Not Sure What to do with this Wayspot

Saddlebrook West Community Center

(39.0006470, -76.7428235)

Bowie, MD, USA


This wayspot represents a false location. The original submitter deliberately called it a “community center” because those are valid submissions and it became a stop in GO and portal in Ingress.

However, it’s not a community center. It’s not even the neighborhood office. It is the pool storage facility used by the pool and lifeguard staff during the summer. They store stuff there and there are restrooms for pool users. Other than that, it’s closed 8 to 9 months out of the year.

I put in a name change for it to call it what it is. I would rather it have an accurate name than represent something that does not exist. Sure, I’d be removing a stop from my neighborhood but there are potential for more. While I do want more, I want accuracy.

The same person got a private basketball court approved in this neighborhood, but it only appeared in Ingress. I got it removed finally.

What do I do about this stop? Will it still be valid with the name change calling it what it actually is or do I get it removed? Technically it is abuse to falsify the name of a nomination to get it approved. This is not the only one either in this town that are intentionally mislabeled as “community centers”.

I’m fine with the name change or removing it. There are 3 potential wayspots that can go around there to replace it anyway.

Comments

  • sogNinjaman-INGsogNinjaman-ING Posts: 3,313 ✭✭✭✭✭

    The problem for you is, what rejection criteria does it meet? Whether a Waypoint is valid or invalid, once it gets into the game Niantic will only remove it for a very limited range of reasons.

  • JillJilyJabadoo-PGOJillJilyJabadoo-PGO Posts: 1,082 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Being fake is one of the reasons Niantic will remove things, though. It will be interesting see what they do in the case of something that actually exists, but was misrepresented in the submission. The submission was fake, but a building does actually exist there.

    I suspect without some evidence that it isn't a community center they will leave it in. I honestly am not even sure what kind of proof could be submitted to show that it is just used for storage. It looks like a typical neighborhood club house in Google Maps. I can definitely see why reviewers believed it.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2022

    I went to one of the other ones that was on my route yesterday. It was submitted as a community center but the sign out front clearly labels it as “leasing center” and the entrance to the area states it’s private property. Next post will show photos.

    I attempted a name change of Heather Ridge over a year ago but it was shot down. There is one pending, I think, for the pool storage building: 2nd attempt.

    So the dilemma is that I can report both of these as abuse for being fake, use the photos as evidence, and get them removed. Niantic wants more, sure, but certain things should not be in the games with respect to the owners of the property. My pending post for Heather Ridge, in a comment after this one, shows the evidence for that wayspot, which is currently a gym, that it’s not a community center. The pending post after that is for the wayspot in the initial post of this thread, but I may have to go inside and get a video of it and/or photos, to submit to Niantic that it’s not a community center.

    I am aware of the fact removing 2 gyms is not something the locals want, but most of them don’t care about accuracy. However, this ends up looking bad on Niantic, to the average non-wayfinder, for allowing these in game.

    Not sure what the option to do is. We change the names, they become correct but then truly invalid. Remove them, people get upset, but the business owners have less to deal with.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭
    edited June 2022

    The issue with this area is that the main reviewers are a small handful of people, one of them having access to at least 5 accounts that can review.


    Also, I think one post may have accidentally posted twice. It’s pending but there was an error when I did an edit and a photo post appeared but in the edit box, which you can’t see until approved. Hopefully the moderator sees the error and stops the duplicate.


    Edit: it appeared as an open post when I hit refresh on this page. Happened a second time just now.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭

    Here is the front view of the building in Saddlebrook West from the main post.

    Here is a closeup of the entrance.

    It’s simply a gateway to the pool. On the right are the bathrooms. The left the first door is a bunch of storage and deeper into the building is a disappointing office that has a couple desks, a computer, and a mini fridge for the lifeguards.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭

    Location (38.9453808, -76.7275386)

    Stop image

    Entrance to the residential area. Notice the private property sign clearly visible.

    Notice the Leasing Center sign which is deliberately angled to not be in the main photo. Office Hours sign also in view but blurry.

    This was approved as a community center though. This should not be in any game for being fake.

  • 29andCounting-PGO29andCounting-PGO Posts: 2,435 ✭✭✭✭✭

    It still looks valid as a gathering place of shade. Perhaps submit a description edit

  • djshari-INGdjshari-ING Posts: 70 ✭✭✭

    Yeah, I agreed with 29andCounting, it looks valid. It's not just by a standalone pool it's in a park with a playground and tennis courts. Maybe change the name to pavilion if you don't agree with it being called a community center.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭

    It’s the entrance to a place not normally accessible by public.

    It’s not a pavilion. That would again be false information, going back to being a fake nomination.

    Pavilions can stand on their own and are fairly long. This is an awning and is attached to the building. It is much shorter and has frontal support but requires the building to support the other end.

    If I can get guidance from Niantic on how to handle these situations, I will follow. But I’m all for reporting them, especially the 2nd one as evidence shows it’s a fake nomination.

  • djshari-INGdjshari-ING Posts: 70 ✭✭✭

    How is it fake/false? The building *exists* and it's for community use - it doesn't have to be open to the public, niantic has been clear about that. We have several in my area and they are called anything from community center to rec center to clubhouse.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭

    It’s fake because it’s not a community center. If you read the OP you would have saw that it was deliberately falsely named to create a wayspot. A “pool storage building” is not eligible. You can call an “out house” a community center because people technically gather there.

    This is a building to store stuff. Nothing more. It’s not a point of interest. It is no more interesting than a shed. It is fake as in not true as in false. It is a building that has zero significance. It also doesn’t affect you as it is in my neighborhood and I would rather remove a stop that I use than keep one that was made under false pretenses.

  • djshari-INGdjshari-ING Posts: 70 ✭✭✭

    It sounds someone wants it removed under false pretenses. It's obviously not "just a storage building" - it's attached to a pool and already stated that is has facilities. It's also conveniently left out that this is all part of a park with a playground and tennis courts.

    You can argue semantics all day but nothing shown here meets removal criteria.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭

    I live here. This is my neighborhood. I don’t want to remove a stop but I don’t want a falsely created one here either.

    There is no park. There is a playground here. There is a difference. Parks in MD are recognized by the MCCP and managed by them. This is a residential community with amenities such as playgrounds, exercise stations, and pools. However, the building in question is NOT part of the amenities as it is there to maintain and upkeep both pools and likely he tennis courts. It is the only building on this neighborhood that is owned and managed by the HOA and there is no place to meet with a worker inside.

    It sounds like you do not know what you are talking about. I live here. I pass it every day, I play here. I know exactly what it’s for. The building itself is nothing resembling or related to a community center. There is nothing there oriented for a community. The pools however are as well as the tot.

    The nearby wayspot “old gate control station” was falsely put in as a gazebo originally. A gazebo is hexagonal or octagonal, and is not enclosed. The actual structure is a similarly shaped building with walls, windows, and a door. But THAT wouldn’t be a valid nomination. So it was called a gazebo to qualify. I corrected the name, someone changed it back, I reported he false changed, and Niantic put it back to the correct name I had it as.

    This is the same situation with the storage building. My guess is that you have similarly falsified nominations in your area and me attempting to correct the ones in my town is somehow a threat to you as you do not want Niantic to review other falsified locations and start removing them from the game for not actually being valid.

    I do not care for “more” if they are false. If it shouldn’t be in the game then it should be removed if it can’t qualify after being corrected. The full purpose of being a wayfinder is to explore and find the eligible locations not put in pretend ones just to have more stuff.

    When I review, I zoom in on the map and make sure it’s not at a school with a fake name. I’m very thorough and my accuracy is on point. I investigate church nominations and existing wayspots and check if they also serve as a private school. I have even done my due diligence and called the office to verify that it served and was registered as a private school. Private schools from k-12 trumps a place of worship making the nomination invalid. If the location is out of business and the new one doesn’t fit criteria, it becomes invalid.

    These games are not meant to be a memorial of something that was. They’re meant to accurately reflect the current state of that location. We may lose something here but gain something there. I’ve lost much used wayspots by me, because they no longer were in the real world.

    There is still a Starbucks EX Gym in Eureka, CA that represents a starbucks that closed permanently during the pandemic. The building is empty. The gym no longer represents anything and should be removed regardless of popularity or contrary opinions.

    This wayspot in my post needs to be updated and properly evaluated to see if it remains eligible as what it truly is. Niantic will determine that as they are not blinded by wanting more. They are impartial and want accuracy. They also want to follow the rules and expectations of communities.

    This location has nothing to do with you, so really you have no reason to contribute to this conversation. You’re not the one that’s likely to lose their own wayspot. I’m ok with it. Or Niantic can change the name if they feel it is still valid under the correct title.

    Accuracy is greater than abundance. Please remember that in all of your wayspot submissions and reviews. Calling something that it is not is using false information to bypass eligibility checks. By Niantic’s standards, that would be a “fake nomination” and considered abuse of the nomination and wayfarer system. And we don’t want any of that. 😉

  • djshari-INGdjshari-ING Posts: 70 ✭✭✭

    The fact that you typed out this whole novel and say you care about "accuracy" and then turn around and say that people that don't live in the area shouldn't have an opinion says everything. Not liking a POI or it's title doesn't mean it's eligible for removal.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭

    Just give up already. You’re not making a point and your comments are not warranted. If you don’t like reading, stay away from forums. You have zero say in this wayspot. I like a POI there but I do not like falsified ones.

    Also, your comparison you attempted to made isn’t related. Apples and battlestar galactica is a better comparison than you made. Please troll elsewhere.

  • djshari-INGdjshari-ING Posts: 70 ✭✭✭

    I made my point. Just because you disagree doesn't make it any less valid or that it's trolling. Anyway. It doesn't appear you have a case. Have a nice day.

  • ZeIdaSymphony-PGOZeIdaSymphony-PGO Posts: 221 ✭✭✭

    I have a case. I’ve made my point. But not everyone has reading comprehension higher than 4th year. I into the guidelines and I know what should and should not be in game. Lying and calling a location another name to get another stop is lying. It’s considered abuse. It will be fixed soon enough. I realized coming here was wasting time as there’s always that 1 person who feels everyone needs to hear their opinion. We don’t. Our lives will continue on the same with or without you wasting their time.

    Feel free to review the Niantic rejection guidelines and what is considered abuse. I think you need clarification.

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