Neighborhood & Community Name Signage
TablogEimrats-PGO
Posts: 84 ✭✭✭
Hey all,
I keep getting conflicting information about neighborhood and community name signage. Typically, these are located at the entrance to a neighborhood or community. Sometimes, they are fancy and on large, stone walls, etc. Are these acceptable now, or are they 1*s? Thanks!
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Sugarstarzkill-PGO
Posts: 437 ✭✭✭✭✭
While they can potentially be eligible, they need to have some actual artistic merit/be very unique or have some historical context.
I've reviewed probably 100 of these. I've literally never passed one. Maybe others are less stringent, but the ones I've seen are all pretty dull and a lot of them have pretty iffy pedestrian access too. They aren't something I'd show an out of town friend visiting. I can imagine some exist that are genuinely beautiful/artistic. But most of the time, they just aren't.
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I'm also interested in the answer to this. There are many in my city that have been accepted, but I have had my own submissions rejected.
I found (somewhere??) in discussion boards or AMAs that so long as it wasn't just a post-and-board type sign, these would be acceptable to varying degrees; ie. 2-5* depending on how elaborate/architectural/artistic they are.
While they can potentially be eligible, they need to have some actual artistic merit/be very unique or have some historical context.
I've reviewed probably 100 of these. I've literally never passed one. Maybe others are less stringent, but the ones I've seen are all pretty dull and a lot of them have pretty iffy pedestrian access too. They aren't something I'd show an out of town friend visiting. I can imagine some exist that are genuinely beautiful/artistic. But most of the time, they just aren't.
Thank you!
Most generally don't meet criteria.
If they're artistic or have something that's culturally relevant on a local level, then they're a decent sub.
I am reviewing a lot of these recently, am am noticing that after rejecting one, my rating drops into the yellow zone.
Thoughts, @NianticCasey-ING ? Thanks!
A plain old sign would only be eligible if it has artistic or cultural relevance. Looking back at the AMA archive, this is reinforced by the June 2018 question:
Q: Are welcome signs for townships, municipalities, boroughs, cities, and towns valid portal submissions?
A: NIA OPS says, “Only if they have any historical or cultural significance.”
[...] if its accessible without entering a restricted area, is uniquely decorated, or is an otherwise a notable monument.
It's hard for a one size fits all response to neighborhood/community signage other than "if they are artistic or historically/culturally significant." Most are generic and mass produced aluminium signboards, others that are wooden and painted are slightly more visually appealing but still rarely eligible.
I'm not sure what qualifies as "artistic", or - more to the point - to what degree... almost none of the community signs around here are plain/generic, and definitely not mass-produced.
I could go on and on... there are SO MANY like this around here! ;) If these are to be acceptable, I think some examples showing various levels of *'s would be helpful. Does it help if they also have a community logo/design/image on the sign (#1, #5, #6)?
I would have 1*d all of those for not meeting criteria. They may not be mass produced, but they really aren't a "point of interest" in my opinion.
Again, some day I might see one that genuinely looks cool/artistic. But usually they're all pretty bland.
Are playgrounds "points of interest"? What about basketball courts? Do you bring out-of-town guests to see playgrounds or basketball courts? And yet these are considered 5* candidates.
You said it yourself, you're supposed to review neighborhood and community signs on artistic merit, so why are "point of interest" even a consideration when other 5* candidates are even plainer than these signs?
Playgrounds and most churches aren't "points of interest" either, yet they are 5* candidates.
Number 5 I might just consider as having some artistic merit, but it's a scrape through. The rest just look pretty generic.
Why wouldn't you consider a playground or a church a "point of interest?" They are absolutely cultural hotspots for many. Playgrounds are very significant for children and parents / care providers alike and the very definition of point of interest for them. Churches allow a safe place for fellowship and spiritual growth for those of similar faiths and hold extreme cultural significance.
My understanding of current guidance would lead me to vote 1-2 stars on all of those. If I were in charge of criteria, I would like to change this guidance to make things like these eligible, but until the powers that be change the criteria, I will continue to judge these as ineligible to low acceptance.
My question was around what is acceptable, if any. Does anyone have an example of one they think DOES qualify? Just turning down any example I show isn't really helping, to be honest... I'm not really any closer to understanding what would be a 'yes'.
Also, no one weighed in on the logo/art on some of the signs. What if this was the submission instead? I've definitely seen a good number of "simple" art pieces be approved.
I wouldn't consider the symbols on the neighborhood signs to really be "art". It's the logo for the apartment/neighborhood/HOA. Some of that type of stuff did sometimes get approved (portal link) (and another example) but I don't believe it meets criteria as it's really not intended to be artistic.
I'd also like to share this example of one I did vote to approve. The bridge wasn't actually connecting anything in this example, the bridge solely existed as a decorative sign for the community.
This is the example of a 5* neighbourhood sign:
Not my submission, and not the standard to which all signs should be held. But absolutely a 5* wayspot candidate. (There is a sidewalk going right past it and you can walk across the grass to it, so pedestrian access is not an issue. It's not an issue with any neighbourhood sign in my area.)
I think you're close to figuring it out. I would say that this would get accepted under the current criteria:
Wow that blew up- I do consider churches and playgrounds points of interest. They are both gathering places. A sign for a housing development/homes is not a place where people gather together. Maybe there's an exception that proves the rule, but typically the only reason for existing is to announce "this is where this housing complex is located".
I submitted a sign like this but the area is so historically interesting (I couldn't fit in nearly all the information I wanted to).
I didn't know anything about more before researching this and it turns out he was a pretty heavy hitter rubbing elbows with the founding fathers and getting important legislation passed.
The community might be historically interesting, but the sign itself isn't so I'd expect a rejection.
But with Niantic's rules of wanting a sign for everything, I don't know how else I get to tell the story. :\
Here's a site that shows some mostly artistic and interesting village signs in the UK: http://www.adbwilliams.co.uk/photo_topic.php?subject_id=1
I know that the Timsbury and Michelmersh Village Sign is a wayspot.
The only one I'm not sure about on that page is the Woodmancote Village Sign. I'd probably rate that one 3 or 4 stars if it came up in review and all the rest would be 5 stars for me, and then I'd rate the access etc accordingly.
I've submitted the coats of arms on some nearby village and town signs, explaining the meaning and cultural and historical importance behind the symbolism, and those have been accepted.
@LochKnessie-PGO Lo and behold, some of those do actually look interesting! I would accept quite a few of those with a good description.
Playgrounds are a place for children to play and socialise, I'd say that makes them a POI.
Churches are definitely a POI. They're a communal meeting place, a spiritual haven, many put on events of some description beyond just hosting weddings/baptisms/funerals. Many in Europe even have interesting architecture or historic value.
My bad. That came out wrong. Of course they are POIs. I meant they're not interesting enough that I would take a out of town friend to check out, like I would a cool restaurant, for example.