I’ve had a string of over a dozen automatic rejections in a row over the past two weeks of gathering photos and info for nominations, and I was hoping to get some advice on what I could possibly do differently. I’ve yet to have a single nomination accepted, and it’s becoming pretty discouraging if I’m being honest.
I watched a few YouTube videos on good nomination ideas as well as what to include in the supporting info, and I’ve included an example of the typical nomination I’ve been submitting this whole time. A lot of those videos recommended including relevant links pertaining to the nomination, which I try to do each time as you’ll see with this one.
While I personally would love to visit the Lockheed Marin campus as I have worked in the industry, you will struggle in general with structuring your nomination as the campus.
There are likely several eligible wayspots on the campus but you need to nominate each of them distinctly. Look for art pieces, memorabilia from missions/programs, and plaques.
The eligibility revolves around places that are great to socialize, exercise, or explore. A flooded field and solar power shaded parking don’t strike me as meeting current eligibility.
But you’ve come to the right place! We have many talented wayfarer’s that can share advice.
First off, don’t fully trust what a YT video tells you, as the info there isn’t always going to be accurate. If you ever have questions about whether or not something may be eligible to be a Wayspot, feel free to post here in the Nomination Support thread, like you did this time.
I don’t see a business campus as being a great place to be social/exercise/explore, so I would reject it as a generic business. I would look for other things, like picnic areas, historical plaques, art, and other things that may be eligible per the Wayspot Criteria. Another great place to check out is the Criteria Clarification Collection, if you need some ideas.
That rejection is eMiLy (machine-learning automated system) and it’s usually because it doesn’t like the picture.
eMiLy hates grass and vegetation in general, and that photo has an awful lot of it.
If you want to submit the campus, which might be a valid POI, then it would do better as a close-up of the Lockheed Martin sign. You want to at least get past eMiLy to see what reviewers think of it, since this isn’t a garbage submission.
The picture has nothing to do with this one, as it’s a generic business campus. These are not considered eligible typically, and it also appears that this facility is restricted, due to the fencing around it.
Lockheed does a lot of work for the US military, and there could be production here that only staff is allowed to see. It’s possible that the public are not allowed due to the nature of the work here.
Links in the supporting text are good when necessary, such as proving a trail exists, that a famous person is famous, that a restaurant really has won awards. Not everything needs them though. If you are claiming something in the description and you need that claim to be believed, that’s when supporting links are helpful.
Otherwise, they could be negative. When the supporting text is over-the-top, it can be a little suspicious. When a submitter is trying too hard, it usually means there is something wrong with the nomination that they are covering up.
Hello, thank you for your reply and I hope it would be alright if I address your initial impressions of this nomination.
First, I think I understand what you mean by needing to be more specific with what the wayspot subject is. I think I could have specified that the sign itself is the wayspot, as in the supporting text I elaborate on it being an aesthetic sign similar to the many I see present locally for most neighborhoods or developments.
Next though, I’d like to politely disagree with the statement that this is simply “a flooded field and solar power shaded parking”. It comes off as implying that this location is somewhat worthless when it does actually hold meaning for the local community here, and I think that’s most of the problem I’m experiencing with this nomination system. I’ve included a link to an article showing that this location has had media coverage for that “solar power shaded parking” since it was the largest private solar project in our state.
I believe the majority of nominations are coming from good intentions, just trying to populate their local area with fun points of interest to facilitate a more enjoyable gaming experience, and I personally try to keep that in mind when reviewing the ones I see online.
But there may be security concerns that prevent the public from visiting, or even security in place that doesn’t allow staff to use personal devices inside, or share any info about what’s being produced here. I see a Lockheed plant similar to the operations of a military base.
Also, did you even look at this place on Google Maps? It has a lot of security, and so it just doesn’t make for the best of WAyspots.
The sign isn’t eligible as a Wayspot, as it’s just to mark the campus and advertise the business. It’s nothing worth exploring, you really aren’t going to exercise at it, and I highly doubt people meet up to socialize there.
Again, do ont fully trust YT videos, as YT allows anything to be said. Your best bet is here in the forums, as well as the help pages. Do look at the Wayspot Criteria link I provided, as this may help you understand better what may or may not be eligible.
I didn’t look beyond what is here. I’d be happy for reviewers to see this and then reject it. I don’t think eMiLy rejected it for the reasons you give, but because the photo is mostly grass and sky. Correct that, get it past eMiLy and have it rejected by the community, and the world is at balance
The main photo isn’t that bad. Yes, there is a little glare from the sun, but other than that, it’s pretty clear as to what is in the photo. ML most likely did see this as a generic business.
Hello, thank you as well for your input. I also hope to address some of what you wrote.
I would like to reiterate that I didn’t just watch once or two YouTube videos, I really put in the effort to note down what over 20 of them said about their nomination experiences and how that compared to what Wayfarer had on their acceptance criteria.
I fully respect your own take on this just being a “generic business campus” and I would accept your vote on the matter, but I’d challenge your approach on dismissing it so quickly by thinking the supporting information could be viewed as trying too hard. Why not attempt to understand how the nominator might feel towards this nomination and how it could potentially be significant to the community when you otherwise may quickly accept another picnic bench entry? Regardless of our disagreement though, I at least believe this nomination should have made it past the automatic rejection phase to be seen by more people who could vote on it such as yourself. I still do appreciate you spending your time to reply to me, so thank you for that. My real issue is with the AI.
That’s a problem though, as there is criteria that has to be followed, and some do not look into the criteria to make sure that what they are nominating may be eligible. They just see what they think may make a for a good POI and feel that it would also make for a good Wayspot.
Once one knows the criteria, they find that there are many things that do not make for good Wayspots and are ineligible. I had many questions when I first started, but I made sure to read up on the criteria and ask here for advice.
Again, YT is BAD ADVICE a good deal of the time. Do not take advice from a random person on any social media platform for Wayfarer, as they themselves may not be following criteria. We have good advice here in the forums, as well on the Wayfarer Discord and sub Reddit, so those would be the first places to check instead of YT.
The wayspot marks the sign in particular, which I elaborate on its aesthetics in the supporting text.
As for if I’ve looked at this on Google maps, I live in this area and have visited this campus many times for work. I also walk along this sidewalk to try and meet 10k/day of exercise, and I see other locals do the same while chatting together often.
I do think though that fixing the title to specify the sign, and perhaps taking a better photo could at least give this a better shot, and for that advice I’m grateful so thank you.
You most likely will not get this passed ML, as it doesn’t see it as meeting criteria. You may have to just move on and find something that does meet criteria. This may also be an area that doesn’t have much that’s eligible, and there are many places around the world that are like this. I’d love to have a Wayspot at my apartment building, but there’s nothing here that meets criteria.
Being I’m not breaking through, I’m leaving. I’ve given all of the info as to why this isn’t going to get passed ML or even approved by the community, so there’s nothing else I can provide.
