Howland Island: Another remote island with more abusive wayspots than people
Located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Howland Island is one of the United States Minor Outlying Islands, and the entirety of the island and the reef that surrounds it is a nature preserve. This very remote location is completely uninhabited, only being occasionally visited by the United States Fish and Wildlife service. As such, Howland Island has a human population of zero. But none of that has stopped Wayfarer abusers from establishing a virtual presence on the island.
Getting déjà vu? If this sounds familiar to you, it's because this exact same thing happened earlier this year on a similar island nearby called Baker Island, and it would seem that someone is back to their old shenanigans.
Within the past few days, at least three faked submissions have come to light on Howland Island, all using 3rd party photos where the photos appear to be pictures of a screen. One of these three uses pictures of something that does actually exist on Howland Island, while the other two are located in Madrid and Ireland. An additional two portals already exist on Howland Island which seem to also have 3rd party photos although they seem to have been direct uploads/crops of photos from Wikimedia Commons. The difference in image sources makes me think it is possible the existing portals/photos may have been seeded (one of them is even incorrectly named after the wrong island?), however it is my understanding that it is against the TOS of images from Wikimedia Commons to edit the photos (cropping them) and not source the photos, making these problematic even if they were legitimately seeded.
Howland Island
https://intel.ingress.com/intel?ll=0.806982,-176.618616&z=17&pll=0.806982,-176.618616
Image source (Wikimedia Commons):
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Howland_sign.jpg
Lighthouse - Jarvis Island
https://intel.ingress.com/intel?ll=0.807269,-176.617703&z=17&pll=0.807269,-176.617703
Image source (Wikimedia Commons):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Earhart_Light.jpg
Leader Sculpture
Image source (Wikimedia commons):
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Monumento_a_Felipe_IV_(Madrid)_10.jpg
Howland’s Ruins
Image source (Wikimedia Commons):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Howland_Itascatown.jpg
Megalithic Stone:
Image source (Shutterstock):
https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/poulnabrone-dolmen-5000-year-old-portal-3467764
As a fun historical fact of the day, back in 1937 when Amelia Earhart attempted her historic flight around the globe, she and her plane disappeared while searching for Howland Island, where she was supposed to stop and refuel while flying across the Pacific Ocean. The portal "Lighthouse - Jarvis Island" that is discussed above is actually a day beacon, and it is named the Earhart light, after Amelia Earhart. The incorrect name inspired me to to take a look at Jarvis Island, where I was able to find one more portal that appears to have a 3rd party photo:
Jarvis Island National Wildlife Refuge
https://intel.ingress.com/intel?ll=-0.378611,-160.01308&z=17&pll=-0.378611,-160.01308
Image source (Blogspot):
http://asramp10.blogspot.com/2010/04/looking-above-water-jarvis-island.html
I would guess that there are probably more abusive Wayspots being submitted on these type of deserted islands that my friends and I didn't manage to find while reviewing, so I would encourage Niantic to take a closer look at anything submitted on the islands and for anyone who has reviewed such a Wayspot to share any information you can in the comments. Thanks.
Comments
@NianticGiffard Any updates on this abuse case?
I'll share an update for this report soon.
Hi there, @AisforAndis-ING! We have reviewed the report and have taken action on the 3 Wayspots and the 2 Wayfinders in accordance with our policies. While we are unable to discuss our actions in detail to protect the submitter’s privacy, they may include, but are not limited to, sending a warning message, placing restrictions on their Wayfarer, Pokémon GO, or Ingress account, putting their account on probation, or placing a temporary or permanent suspension on their Wayfarer, Pokémon GO or Ingress account.
Thanks for helping us maintain the quality of the Wayspots.
The portals are still online though...
I mean, he did say they took action on 3 waypoints, when 5 were reported. The other 2 (the real POIs using 3rd party images) are still active.
imagine some marines that go there time to time and the places actually existed, would be hilarious
@NianticAaron @NianticLC These waypoints are still active.
"Howland Island" - https://intel.ingress.com/intel?ll=0.806982,-176.618616&z=17&pll=0.806982,-176.618616
"Earhart Light Beacon - Howland Island" - https://intel.ingress.com/intel?ll=0.807269,-176.617703&z=17&pll=0.807269,-176.617703
Both are 3rd party photos stolen from https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/earhart-light-howland-island
Still seeing those two wayspots as active--they were there in the duplicate check as I reviewed this new submission that I will flag for abuse:
Northern Montezuma Wildlife Management Area (this is a wildlife area in upstate NY)
A conservation area in Howland Island.
With everything that is wrong with Wayfarer right now, it amazes me that people care this much about an island in the middle of nowhere. If anything, having gifts or activity there is a great way for Niantic to catch spoofers. It's like a honey pot. Leave the fake stops there and let the games teams investigate every single account that accesses them!
It amazes me you think there are 'games teams' ;)
All you need to do is wait for raids to spawn at Kiribati, and then take down ALL of their names that join the raids for "early movers" advantage. Then you can ban them all!
If only Niantic were so crafty.
—or if Niantic are ready for mass revenue drop because the spoofers threatened them for not spending more $$, after cutting many staffs and increasing prices of in-game boxes didn't really help.
Can't stop thinking at both Niantic and the spoofers right now.
I know the New York version of Howland's Island very well - it amazes me that a sign with the NY DEC logo and state name would be allowed to exist as a waypoint thousands of miles away.
Patsufredo is correct they bring in a ton of money for Niantic, so they won't go that hard. My unpopular opinion, as someone who doesn't and won't spoof, is that if they're not submitting fake portals and abusing wayfarer, they really don't hurt the game at all, and let them have their fun.
The "spoofers bring in a ton of money" argument is likely valid, but there are also many players who would have spent big in game but quit because spoofers kept them out of gyms, bragged about regionals and shinies they've gotten before they were available to the legit locals, and just generally spoiled the fun. They make money for Niantic, but they also have a cost.
Anyone who quits playing PGO (or Ingress, I guess) because someone else has something they don't have missed a very important lesson in Kindergarten about not being jealous. Quit being so worried about what other people have and be content with your own life/game.
Yes, spoofers can behave badly in gyms and that should be stopped. But that bad behavior is not limited to spoofers, I read reports about locals being gym bullies (and have experienced it myself once or twice). I don't spoof but I don't think the majority of people who do are gym bullies. I think those people would be bullies whether spoofing or playing locally.
Your argument isn't valid whatsoever.
Niantics Lightship database/platform is worthless if it's just full of junk, low quality trash and a bunch of fakes, if they want that, then just purchase the entire Foursquare database.
If Niantic want to allow fakes on those earliest islands purely because of the pogo'ers, then that says a lot about Niantic. Given, Niantic are ćŕӓρ when it comes to abuse handling, but if we allow fakes and such purely because the pogo'ers, then Lightship as a whole is worthless.
What is this 'we'?
Why do you give a f*#k about the lightship database?
Niantic don't give a cráp about what you think.
I care(d) about the portal network and still do to some degree.
I continue to be amazed at the ownership that people feel over the assets of a company that doesn't care about them at all. This is a company that has failed at EVERYTHING they've ever done except the cultural juggernaut that is Pokemon. TBH, I think Ingress would have been shuttered by now if PGO wasn't around to keep Niantic's doors open. (I don't say that to be critical of Ingress, just that the flow of new players has slowed so much. The only new players I know who've picked up Ingress recently are PGO players who want the Wayfarer benefits from Ingress.)
Why though?
Niantic won't consult you when they shut down Ingress. I'm not getting shares in the company and a pat on the back from John Hanke because I had some poi accepted.
Look at the cr@p they themselves have added when they wanted to.
Agree. I do my best with what's in my personal control on WF. But things like this that are extremely out of my control do not even enter my head. So many Wayfarers let abusers live rent free in their heads.
Everyone working together, helping to create an interesting and fun base that we all can use and enjoy is a fine sentiment.
A year ago this was reported...
Well, I don't plan on quitting, and I'm not terribly jealous: I love to travel, and my regionals all have fond memories attached that no spoofer can claim. It is dishearteneing to lower-level trainers, though, when they're preparing for a community day event and see the CD shiny stuffed in gyms hours in advance by people who simply played in Asia or Australia the night before. I've also seen lots of formerly-legit players turn to spoofing because "spoofers are great, they trade me shinies and send remote invites after raid hours here and they never get caught so why shouldn't I follow in their footsteps? It's cold outside, or rainy, or I have a pain in my leg or something and I don't want to walk anyway."
And "gym bullies" are much worse as spoofers - countless times, I've dropped in a park right before closing only to get spoofed out long after the gates are closed, or walked a long trail to a woods gym only to be kicked out by the time I get back to my car. That's frustrating. Yes, we have live in-person gym bullies - I was one of those, in fact, before I realized the error of my ways thanks to Ingress. It's hard for a solo player who refuses to trespass to be much of a bully anyway. :)
I know a few spoofers, they really only spoof so that they can get the riads and events early. They dint interfere with gyms or anything. I don't find an issue with them. The spoofers I do have issues with are ingress spoofers and spoofers who kick people out of gyms, simply because they are effecting other peoples play.
I'll probably get disagree bombed for saying I don't mind spoofers who don't interfere with others play but at the end of the day, if they aren't interfering with anyone, they arent hurting anyones play, then you wouldn't even know they were spoofing
I think you misread what I posted, because I said "as long as they're not posting fake wayspots it's not a big issue." I 100% don't support the creation of fake wayspots by spoofers or regular players.
I have the same opinion, in my experience most spoofers who are not trying to submit fake wayspots are just in it for raids and regionals. I'm lucky I have not experienced gym bullies aside from the local community.
Not had issues with gym bullies. My area did have someone try to spoof our gyms, but at that time there was 5 of us (me, 2 yellows, 2 reds) who battled over all the gyms, so the spoofer constantly got knocked out and seemed to decide it wasn't worth it
I'm a rural players so no reason to spoof to my location so I'll probably never have that issue. Luckily I've been submitting like crazy and increasing our wayspot and gym density, so hopefully that'll fix some of the gym issues. At the end of the day I'm happy we have an active community of players in my small rural area.
Like everything it’s about the people not the methods.
And that old adage where there is a will, there is a way.
This is not related to one game.
If Niantic had the will, they have all the data, they could find the way to take action on the very obvious fakery and clusters.
Spoofers equally have the will to change a game to how they want to play it, so they will find ways of doing it.
Given those tools some people will take the P+@s on wayspot creation. Some people will play without needing to move but effectively not interfere with other players.
Malcious users will take advantage to **** and bully people just trying to play. The use of multiple accounts makes this very damaging.
These crop up from time to time. For nearly the whole of this year I have been the target of this behaviour in Pokémon Go, multi-accounter, taking everything, with regular reports to Niantic. Which is followed by new accounts with mocking names.
I hadn’t really played Ingress since lockdown but decided it might be nice to play a bit as a change. Nothing grand just the challenge of making some fields threading between lines. Then boom, spoofer arrives and starts taking the odd portal. ok. But they always go too far taking out everything in minutes that showed they were manifestly spoofing. I’ve switched off a bit again from Ingress.
And yet a friend who definitely doesn’t spoof - one look at his account, slow progress and lack of some Pokémon are giveaways of just pottering around with normal play, has suddenly had account terminated. I suspect it’s a problem over the deletion of a Niantic account but it’s an example of incompetence.
So Niantic need to actually use some intelligence in setting priorities to tackle the issues.