your question

    A watermark for a picture is defined as "A superimposed image, logo, or text placed over a photograph"

    So the answer is still valid as the camera details on the pictures are watermarks as per the definition.

    Any reviewers who disagree should be pointed to the no watermarks section of the guidelines and told to research / google the definition of a watermark so they can see it is an invalid picture.

    Having said that I completely agree with you that just having one of those pictures with the camera / phone details in the non acceptable section would help immensely

  • WheelTrekker-INGWheelTrekker-ING Posts: 3,380 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You presented some issues and proposed a solution.

    A better post would be to present the issues and ask what they plan to do to fix them, as there can be many different proposals to solve the issues

  • MargariteDVille-INGMargariteDVille-ING Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Niantic said that soon we'll see our edits and photos on our Nominations page. YAY!

    Will that include edits/photos done in the past?

    Could we get half an upgrade for each that was accepted?

    Please?

  • MargariteDVille-INGMargariteDVille-ING Posts: 2,814 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited September 2021

    @flatmatt-PGO By Ingress lore, portals have existed for centuries or millennia, emitting XM the whole time. Human minds were affected by that XM, so they built churches on them, or artwork, or trails connecting them, etc. We try to find and map these portals (left by alien "Shapers"). If a church changes names, or a piece of art is moved - the portal is still there, emitting XM, the same as it was before and during the human marker on it.

    So, for out game, renaming a portal is fine, but removing it doesn't make any sense, unless it's unsafe, on someone's house, or blocks emergency services.

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