Which is because they are more unique than the majority. You seem to have flipped you thoughts on this…
They don’t, the argument here is that if some people consider socializing as an activity that can be done alone, then mailboxes, which facilitate socializing should be considered under the social category.
No my position is still the same. Those UK mailbox are historic so they are submitted under exploration.
The point I am making is that since you think socialization can be done alone in person but with others far away indirectly, why can’t any mailbox be submitted under socialization since mailbox facilitate socialization.
Remember: This is not my rules, this is the interpretation of the criteria from multiple people including Niantic staff.
As I stated above, ignoring the “historic uk boxes” then it works the same as bus stops vs bus stations (transit stations).
Stations are eligible under explore as you can use them to visit multiple places.
Stops are usually ineligible even though most will have at least 2 destinations (unless you are at the terminus) and 1 will likely be the Station where you could continue to explore the other locations.
Not everything in the criteria is black and white, additional decisions have been made. Sometimes you have to go with the majority when an official comment hasn’t been made.
I don’t always agree with the consensus and there are several types of waypoints that I will Skip as either I don’t agree with it but know the majority do or I am not confident to make a decision and the official criteria is not clear in a certain scenario.
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But the thing is, bus stops are denied because Niantic considers them “infrastructure” whereas transit stations are actually considered under the socialization category.
Which emphasizes my initial point that a great place to be social needs to be able to accommodate at least 2 people which a famous transit station definitely can.
A repurposed telephone booth that is now a Little Free Library. Sharing is social.
And so can a bus stop!
What you are talking is the strict reading of the criteria as you see them, many pois get decided on through many discussions on nominations that are accepted or not.
No matter what your reading is many uk post offices are accepted for the social aspect, unless Niantic make an official comment that this is no longer to be the case then they will continue to be the accepted.
You are not going to get a black and white response about this optional question, because we don’t need to answer this question if we don’t feel like it. I think you just need to move on, and use your best judgment when deciding if a POI is a great place to socialize. Many here have said they don’t answer this question because it’s not required; if it was, then we would have to answer it using our best judgment.
Yes a bus stop can fit under the socialization category, I agree, but, it is specifically singled out and rejected as “infrastructure”. There are things that may fit the criteria but Niantic specifically singles out that should be rejected, like schools for young children or sensitive locations.
You are getting mixed up. I have no problem with a post office getting accepted for socialization or an old mailbox getting accepted under exploration because of its historic or cultural value.
My point and the topic of the thread is that “A great place to be social with others” needs to have a space requirement to accommodate a minimum ~5 people, my interpretation of ~5 is 2-5 taken from what Niantic has posted.
People here are saying the the minimum means nothing and it’s irrelevant and you can be social with less than that (less than 2-5 is 0-1)
My counter is how can this be done: “A favorite gathering place for friends or strangers alike, where you can share a drink or meal, be entertained, or watch public life happen. Or something that draws us together to share an experience in a locally and culturally relevant way.” in a place that can only accommodate 0-1 people?
No one has an answer. Maybe the person talking about the Little Free Library Phonebooth can. I think there might be something there but I doubt it can have a wider application.
You may consider 1 lone person at an Internet cafe emailing others socializing, sure. But can that establishment accommodate 2+ people? yes most likely.
You may consider 1 lone person at a post office sending mail socializing, sure. But can that establishment accommodate 2+ people? yes most likely.
If you hypothetically enter a small building with just one room where it can only fit one person and it has one box to put your mail or it’s just a desk and PC, is that socializing? If yes, would not a mailbox or a phonebooth or a public pay phone not be valid as well?
If no then you are in agreement with me that “A great place to be social with others” needs to be place large enough to accommodate a least 2-5 people.
Why would I drop it? This whole thread was specifically made to discuss this. There is nothing wrong with people discussing their interpretations of Niantic’s criteria. You are not obligated to participate, if this bores you, you are of course free to pursue where ever your interests lie.
One last thing, just to make it clear since this is the second time you have brought this up and another person here has mentioned it to me as well: telling me what the majority of the people do or that I am of the minority opinion does not sway my opinion.
Admittedly, not the norm but there are miniature Post Offices.
Lots of the old post offices have closed, many modern Post Offices are just 1 counter in a normal shop. Technically you could say that only 1 person is at the post office, others would be queued in the shop. They are normally run separate as you can’t pay for your shopping at the PO counter and you can’t sort your post at the shop counter.
So my last answer to the original question.
The majority of social places will require at least space for 2.
1 is possible to meet the social criteria for wayfarer.