Memorial Bench rejected

I do not understand why this memorial bench was rejected.

Rejection reason was: Nomination title or description is not relevant, Nomination does not meet acceptance criteria, The real-world location of the nomination appears to be on the grounds of a primary/secondary school (up to K-12) or on the premises of a child care/day care center

What does that even mean? Last time I checked memorial benches were valid locations for pokestops. This is located in a public park and not a school. This is not a grave site.

Comments

  • Elijustrying-INGElijustrying-ING Posts: 5,482 Ambassador

    Hello and welcome @Kaidinah-PGO

    First the system for giving you rejection reasons is deeply flawed to the point that it is downright confusing.

    The key one is doesn’t meet criteria.

    Memorial benches should only be accepted when they are for notable people, so the supplementary info should really have something eg a weblink that helps provide evidence of the individuals significance.

    It is confusing as you are likely to see some in the games but this is the situation now.

    As a side point, although you may have the impression from the submission process that the sort of info you have included about lack of stops is the right thing to do it doesn’t actually help. A lack of stops is not something that will help make a case for acceptance and some players get annoyed by this sort of statement ( they shouldn’t get annoyed but some do). So your supplementary info hasn’t helped make the case. Use the supplementary to explain how it meets criteria, why it’s distinctive any comments to help the reviewer confirm location.

    Although it’s not what you were hoping for I hope this is useful and good luck

  • Cowyn2016-PGOCowyn2016-PGO Posts: 597 ✭✭✭✭✭

    You left out the google maps part. If the area looks on maps its school property than it's 100% give up, it will never pass.

    If the area is clearly part of a park, you still 98% unlikely to get this to pass. If you want to do go for a tiny 2% chance, you need to totally revamp your submission and not focus so much on the bench close up but rather on the bench as a gather location or meet up spot in the park. Your primary pic need to include more of the park/view and the supplementary much much more. Like I said it's a long shot.

    Think about 3 Criteria: Exercise, Explore, Gather

    Famous People -- Explore Worthy and those most common way to get Memorial Benches in

    Truly Artisitic Benches --- Explore Worthy but it has to be ornate

    Benches that are in parks, scenic views, and trails COULD be eligible as an anchor to promote gather/explore much the same way trail markers are. But it's hard sell and likely to fail. Trails there is some Niantic Language about points along trails using "Etc" that can be pointed at in your supplementary. Natural features such Views there is some language about having a man-made anchor. I am unaware of any niantic language that relates to benches in parks. But, its really a matter of convincing people that that is a specific gather spot in a park, and theoretically worthy.


    Never ask for more stops, but make the arguement instead why people would gather there. Mind you.... even then its a very long shot. But could work.

  • Kaidinah-PGOKaidinah-PGO Posts: 6 ✭✭

    Thank you for your response. It was helpful even if I hate that Niantic believes only "notable" people deserve to be honored. It also bothers me that a lack of stops doesn't help. Not everyone is fortunate enough to find meaningful work in a big city. I guess rural people just don't matter? It still burns me that one of the rejection reasons was someone falsely flagging the location as being on a primary/secondary school.

  • Elijustrying-INGElijustrying-ING Posts: 5,482 Ambassador

    i appreciate what you say about rural situations, but reviewers are asked to review the wayspot and not the wider context.

    if you want help to look for local things then some of us could have a look on google or make suggestions.

    Also we will happily look at places you plan to submit to offer ways to maximise chances.

  • Kaidinah-PGOKaidinah-PGO Posts: 6 ✭✭

    Sorry, here is the screenshot. Clearly in a public park that people gather in. Thank you for your post as it is very informative, if also very discouraging. What I am understanding is that if I live in an isolated mountain town like I do, I should give up. Notable people don't come from here. Notable people don't want their memorials here. Notable places don't get built here. It doesn't matter that public parks in big cities can get a dozen pokestops for every little thing, it is not okay for a small town's public park to get more than 2 stops.

  • 26thDoctor-PGO26thDoctor-PGO Posts: 4,914 ✭✭✭✭✭

    With all due respect my friend your town has more Wayspots than where I am 15 minutes from Central London.

  • Elijustrying-INGElijustrying-ING Posts: 5,482 Ambassador

    @Kaidinah-PGO

    First don’t give up……Things turn up that will get through, and it would wrong to give you a false impression.

    The notable person can be a local respected figure eg someone who was the mayor or equivalent who can be evidenced as a major influence.

    It looks like an area with a lot of new housing so things will change. It looks a stunning location.

    In warrior park there looks like a picnic area.

    If these tables are fixed then I would try for this

    it is a distinct space, which would tick the socialising box ( say that clearly) so some good photos showing the group of tables and a description that this is place to gather.

    As things are so new can you approach local recreation people / residents groups to talk about ideas such as fitness trails around the open spaces, or information boards perhaps about what was here before or about nature to encourage people to look…..get creative and active sell the idea that this is about the community.

  • X0bai-PGOX0bai-PGO Posts: 1,667 ✭✭✭✭✭

    There’s a difference between “give up” and “find something else to nominate”.

    Benches are not good subjects. They get nominated a lot and get rejected almost every time, whether in a park or along a trail or it’s a nice picture or a memorial to a local celebrity or anything else. Some will point out this exception or that one, but your Wayfarer experience will be better if you disregard benches entirely.

    As for small community, I’ve done dozens of submissions in small areas with great success (bonus: they often go through review faster than urban areas). With respect to Tehachapi, I’m originally from the Central Valley so I review quite a bit in the Sierras and I can say with confidence I’ve voted in favor of plenty of nominations in small mountain towns, from Hume Lake to Oakhurst to Mammoth.

    The Wayfarer system is not intuitive. Criteria change over time, so the kinds of POIs you see in the game are not necessarily things that will get approved now. But learn the system, and you will have the ability to improve your own gameplay experience, and the experience of those around you.

  • Cowyn2016-PGOCowyn2016-PGO Posts: 597 ✭✭✭✭✭

    @X0bai-PGO We've had this discussion multiple times.

    Where you and I differ, is that I think benches are more eligible than they are accepted. So I tell people to submit them but focus the write up better to make a case for Gather/Explore. Maybe if everyone focused them better and were more selective in only submitting ones that were ornate, famous, trails, views, and maybe parks.... Then maybe the community would gradually accept those more because thats where the agreements would be. My goal being similar to getting dance studios, gyms, and martial arts studios more acceptable (and I've had better success on Dance Studios, though not as much on Gyms)

  • Kaidinah-PGOKaidinah-PGO Posts: 6 ✭✭

    I will definitely try for those picnic benches. That was very helpful. Thank you for your response and explanation.

    I also nominated the entrance sign for a very large bike path/hiking trail in my town. I am hopeful for that one. I would nominate it's exit as well but it's way too cold in the winter for me to make it very far. Maybe this spring!

  • dman41689-PGOdman41689-PGO Posts: 294 ✭✭✭
    edited January 2023

    you need to explain in the supporting details and description who the person was and why it is a notable wayspot don't say we need more pokestops. alot of reviewers will reject it just for that reason. you can resubmit it but put better information on who the person was

  • Elijustrying-INGElijustrying-ING Posts: 5,482 Ambassador
    edited January 2023

    @Kaidinah-PGO

    Good Luck.

    I have just realised that it looks like the bench you submitted was next to the entrance wayspot and flagpole.

    If that is correct it wouldn’t have appeared in pokemon go anyway because of the spacing rules that Go uses - 1 stop per S2 level 17 cell ( google Pokémon Go and s2 cells).

    This screenshot shows the cells ( green lines) in warrior park.


    The flagpole is in database and can’t be seen because of proximity rules.

    The picnic area I suggested is in its own cell.

    Make sure you understand S2 cells before you submit to avoid the frustration of approved points not appearing.

  • Kaidinah-PGOKaidinah-PGO Posts: 6 ✭✭

    Well that's a shame. I have seen spaces way more stacked than my park. Is that because businesses can get around the cell rule?

  • HankWolfman-PGOHankWolfman-PGO Posts: 4,845 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Sponsored wayspots ignore the proximity rules for the most part.

    Additionally, sometimes it might appear that things are too densely packed when in actuality they're not. The cells are a grid of quadrilaterals. Each quad can have a Pokéstop or Gym in it, but it doesn't need to be in the centre of that specific cell. If you get four wayspots in four different cells but they're all in the adjacent corners, it can create a densely packed cluster that still meets the rules.

    Another thing to note is that location edits used to ignore proximity rules, so a Pokéstop could get moved into a cell that already had a Pokéstop or Gym and that cell would have two things that were both in Pokémon Go. This behaviour was changed because people exploited it, so now location edits do check the proximity rules and the game map is adjusted accordingly as a result. Any wayspots that were moved before this change was made were allowed to remain active in Pokémon Go though, even if they would break the rule, with the caveat that if any of them get edited now, that will cause those cells to update and conform to the proximity rule.

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