Recreational Areas on Military Base
Drofsned-PGO
Posts: 2 ✭✭
I need clarification and a search of the forums does not provide useful results.
Do recreational areas on military base property count as eligible or ineligible?
The wording of the ineligible location reads "Location ... may interfere with the operations of ... military bases."
To me, this can be interpreted as only ineligible if the location interferes with operations, and recreational areas, by design do NOT interfere with operations.
However, military bases are usually not accessible to the gerneral public.
Clarification would be helpful.
Comments
Well, the general public thing doesn't matter, it only has to be accessible to people with permission to be at that location (from November AMA). Same applies for gated communities. However, I am also interested as I have so far rejected military base submissions because the base as a whole feels a little different. Then again, bases do often have recreation areas for the families of the soldiers there. Also interested on what the guiding principles here are.
Welcome to the world of Niantic inconsistency.
Niantic have in the past explicitly stated on the forums that we are to reject any and all new submissions on military bases, doesn't matter if it was a recreational are or not.
However on the forums is only where they have stated this, they never amended the guidlines on the websites and they have always said as you have quoted above, reject only if it interferes with the operation of.
So the website which all reviewers should go by says one thing and has never been amended, where as on their offical Wayfarer forums they say another.
Personally I would go by the forums and reject any subs on a military base, no matter where they are located
I asked @NianticCasey-ING about this and was told that military bases are not eligible. That said, last week new pokestops and a new Gym appeared on my local Army base so they are obviously not following their own rules. I now 2 star them since they are obviously approving them. It's very confusing.
I had seen information on the forums in the past to say that anything inside a military base is ineligible, however by the criteria as written the recreational facilities for residents seem eligible for example play areas, gyms, and chapels would be included particularly in some larger bases.
I'm sure the concensus is to reject, but I wouldn't fault someone for submitting or approving things in the residential areas either, just because it's kind of confusing and requires some history of following this forum to know what to do.
The military does not want their bases mapped in this way, or their personnel's movements tracked. Bowling alley activity (or lack of) could be a homeland security issue. Military bases have **** guards at their entry points for a reason. It's wrong to encourage gamers to sneak past.
You havent been to many military bases if you say that they have those guards lol(maybe where you come from?). Many I know have a side thats meant just for the military (operational zones) then the other side is generally a residential area meant for members and civilians(non military) to live at. They may have some security esk guards (do not have weapons) to man gates but only to the occupational side never the residential. Thats usually patrolled by the military police. All I have to say about nominating areas is use common sense for one, never nominate in the operational zone (obvious) and if there is places in the residential side again use common sense if you are going to nominate it.
I'd reject anything on a military base (regardless of which 'side' it's on) as Niantic have told us to to approve them. I just wish they'd update their published guidance and not hide it in the forums though. Plus the military are finding it impossible to get waypoints they do not want on their bases removed, Niantic just ignore them.
I live near two Military Bases that are essentially their own cities. So I treat the nominations in them like a city. I've been on some bases a handful of times and know people that have lived on bases. I always approve playgrounds & parks that are clearly surrounded by housing or are clearly recreational areas (one area nearby the base even allows public to hunt for moose and if they're going to allow public weapons on base land then its not a security risk) and reject locations that don't look residential focussed. My view is that areas of base that families live and recreate is low security and should be allowed.
It's accessible to a group of people, if we can accept apartments pools or sports place, why not a base. Try to find something that does not say restricted or excsplain in supporting info how many people can access it. I have seen a few base nomination but it was someone hat, and we can't do movable objects
I came here looking for clarification on exactly this issue. There isn't any. I don't know what to do, so I am currently skipping all nominations with "Fort Bragg" as the address. I can see the point that the military does not want mapping on base (could that count as interfering?) but I can also see the point that recreational points of interest should be treated the same everywhere. And I have no idea where "on base" stops and starts.
The current “clarification” says absolutely nothing on military bases. However what ever you do with your nominations if nominating on residential sides of a base will go through voting and may pass or be denied.
I made a thread here https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/18860/clarification-on-why-us-military-bases-are-banned#latest trying to get information about WHY miltary bases are banned.
No straight answer, but it seems to me a lack of understanding of exactly WHAT a military base is in the US.
"Mapping" a military base is not an issue. The whole thing is mapped out on multiple service (bing, google, mapquest, openstreetmap, etc) You can GPS around the base, look up where mcdonalds and burger king are on base, the BX, commissary, church... it's not an issue there's no breach of national security. Look on snapchat or instagram or facebook for any military base, you're gonna see a ton of posts.
And military bases are the farthest thing from unsafe, to me they are literally gate communities (town sized). I'm an AF Brat and i've lived on 6 different bases.
Only thing I can think of was the wave of stupidity that erupted when Pokémon Go first launched and people were driving and playing, and trespassing everywhere. So niantic just shut down military bases after the first one or two incidents that got press coverage. (people try to get on bases for other reason... they get detained)
I'd just say use your judgment, and for those of us who are serving in the military, served, dependant of a military member, that would like to speak up please do. I'm going to try to pose some questions and get clarification as to why they are singling out military folks and dependants from playing their games at the next AMA...
Shortly after Pogo launch Niantic at various base commander's requests removed all locations on more than a couple military bases. Its my understanding this is why the current no military base guideline exists. Fast forward a few years and people playing pogo are an insignificant security concern compared with other data leaks. Strava mapping comes to mind.
Yeah, and the Strava issue was just out of the country on military installations. My father was the commander of the 21st space wing which was in charge of Peterson AFB, and others 2019-2020. Never an issue. So it's something that maybe should be relaxed at least? It's especially **** for the kids that live on base, plenty of bases are in the middle of nowhere so its either play on base or not at all, Patrick SFB is like that (there's only a THIN **** of beach that isn't marked as military base in OSM) Vandenburg you have to get out into Lompoc... Like I said I'll try to bring it up at an AMA.
I was just curious what word was being inappropriately censored for the kids… …turns out a typo caused a slightly naughty word to be canceled, this time.
Lovely... I said a s.t.r.i.p! of beach... so that word is banned. And s.u.c.k.s for the kids. The "profanity" filter is Obnoxiously overzealous Niantic...
(NIA) clarification @NianticGiffard
Here's our stand on it, there are no changes from our previous clarification on Military bases: https://community.wayfarer.nianticlabs.com/discussion/comment/32414/#Comment_32414
Unless @NianticCasey-ING is wrong?
there has been a change. Here it is
just have to go through the coments and find niantic griffard’s newest comment. Hope this helps
If the place is accessable by public then it's eligible. Like how some military base in towns have museums or such. There are several Universities in my country and military museum next to military bases.
In my city, only one player has access to the military base, and he actively uses it. It's impossible to get to the base. @Niantic rejects all reports.
If he has permission to access the base, then this makes the Waypoint allowable according to Niantic. I have quite a few places on military sites like this in my area - you just have to wait for a "base open day" or "base tour" to get on site legitimately.
Oh yeah, because theres a military base that consists of 1 person and no other people.
FYI if you are trying to report wayspots for removal just because you can't get to them then that's abuse.