Beach signs

I got a couple great replies on a issue yesterday on a different topic so I thought I would try getting the feel for this topic.

Beach signs, when is it eligble?

Where I live we don't have beach signs but going to the beach is like many other places a huge deal and when you first go you stay there for hours. Where I live, we don't have any signs that says "Welcome to so and so beach". However we got these:

It says the county name and the name of the beach below it, and they like to hang up the lifering on these signs.

It's a rather costly sign, made in metal as the saltwater is harsh on wood structures. But it's the only repensentation of the beach we have here, signs that only says the beach only is non existing... Even at winter we use the beaches to access to walk on the fjord ice, camp out for a few hours, make a bonfire, grill some sausages etc. Long story short, the beaches are important to us year round socially and being active.

This is the best and only reprensentation of the beaches here... is it eligible? Eligble and hard sell? Or just no?

Should I perhaps just focus on the name and not try and make a pretty picture? I wonder they will think it's "mass produced" because of hte lifering when my focus has been the name, as this is the only place that can wear this name.

I have 3 in the system and one came back ineligble, so before I run back and reenter it, it would be good to know for certain. :)

Comments

  • Melurra-PGOMelurra-PGO Posts: 421 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I think it depends on your region. I am in the US, and it looks somewhat generic to me. But you said that going to the beach is special in your area, so if other people feel the same and think this kind of sign is special, then I think it could pass. On the other hand, you said you already had one rejected, so maybe the feeling is not widespread.

    Personally, I think the photo you shared would be better than one focusing just on the name. If there is one of these signs in such a position where the beach and sea would be in the background of the photo, that might help.

  • Eneeoh-PGOEneeoh-PGO Posts: 747 ✭✭✭✭✭

    That should be accepted. The sign with its life ring serves as a proxy or place marker for the locale.

    Your text should be focused on the beach and what it offers. Perhaps the primary photo should be a closeup of the sign. The support photo could be like the one above.

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

    I'm afraid I'm going to disagree. The item is a generic bit of safety equipment and meets none of the 3 Niantic criteria. I would not accept this.

  • Kellerrys-INGKellerrys-ING Posts: 696 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Norway, yes?

    Here in Finland communal swimming places (with some kind of facilities) are almost certain acceptances. For me that sign + life preserver would qualify as a place marker for the beach.

  • Lechu1730-PGOLechu1730-PGO Posts: 537 ✭✭✭✭

    I'm going to disagree with your disagreement. The OP is not nominating the life ring, he's nominating the beach, using the NAMED life ring as the anchor of the nomination.

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭


    Yeah, I wonder that's the case, because I wanted to take a pretty picture vs focusing fully on what I was submitting (the name of hte beach), spite I wrote specifically the name in the title and did quite a bit of research on the beach and gave a small history lesson (as much as you can write inn it, hehe).

    The sign itself in it's form is the same on most beaches in my area (but not the country), but it is the only place where you can put this sign as it actually says the name of the beach... Usually out beaches are smaller nooks as we're a rocky country : )

    Also, I would say it's as generic as trailmarkers I would say. (I understand that's a whole differnet can of worms)

    Yeah, now theres three of us who tinks focus on the name, I will give it another shot and zoom inn on the name... Oh man, it's so high up so I hope I don't end up on my ****, haha!

    Do you think you would be more inclined to accept it if I did focus on the name? I would say it's as generic as a trailmarker; the structure is only unique in this area and the sign bears the beach name and a beach promotes social gathering and definitly all beach activity, etc.


    Thank you to the 3 of you!

  • sogNinjaman-INGsogNinjaman-ING Posts: 3,313 ✭✭✭✭✭
    edited March 2021

    The ongoing and regular arguments in these forums about the validity of trail markers and whether we are supposed to review the "trail marker" as a stand along "waypoint anchor" or as a proxy for the "walking trail" will not stop until we get some more definite guidence from Niantic. I would not favour extenting the same sort of criteria interpretation favoured by some to other objects like this, otherwise we will soon have regular arguments over every rejected submission where the object "has a name on it". I'm going to stick with "generic / saftey equipment / does not meet criteria" with this one.

  • Jtronmoore-PGOJtronmoore-PGO Posts: 1,581 ✭✭✭✭✭

    If it has the name of the beach on it I would accept it. Or if it was a specific spot to anchor the poi to I’d be inclined to accept if proper ifno was given

  • Kellerrys-INGKellerrys-ING Posts: 696 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Please, don't bring the trail marker arguement to this thread.

    It's a sign for the beach, with a name on it. Not a sign for the life ring. I don't understand how this situation is somehow different from a park sign marking a park.

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭
    edited March 2021

    Edit: in responce to sogNinjaman


    I hear what you're saying, the little I've browsed here it's a topic where many has their interpitation of Niantics guidance to trail markers.

    In this particular case it's not a matter of placing a name on just any old thing, the name used in itself bears the encourangment of social and physical activies (as much as park, football field or tennis court) and bears the name of this area alone. In this circumstance I can't take a picture of the beach as it would be a natural feature, so I will need to look for a sign. This is a costly sign of a area of implied social gathering and activity which are 2 clear "Great" criteria that Niantic looks for in their submissions.

    (btw, I'm not trying to change your opinion, I'm just trying to resonate out loud)



    It really sounds like I need to take a picture to focus on the name and sum up my resonates somehow... lol

    Post edited by MilesMitsurugi-PGO on
  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭

    Norrbaggar ja, hehe!

    Then I will definitly try again, I wonder the lifering is sabotaging me... And you know how it is in our part of the world! :D

    But then again this was a year old submission that got rejected (I upgraded it recently) when evertyhing got rejected for having a lisence plate or pitch black photo. it may have already some old negative votes on it.

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭
    edited March 2021

    Sorry, I missed your reply too! Then it really settles it for me, I'll run off and try again :D

    -------

    Edit: Oh man, I'm really mucking up the order of my posts here! I editied a couple of posts now in hope to avoid confusion, if there was any, doh!

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭

    Well heres a "fun" update, I tried again and I got my first rejection where I'm harassing somone in my submission... I don't understand the mentality of certain reviewers, why go that far to accuse a beach sign for abuse...

    I really want to write a page more but I'll leave it at that, lol

  • Jtronmoore-PGOJtronmoore-PGO Posts: 1,581 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Are you using upgrades by chance for these nominations or letting them go through local reviewers? If the answer is I used an upgrade both or even the second time I’d suggest allowing local reviewers to review it

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭

    Yeah I did, upgraded both times.... So you think I should let it take the time it needs to get itself through? I do really have a terrible track record with upgrades, only 1 of 13 has gone through, and the one that did go through was a playground next to a shopping area.

    A friend of mine suddenly got his nomination through that I had nominated 3 times before which got rejected, so I got excited and thought reviewers were nice again. lol

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭

    Yeah I used upgrades both times. So you think it should take the time it needs in voting? That's how local reviewers see them? The mechanics of the voting system is something I'm not read up on.🤔

    I had a great time reviewing since pogo players were able to, but around easter last year everything got rejected and within days (without upgrades) for bogus reasons. Since then I gave up on it until a friend of mine got his trail marker approved (that I had tried 3 times before). So I got my hopes up that Niantic had made some changes to weed out the ones who rejected everything for bogus reasons, everything being on hospital grounds and car plates in statues etc. Sorry, short story long 😅

    But you think I have better luck letting it take it's time?

  • Jtronmoore-PGOJtronmoore-PGO Posts: 1,581 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Personally i use upgrades for things that are very easily passed like playgrounds churches and sport fields. Try it without and see if anything changes

  • Raachermannl-INGRaachermannl-ING Posts: 1,070 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I only want to add, that friends of mine started to submit beach entrance signs (indicating the paths where you are allowed to cross the nature preserved dunes behind the beach) during vacation at the German coast and he had success with a 50:50 chance. so they started this there, and other people continued ....

    Example: https://intel.ingress.com/intel?ll=54.355225,13.723587&z=16

    Now there are these crazy anchor chains connecting different towns and villages xD


    My personal thoughts about this as a reviewer:

    In general a beach is a place to be social, also a place for exercising. Although being a natural feature the connected manmade objects can be eligible. So these signs can be seen as good proxies for the whole location.

    An argument may be, that these signs are kind of mass produced. I neglect this here, because the signs have different numbers and different distance measures in the same sense like hiking trail markers are individual. So for me generic and mass produced means exactly the same, and that's not given here.

    In my example the amount of similar signs may lead to the argument of the old objects installed in a series rule, that states, that between similar objects like fitness trail stations or different playground devices should be enough distance between them, to accept them as distinct wayspots. My own rule of thumb for this rule is to have at least 100m between similar objects, since 100m is a distance, that prevents players with an ingame interaction radius with 40m to interact with 2 wayspots of that time at the same time. So this series of beach signs is borderline acceptible for me.


    Since I don't have a hard oppinion about these signs I wouldn't discuss about them. Other people may see the generic character of the signs as a way harder contra argument than I do. This oppinion is okay for me, too. So in the end there is a lot of interpretations possible, bu in general it should be neither a fast 1* nor a 5* ..... so they are shaky candidates. So don't use upgrades ..... upgrades should only be used on fool proof submissions, since they are raising the rejection rate because of unknown reasons....

    Your example picture is good, only try to bring the sign in the centre of the picture.

  • Gazzas89-PGOGazzas89-PGO Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭✭✭

    I woudlnt say that the comparison you made is right, this isnt the same way a trial marker is bei g debated. This is more like a park entrance style thing, they arent nominating the safety equipment, they are nominating the beach and usi g this as an anchor for it..... admittedly id then reject for safety reasons because if they anchored the portal on this, then it could interfere with life saving, similar to those red telephone defibs

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭

    First off , I didn't mean to post 2 times, I made the post and it disapeared on me after a edit; after 3 tripple checking it was really gone I made a new post.... now I see I doulbe posted! 😆

    I will bear that in mind, I have things that are made in November 2019 that still hasn't gone through but risking these harassment reports (I don't know if it means anything or not) wasn't so fun to get in return. Thank you!

    Oh wow that's really something else! I heard in England they do the same with channel locks xD I feel very on board with what you're saying and share your opinions, the argument of being massproduced is valid as this is a design used all over my county, yet it's more original then a football field/goal and it also more available to people no matter their life situation.


    I didn't know that locals are more likely to vote on your submissions if you don't upgrade them, that explains why my only accepted upgraded nomination has been a public playground. 😆

    I have learned! Is there a way to prevent nomination to get auto upgraded? Beside hitting upgrade next?

  • Kellerrys-INGKellerrys-ING Posts: 696 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Pity. Judging by those comments concerning life preserver (which I strongly disagree with by the way), you might have better luck without it in the photo.

    If there's a local/national Wayfarer group, ask opinion also from there?

    If you haven't chosen "Upgrade next", it's applied randomly. Irritating, yes.

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭

    Yeah I agree with you. if you take the obstruction rule literally; even then it still doesn't break the mentioned rule.

    A life preserver is for the first person who sees someone in need (not souly medical personel) , you don't call for emergency personal before grabbing a life preserver when the situation calls for it. So one would be lucky to have gamers about them :)

    But the comments are very helpfull because it gives me a view into the counterpart mindset.


    Oh I have no idea, there probably is but I prefer forum life over chats, it's a good idea though. 😄


    Puh, shame ( I hoped to have a new learning moment). Well I do have a history plaque I could upgrade next that should normally have a good shot even though it's not hand made by a blind monk. Sorry, a little sass just fell right out of my fingertips, I had no control of it. 🤐

  • MargariteDVille-INGMargariteDVille-ING Posts: 2,846 ✭✭✭✭✭

    A sign that merely marks a boundary is not usually a good wayspot.

    At a "Welcome to Townsville" sign, no one gets out of the car to explore the sign. No one stops to learn about the town. No one gathers there to socialize.

    A "beach access" or "public beach area" sign is a much better wayspot.

    I'm not sure which describes the sign shown here.

  • Lechu1730-PGOLechu1730-PGO Posts: 537 ✭✭✭✭

    I disagree on the "welcome to Townsville" sign. It'll be highly dependent on the local customs. Where I live the entrance sign to small cities and towns are normally a point of pride for them, either being arches or roundabouts with the name of the town in sculpture letters, many times very decorated. They make excellent wayspots. Here are some examples:


  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭

    There is also the matter of if you come from a area where thers absolutely nothing to enter. Having the opertunity to approve little bit generic "items" just has to be there or else theres a large group of people who just won't have the opertunity to play the games at all.

    The examples above are beyond wonderful nominations imho. Even the more boring ones have a big interest for me; I travel allot (normally) and I often send these "welcome to" friends and family, the gifts in POGO I mean.

    ------------

    I found while reviewing a couple days ago someone trying to enter a similar beach sign as mine not too far off from here, I'm keeping an eye to see if it slips through the cracks. XD

  • MilesMitsurugi-PGOMilesMitsurugi-PGO Posts: 67 ✭✭

    Ok I think I need a little help here, a different aproach. I don't see how this isn't a perfectly valid nomination, sure it's not a statue but still perfectly valid.. (I'm not getting rejected for abuse anymore least, but that it just doesn't meet criteria, which is much better, lol)

    I have tried different places in the wider area, I tried zoomed upI have tried with a gentle reminder that signs are a anchor to a place, that this is a spot where it's encouraged swimming, all the places I've nominated has had benches, some has a full rec area with ballpits, playground, volleyball courts etc. One is even marked as a park area and still gets rejected... I don't know how to aproach it anymore. 😣 I have upgraded all those rejected and I still have couple in the system that's stuck in queue and who know when they will go into voting. last time something went into voting naturally was in June 😆

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