I submitted a viewpoint bench in a park which has a stunning view of the whole park including the beautiful bandstand in the middle of the park.
The submission was rejected by the Automated Process so I decided to appeal as similar viewpoint benches had been accepted recently in the area. A friend had a similar bandstand view bench accepted with no difficulty also.
The appeal decision simply states the view isn’t scenic. I included relevant supporting information in my submission including the clarification criteria from Niantic that benches can be submitted if they anchor a scenic viewpoint. I appreciate that beauty is in the eye of the beholder but this bench offers stunning views across the park and of the bandstand so in my view it fully meets the criteria.
I think this appeal decision is inconsistent both with this clarification and submissions that have been accepted for similar viewpoint benches nearby and recently.
I have previously has issues with inconsistent appeal decisions and have posted the appeal decision in this forum to ask for a member of staff to look at it again and this decision was overturned so I would kindly ask that a second look please be given to this submission too as I don’t think it is correct to simply state this view isn’t scenic when it is a view of the whole park and with a historical feature front and centre.
I am probably going to get in to trouble with this but I could understand if this was rejected by Reviewers.
Every bench has a view whether this is over a cityscape, over a countryside vista or the back of Tescos.
This means Reviewers have to decide where the line lies and people will have different opinions.
In regards to yours being rejected against the other Bandstand being Accepted I can see a big difference in distance between benches and bandstands, The accepted one does seem to be looking straight at the bandstand as if it was positioned for that reason.
Due to the distance the AI is probably ignoring the bandstand therefore Rejecting as it’s just a bench.
I’ve been to this park, and I can say this spot is a great place to sit and admire the park including the bandstand, which is really ornate. Picture of the bandstand below taken from that bench! Sometimes things do not work as well as photos as they do in real life- its sooo pretty in person!
Information about it here suggests its a listed structure and describes the park
Never use existing wayspot as comparison. Wayspot are mostly approved by community so what considered scenic might differ from people to people. Think of it as voting. Your nomination probably fell short some vote because some people didnt find it attractive enough.
But personally i would approve this. You can try resubmit it if you can get better angle
I do think when looking if an appeal outcome is correct or not it needs to be based on the information the reviewer has available to them for that submission and the criteria they are judging against.
Other successes ( especially community approved) are not relevant.
They have indicated that they dont think the view is scenic. That is a judgement call/an opinion.
It looks a pretty view to me but that’s my opinion.
It’s hard to say if that difference of opinion on something so nebulous as a scenic view is reasonable.
And I speak as someone who had exactly this sort of rejection today
(Considering resubmitting)
This was rejected by the ML and not the community.
Then to have the appeal rejected simply because whoever looked at the appeal thinks it isnt scenic is disappointing and IMO inconsistent. I didnt share the accepted wayspots to compare - simply as evidence that viewspots with similar scenic views had been accepted by the community. That is me providing examples of the subjective test community members have applied recently when deciding what constitutes “scenic”.
I think that with those things in mind this appeal should have been accepted and that is why I have asked for Niantic staff to look at this again.
I can understand why that response would make you angry. However, this decision is not clearly wrong. Usually the rejections that are overturned after posting here are demonstrably incorrect, which would be difficult to prove for an opinion.
I do understand that you want Niantic to look at this again, not just opinions from forum members, but it is rare for them to actually comment on a post like this. Usually the OP will quietly get a new email with a different decision if they agree with you that the appeal decision was wrong.
The appeal statement does say you can resubmit.
I am one of those people who have to be really convinced for a view bench. Being frank, that just looks like a place you can sit at the park to me. For a view bench, I expect a view like these:
I don’t like either of these benches as being scenic. Partly because the bandstand will already be a wayspot, so having the bench be a wayspot basically as a proxy for the bandstand doesn’t sit well. Partly because the view isn’t something that is that great. Compared to the examples that Niantic provide (posted above by @cyndiepooh), there’s nothing there. There’s no wow factor, no exploration, just a place to sit.
I have seen a few benches acting as an anchor for a scenic viewpoint, that does seem to be a good use for a bench. Concentrate on the viewpoint, not the bench.
I just got a “scenic bench” denied on appeal, even when submission included the Wayfarer article about benches in Supplemental Info section. Might’ve been due to semantics and the subjectivity (as mentioned above) of what one considers a scenic view.
Unfortunately don’t live in the area and can’t resubmit. Will likely avoid scenic benches moving forward–not really worth my time.
Yes my friend also got another scenic view bench rejected which was even more scenic than mine. Atop a cliff overlooking the harbour where you can view all of the ships coming in and dolphins playing in the water.
Obviously I dont know what your submission was so can’t comment on it specifically but I am finding more and more that reviewers are getting overly pedantic and i see too many comments here that further paint a picture of people being a little too critical about what to accept even when something is clearly meeting the approval criteria and not meeting any of the rejection criteria. It’s a shame really as the wayfarer map is losing out on many hidden gems as a result.
As I stated above, every bench has a view so peoples opinion on what to class as a “Scenic Bench” will differ.
There is no “too critical” or “overly pedantic” just differing opinions.
Personally, I split them in to 3…
“Back of Tescos” - Reject
“Absolutely Stunning” - Accept
Anything in between - Skip
IMO: The OPs “band stand bench” would have been a Skip. I don’t see that the bench has been set up to view the band stand due to distance and that it is off-set.
The 2nd “Accepted” example looks like it was placed for the purpose to watch any entertainment on the band stand so would have Accepted.
“Harbour and Ships” sounds like an Accept but can’t say for sure without seeing it.
You have appeal to get niantic staff review your nomination if its rejected by community. Alternately, you can improve your nomination with better photo showing the scenic view and resubmit it. Personally if i think it worth the shot, i would fight it. You can ask people opinion 1st to test the water before deciding to fight or no
Nowhere in the criteria does it say something has to be “absolutely stunning” to be eligible as a scenic view. So IMO you are being overly critical if you won’t make a decision on anything that doesn’t meet rejection criteria but doesn’t meet your incredibly high standard.
I guess you at least skip rather than reject but equally if you’re not willing to make a decision when voting then it’s hard to really give much weight to your opinion when you openly state you just skip something if you can’t reject it but it doesn’t meet your standard to approve it.
Honestly you made my point better than I did so thank you.
Just a heads up that I won’t be engaging any further as I don’t think it will be productive.
Dismissing someone else’s considered opinion and then walking away is not a productive way to discuss things. It strongly suggests you don’t want to hear alternative viewpoints.
Some “benches with a view” get accepted when they are just a bench in a random location where you can see some things when sitting on the bench. Some reviewers have much lower thresholds of acceptance for this than I do.
Correct, the official term is “Great View” but again what 1 person deems a great view another might find boring. I never said that it had to be “absolutely stunning” to accept, I said if it was I would accept.
To “Skip” is a perfectly acceptable choice, that is why it is available. If it is in the middle of the “Stunning or not” scale then it is a personal opinion on whether to Accept / Reject / Skip.
If you are willing to make a decision of Yes or No when you are not sure then “it’s hard to really give much weight to your opinion”.
You take it as you like (that is your opinion). You have missed out the part where I clearly stated that I would have not Accepted you nomination so it’s hard to see how you came to this conclusion.
Sounds like a “Someone disagrees with me, I am going home”.
but I could understand if this was rejected by Reviewers.
