All nominations auto-rejected consistently regardless of criteria

[KByville]

I am writing this post because I am literally shocked. The criteria for selecting a Pokéstop is highly unfortunate, shocking and ignorant, even when the criteria for selecting one is very meticulous and carefully considered. Aren’t pedestrian friendly areas good for socializing? Aren’t areas with so many restaurants and businesses which generate a considerable amount of foot traffic good for playing Pokémon GO? I spent more than an hour taking pictures of landmarks, writing a paragraph and very carefully and professionally labeling the stops only to have my first one rejected immediately today, even though there is no plausible reason to do so. The area where I was trying to nominate the stops is currently the most hottest area in all of Lahore called DHA Rayya. All kinds of people from different part of the city and other cities visit this urban Plaza and complex. The most shocking question is, how is it possible that there isn’t even one Pokestop in this area?
I believe this is a form of geographical discrimination because it’s an unpopular country like Pakistan where people like me don’t matter, even though I am a 44 level player and I have the largest Pokémon collection merchandise in Pakistan.

If this was San Francisco, any other American city or a tiny European city with a population of under 500,000, every single irrelevant object would even have a higher chance of becoming a Pokestop but the most popular pedestrian urban district in the city of Lahore right now can’t easily get a single nomination. There are deeply irresponsible people who take part in the nomination of Pokestops. I believe people within Pakistan should be consulted in how and where they are comfortable in playing Pokémon GO. I’m literally shocked and appalled that almost all nominations that I give are very likely to be rejected for no good reason. The Pokémon franchise is very special to me as it gives a meaning to Life but Pokémon GO it’s so far the most controversial game ever created and one of the reasons why it is so controversial it’s because irresponsible people are allowed to participate in critical decisions regarding the game. Either the rejections are totally automatic or the criteria for selecting them is extremely strict, and “extreme” is a word which is very relevant to this entire thread. I’m highly anticipating that no one will be able to come over with the plausible argument to reject the pictures below for nominations which include unique sculptures, modern architecture, restaurants etc. This area also has 4 Dynamax/Gigantamax power spots side-by-side and I dare anyone to challenge why these power spots are there. If this were an area in any Western country or even a far eastern country like Japan or Korea, it would’ve been buzzing with Pokestops and gyms, and this is very true! I’m very much open to making a live video stream of the entire area if anyone doubts me.

[OoLeguanoO]

Welcome to the Wayfarer Community! Glad to have you interrested in Wayfarer.

Let’s break down your post: Voting is mostly done by your local/regional community, so there is no reason to assume theres any kind of discrimination happening here.
Your status as a Pokemon Fan also doesn’t really have an effect here, as beeing a fan of the Pokemon franchise doesnt have anything to do with wayfarer and how it works.
Powerspots are also a different thing than regular Pokestops, most of Powerstops have been imported into the game from a different source than wayfarer and do not follow normal wayfarer criteria, so them beeing around doesn’t mean anything and they should not be examples of good wayspots (as well as existing Wayspots are not neccessarily a good way to determine if something is a good wayspot or not)

To your Pictures of nominations:

1-2&6: This is just a pillar, I don’t see any artistical or architectural value in it. Without further information, i don’t see why this structure should be a good thing to explore or socialize. I would have rejected this too.

3: This one looks like it could be a wayspot, and I can’t tell why it has been rejected. I would try to appeal it through the team, idealy with additional information. You can do an appeal on a Wayspot nomination every two weeks (and you can store up to two appeal attempts at a time) Anyways, if the location can not be verified it could be a reject also, i can not tell without additional information.

4-5&7: Those look like regular bars, I can’t tell if they’re chain businesses, as i’m not familiar with the Area, but such restaurants generally have a hard time to be approved. You can also try to appeal those, but try to add additional information on why those are unique, like why they are special and not just generic restaurants you can find at every corner. To me, they look quite good at first glance, but in my experience, you need to put some extra effort into the description and supporting text to get those through, and more often than not, you’ll need an appeal to make them into Wayspots.

8: this is just a Tree. Theres nothing special about it, it doesnt encourage exploring nor is it a good place to be social or excercise. I would have rejected that too. If the nomination was the restaurant in the back, it should be the centerpoint of the picture.

9: this doesnt seem to be a piece of Art, its just a stone to sit on. Regular seating objects like this do not fall under the criteria normally, so I would have rejected this too.

To Help you getting more success in Wayfarer, I have some advise:

Look for unique things in Architecture, like art or artistical facades, or even well-done, officially approved, graffiti (you can find those inside of restaurants too, and those are also fine)

If you want to submit a seating Area, make sure it has room for multiple people and also have tables. Those can be eligible to be wayspots, but are also often rejected because they’re often side cases wich, in my experience, often need appeals.

You should also look for playgounds or playing devices for children, those will easily go through the process and are great wayspots, as they allow children to excercise and be social. Sport fields and Objects to encourage sport (Like Basketball baskets, fitness training devices and alike) are also great.

If you want to submit restaurants, make sure to have a Link to their website (helps a great deal) and also get knowledge how those are special. Generic chain business are normally not acceptable, but family owned businesses are (while still I often get those rejected). What also helps is to add anything to your supporting information that helps to be social in that place, like having board games available, cooking lessons beeing given there, beeing able to have a private party there or anything alike. Just saying something is a restaurant doesn’t make it a good wayspot neccessarily.

Another improtant thing: Try to avoid the word “Pokestop” in titles and descriptions, as Wayspots are used in multiple games and people tend to reject those. In my experience, you should avoid the term also in supporting information. Instead use Wayspot or POI (Point of Interrest).

If you need more Information, theres a knowledge database available in the login screen, where you can find basic and deep information on how good wayspots look like, what is considered a good wayspot and how to best submit them.

Don’t feel discouraged by getting the first nominations rejected. It happened to the best of us. Try to get more knowledge on the Wayfarer system and you will surely get Wayspots approved soon.

[KByville]

The reason why this is so surprising and shocking is because I have been playing this game for quite a while now and I have seen very minimal structures than the ones in 1,2 & 6, appear as “wayspots”. I have played in San Francisco, Japan and Birmingham, England and I have seen very similar structures. The structure in question is a Tensile shade canopy and it falls under the category of unique architecture and artistic sculptures. You rarely find sculptures like these in Pakistan and they obviously cost a lot. The point that this entire community is missing is that this is a very buzzing area with a huge amount of foot traffic so this area should urgently have stops and gyms to interact with, especially on community days. This is a clear form of regional bias. This city has a population of more than 10 million people but compared to cities in Europe and even in America, it might only have 5 to 10% of the amount of Pokestops and gyms when compared. I personally asked for permission from the manager of one of the restaurants and they said that it would be a good idea for people to come. There is honestly no way that a local Pakistani who plays the game passionately would reject this nomination so I believe this assumption is totally incorrect. Players would instead be desperate for more nominations to be approved. I strongly believe these were automatically rejected by people who are not familiar with the country so they’ll automatically behave indifferently.

[LetsRollGirl]

Hello @KByville,

Welcome to the forum! I hope we can help. I think it would be best if you show us one full nomination (Title, Description, main photo, supporting information, and supporting photo).

There are a variety of reasons something could be rejected. It might be something you are saying, and not the photos. But if it was rejected in less than a day, it is likely that the Machine Learning (ML) algorithm rejected it.

So the best way we can help is seeing a full nomination. Pick your favorite, maybe the popular restaurant or the tent like architecture structure.

[KByville]

With all due respect, you mentioned that it’s just a tree. A palm tree in an urban setting can be a landmark especially if it’s a designed part of the pedestrian space. They approve random murals and fountains in the West, but a carefully selected palm tree in a pedestrian district gets rejected? This sounds totally hypocritical. Now everyone is not lucky that they can easily pack their bags and live in a Western city to play Pokémon GO. I’m trying my best to rejuvenate my local community and I had promised to do this a few months ago when I came back from England on a student Visa. I’m going back to London next month so I wanted to do something for the Pokémon GO community here.

[KByville]

Tensile Shade Canopy #3 (DHA Rayya)

Description:

DHA Rayya is pedestrian friendly business, shopping and dining complex comprising of modern infrastructure. This is one of the very few pedestrian friendly areas in the entirety of Lahore. The area generates a considerable amount of foot traffic, even from other cities. Multiple brands and restaurants can be found throughout the complex with regular 24 hour security.

Supplemental information

Lahore is home to more than 10 million people, but it has disproportionately very few pokestops. The area of DHA Rayya golf course has a tremendous amount of foot traffic. Pokémon GO in Pakistan is severely lacking behind if it has not acknowledged this place particularly for community days.

I’ll post another example as well

[KByville]

Steak Away - DHA Rayya

Description

DHA Rayya is pedestrian friendly business, shopping and dining complex comprising of modern infrastructure. This is one of the very few pedestrian friendly areas in the entirety of Lahore. The area generates a considerable amount of foot traffic, even from other cities. Multiple brands and restaurants can be found throughout the complex with regular 24 hour security.

Supplemental Information

Lahore is home to more than 10 million people, but it has disproportionately very few pokestops. The area of DHA Rayya golf course has a tremendous amount of foot traffic. Pokémon GO in Pakistan is severely lacking behind if it has not acknowledged this place particularly for community days.

I wrote the same description for all 11 nominations because I believe believed that as they all lie in a single area, it would be more pragmatic and practical to have a similar description for every single spot. Please let me know what I did wrong.

[OoLeguanoO]

With all due respect, a Tree is a Tree.
It might look nice and give shade, but trees are not wayspots in most cases (there are Trees that have informational signs on them because they were planted on a special accasion or are very old and have history) but Palm Trees are, in general, not acceptable wayspots.

Good Murals and many Fountains are pieces of Art, and are therefore good places to explore.

I want to encourage, not discourage, you to get into wayfarer more deeply to get more nominations approved. Be sure i do not want to talk down on you or make you miserable or lie to you about wayfarer criteria, my intend is to help you to achieve your goal to give your Area more Wayspots.

For a beginner in Wayfarer, its always best to be open to learning than to just assuming to know everything because you have seen wayspots that exist. Criteria have changed over time, local communities have different personal judgement about things and so on, so having seen lots of existing wayspots is not a good base to judge how to submit wayspots most succesful. As said, I like to help you to create more interesting and engaging wayspots in your city, so please don’t take my criticism personally. I know how frustrating wayfarer can be for beginners, trust me on that. But I also know how cool it becomes once youn get better at nominating things and beeing able to create lots of interesting wayspots.

To your nomination of the Canopy:
To be honest, the Supporting Picture looks way better, as you can see the seating stones and how the structure is built. It makes it easier to see what it actually is and how it might help to be social in that Area. When you can see the whole thing, it looks way better. In the description, refer to the Wayspot you are submitting, not the general Area. It can be a part of the description or supporting info, but the description should always focus on the Object in Question. If the general Area is a good place to be social, there will be lots of Wayspots around. The general Area itself is not a wayspot.
I still think, a single seating stone isn’t a good wayspot, but added to the Canopy, it makes this a good place to be social, sit around together and have some shade on hot, sunny days. Its oftentimes about detail when it comes to wayspots.

Same is true for the restaurant you nominated. Your description doesn’t say anything about the restaurant, and so people can not know anything about it than that it is in a lively Area in Lahore, wich is great, but doesnt make for a good description for that particular wayspot. try to create unique descriptions of the actual wayspot every time. Also mentions of there beeing to little Pokestops around are counterproductive, as this is not a reason to add something to the Database. There is no adding Wayspots just for the sake of more wayspots.

I think those nominations aren’t really bad, they just need some more effort to be put in, and they have a chance to go though. The way it is now, i can understand why community mebers rejected them.

I hope my view on this has helped you to understand better how to submit wayspots and why your descriptions might not have been Ideal, as they do not refer to the Object you are submitting. I’m sure, if you resubmit those with improved descriptions and supporting informations, this place will shine in no-time and you will have a great place to play pokemon go.

[LetsRollGirl]

@KByville

I wrote the same description for all 11 nominations because I believe believed that as they all lie in a single area, it would be more pragmatic and practical to have a similar description for every single spot.

Each nomination is unique and should be described appropriately. You need to talk about each object and convey how that particular place meets one or more of the eligibility to be a Great place to Explore, Exercise, or be social with others.

I do not recommend using the same descriptions and support.

[KByville]

Should the supplemental information be the same as well?
I don’t know how I can provide a different reasoning for a single area. If the area were different than the supplemental information would obviously be different. I am definitely changing the description for each nomination right now.

[LetsRollGirl]

You have a handful of different types of nominations. Each restaurant description and Support information may be similar, but you should be able to say something unique about each one.

Same goes for the architectural pieces. Otherwise they may not be unique and should be nominated as a set of architectural pieces.

[KByville]

I’m doing that right now. I’m not changing the supplemental information, but I am changing the descriptions for every single nomination. I cannot do it for two restaurants because I have already appealed the rejections so I cannot edit them.

[OoLeguanoO]

You can resubmit them with better descriptions, its absolutely acceptable to re-submit a wayspot if you improve the nomination.

I would recommend to also edit the supporting information as well. As said: Mentioning Pokestops or lack of Pokestops is, for many reviewers, a reason to reject or at least see the nomination less favourably.

Just like the Wayspot description, Supporting information should focus on the Object you nominate, with an emphasis on why this is a good wayspot based on the criteria and general rulings of Niantic and the community.

An Example how I would write it would be:

Canopies like this are good places to be social, as people gather under them to find shade and there are multiple Seating objects to rest and sit together under them. They are also beautiful to look at and shape the view and feel of the Area. The Area where this POI can be found is a very lively social hub in Lahore, so those Canopies are frequently used by a lot of people. In Areas like these, protection from the Sun is important to stay safe and healthy, and therefore places like this encourage playing Niantic Games and enjoying the City Life of Lahore.

This is just how I would write it, but i am sure, as a local, you will find a better way to describe those and find even better arguments for those beeing good wayspots.

[KByville]

Tensile Shade Canopy #4 - DHA Rayya

Description

As one of several thoughtfully placed tensile canopies, this shaded structure reflects DHA Rayya’s modern approach to pedestrian-friendly design. Positioned strategically within the plaza, it provides a comfortable resting point where people can pause, interact, and enjoy the vibrant energy of the area’s top restaurants and shopping outlets.

Supplemental Information

This modern tensile shade canopy is a striking example of innovative urban design in DHA Raya. Not only does it provide shade for visitors, but it also enhances the pedestrian-friendly environment of the area, making it an inviting gathering point for shoppers, diners, and strollers alike. With its unique architectural style, it adds to the aesthetic appeal of DHA Raya, a hub of activity and interaction in Lahore. DHA Rayya is the most buzzing and viral urban community Plaza in Lahore at the moment.

I’ve changed it and I have made a unique description for all 4 different Canopy structures that I submitted for nomination. I have also changed the supplemental information for every nomination. I’ve tried to make it more appealing rather than desperate and there is no mention of “Pokestops”.

[OoLeguanoO]

I like that improvement a lot and hope that they will go through.

I would accept those now and I’m glad to have been of help

[KByville]

Thank you for your guidance, but I still do believe the criteria may be overwhelmingly strict. I still need to do half of the same area so I will try to keep everything as unique as possible.

[TjoeMi]

Dont be discouraged by rejection. Sometime AI or even community rejection happen. When it happened, ask for people opinion to improve and resubmit/appeal if its deemed eligible. I have my own share of rejection and if i am sure about my nomination, i will resubmit/appeal it. Anyway each submission must be reviewed case by case.

[OoLeguanoO]

Yes, the criteria is pretty strict sometimes, but this is to ensure that Wayspots are quality objects that encourage the goals of wayfarer, wich is the explore, be social and excercise.

I got another thing I spotted on the supporting Photo of the Canopy:

Theres a really nice Fountain in the middle. It looks really cool and like a nice centerpiece of the Plaza. Im sure this one would make for a great wayspot!

I’m sure you too will soon develop the “wayfinder eye” and see great wayspots everywhere where you don’t see anything of interest right now. Even in less poplulated Areas that are not social hubs there are often nice pieces of Architecture, Mosques, Churches, nice seating Areas, pavilions, fountains…

While getting more used to the criteria and how good wayspot nominations should look like you will certainly find more cool things to submit in a Place like Lahore. Never hesistate to get in contact with the community here in the Forums and elsewhere.

Another thing that can lead to frustration is that not every waspot shows up in every Game, each of them has their own inclusion rules. I’ll encourage you to get information about that outside of this forum though, as this information isn’t officially known and shouldn’t be discussed here much, as it can be abused, wich also may lead to bans. If some of your nominations do not show up in your game, this is why. Always submit the location as faithfully as you can, but knowing the inclusion rules can help a great deal of deciding wich things to nominate with priority or where appeals are worthwhile for your personal wayfarer goals and where they are not.

[cyndiepooh]

fyi, they have been allowing us to discuss S2 cells on the forum. I keep this written up to post for people looking for their accepted “Pokestops”:

I know the prompt tells you that you are submitting a “Pokestop” but you are actually submitting a Wayspot to Niantic’s Lightship database. The Wayspot can only become a Pokestop or gym if it is alone in a level 17 S2 cell. This is a good article about S2 cells and PoGo: https://pokemongohub.net/post/article/comprehensive-guide-s2-cells-pokemon-go/

Every time I post this, I stress that knowledge of S2 cells must never be used to misplace a pin into an empty cell. That is abuse. But it is important to understand where to look for game locations.

[OoLeguanoO]

Thanks! I did not know that.

Also thanks for adding the Information here so it might be of help.