Looking for feedback

[MandoSapiens]

Hi! I’ve nominated some waypoints and I keep getting rejected at first, and I’m looking for feedback on my nominations.

My very first nomination, a snow mobile trail sign, was rejected by wayfarers with the reasons: it being dangerous for pedestrians and non-permanent. That’s not right, so I appealed. Niantic also rejected it, but because they were unable to verify the place and actually encouraged me to re-nominate the spot with better photos. I did, with screenshots from it being visible from google maps, and its currently being voted on. (Edit: its accepted. )

Most people might not have snow mobiles going past their houses, so I get it. But to be honest, I was a bit annoyed at first, so I tried to nominate the field instead of the sign. It should be permanent and safe enough I thought, but it was auto-rejected by the bot. I guess I could kinda see that one coming, but in fact, most of my nominations gets rejected by the bot. These are my auto rejected nominations:

So, two snow mobile trail signs, a walk/bicycle path sign, the field, benches by a playground and an old food storage. I try to make my titles and descriptions creative but accurate. All got auto rejected.

I studied the acceptance rules a little closer and learned tve rectangle grid thing, and I realize why some won’t ever make it. But I appealed the cross sign with dark background and that one was approved, yay! But, due to people first denying one snow mobile sign and the bot wrongfully denying another one, I’m now out of appeals. I don’t get why they shouldn’t be accepted so I’m thinking the bot might be mistaken for the other ones as well, like the walk path sign. Unless I am mistaken? Should I nominate it again, wait 20 days and appeal or forget them all together? What am I doing wrong?

Here’s my nomination of the benches:

Title: Vila under bollpilar
Translation: Rest under [type of willowtree common in the area]

Description: Slå dig ned i skuggan av dessa mäktiga pilar.
Translation: Have a seat in the shade of these mighty willows

Additional info: En plats för vila eller samtal. Ligger vid lekplatsen, promenadstråk och utegymmet och uppfyller därför kriterierna för både umgänge och motion.

Translation: A place to find rest or conversation. Placed by the playground, close to walking trails and the outdoor gym it applies to the social criteria and encourages light exercise.

(I also nominated the outdoor gym, but realizing it was in the same square as the playground, I canceled that one)

Thank you in advance!

[ErichV]

Den automatiska processen innebär ibland att den maskinella granskningen inte gillade fotot. Jag har fått några bidrag avvisade som senare godkändes och allt jag ändrade var att ha ett foto utan störande bakgrunder. Lycka till.

[MandoSapiens]

Så du laddade alltså upp dem som nya nomineringar? Tack för tipset!

[ErichV]

Ja, samma plats, nytt foto, väldigt fokuserat på ett objekt, inga hus i bakgrunden. Detta har haft lite framgång, men inte alltid.

[kawin240]

Hey, I don’t know why so often people from Scandinavia come and submit this blue cycling sign. But these are only road signs to indicate who is to use which pathway and as such, they are never allowed at all

[wooperIooper]

I am unsure how a snowmobile trail is safe for pedestrians, could you tell us a little bit more? Is there a separate path for pedestrians at that location? Is the path shared?

Let me also link the clarifications for trail markers and benches.

Trails & Markers

Trails that encourage following a specific official route by walking are great places to be social, exercise, and explore - the trail is the interesting feature. Trail markers are tangible anchor points that define the route of the trail on the Wayfarer map. A trail marker itself need not be an interesting object but its function on the trail should be unique to that location. These types of trail markers are definitely eligible Wayspots. They look official and permanent. It would be great if t…

Seating Benches

Memorial benches can only be eligible under the criteria for exploration if they are dedicated to a notable figure and that notability is described in the nomination. Mass produced memorial benches dedicated to friends and family are not eligible unless the nominator provides evidence of the individual’s importance to the community. Just stating that someone was important to the community is inadequate. [image] Note that benches that are artistically crafted like the bench above can also …

[SlimboyFat71]

Hello and Welcome,

My only surprise is that the 2nd “Snow Mobile Trail” was eventually accepted.

I may be losing something culturally but to me…

• Snow Mobile Signs - Red Cross would normally stand for Danger so Fail on Safety.
• Joint Cycle / Pedestrian sign - Not a Trail Marker. Just a sign saying who can use the path.
• “Old Food Storage” - Does not meet Social or Exercise criteria so only leaves “Explore”. Condition says to me that this is not the purpose for this.
• Field - Definitely does not meet criteria. If there is anything on the field that meets Social, Exercise or Explore then that is what should be nominated.
• Benches - Can meet “Social” but these do not look like they encourage people to gather like a picnic bench or to meet and chat if they where grouped facing each other.

My suggestion would be to take a look at the rules for Criteria…

Criteria Clarification Collection

Good luck.

[MandoSapiens]

Red cross is just ment to be seen in snow. My next one is also accepted now. It is safe to walk by, just like its safe to walk by any other sign. Snow mobiles are a vehicle here that people use outside roads, but they also cross pedestrian roads and car roads. I sent the blue walking sign because we dont have much to nominate and the post about rural areas asked wayfarers to be more forgiving to us. This type of old food storage is a local tradition, we are an old farming community. You walk by it when you go to the sports stadium thingy.

[MandoSapiens]

Snow mobile trails signs exist for safety and are red to be seen in snow. They’re mostly in the woods and on the fields, but I walk by at least three when I walk my kid to kindergarden since the trail crosses many pedestrian paths and car roads. Snow mobiles often enter the trail right by my house, but I’m not worried in the least (and I am a worrywort!) You can see a snow mobile from a very long distance, they are few and mostly go by this field because the team are in charge of the kids sledding hill. You dont really walk ON the snow mobile trail, the walk paths just come close to it sometimes, although many locals, including me, use part of the snow mobile trail entrance to get to the sledding hill easier when its the most snow.

We dont have much to send in. We have a shop but its closing down now. We dont have restaurants, public art or anything of the sort. I am so happy two of the trail markets got accepted now Once by wayfarers, once by the team. It’s so much more fun to play when you have some stops along the way!

Photos from the locations:

[SlimboyFat71]

Just an opinion but I still don’t understand how they meet criteria. The look just like warning signs telling you to keep to 1 side when the road can not be seen due to snow. They are not made as a Trail that people follow to explore, they are used in everyday life as you describe so personally I don’t see them any different to road signs.

@MandoSapiens

asked wayfarers to be more forgiving to us.

They should still meet criteria. The example was if a chain coffee shop that would usually be rejected is the only place in the region and locals may use it for meetings etc.

It does not mean “It’s Rural, Accept everything”.

@MandoSapiens

You walk by it when you go to the sports stadium thingy.

Walking past something to get to somewhere else does not make it meet criteria. A Sports Stadium “thingy” does sound like something that could have more than 1 eligible location.

Good luck.

[MandoSapiens]

I dont know what the sports place is called in english, but it is already a stop. Thanks for the suggestion though! I thought a historical food storage easily spotted by the road could make an interesting stop, but I guess I’ll give up on that one.

The cross is not a warning sign though, it’s a nationally recognized trail marker. You can read about it on the mountain safety council website:

Marked trails

[SlimboyFat71]

I realise that I am starting to sound like “Mr Negative”, this is not my intension. Just trying to point out that you may not get all your nominations accepted even though you think they should be.

Remember the main criteria is that it MUST be at least one of the following…

• A great place to socialise.
• A great place to Exercise.
• A great place to Explore.

Some people will argue that “People meet here, People pass here when jogging, you pass here to get to exciting…”, so does the path at the front of my house

Sometimes it is stated that it must encourage 1 of the 3 criteria, this is better.

@MandoSapiens

a historical food storage easily spotted by the road could make an interesting stop,

Being Easily spotted is not criteria. This was probably the 1 that I thought had a chance depending on circumstances. For me in the UK, “Historic” locations can be listed which adds extra laws. Example: If you lived in a Grade II listed house you can not make any alterations to the structure or look without permission.

Do you have such a thing that would list these “buildings”? Does it have any sort of Information Board? Is there an official website that lists them encouraging people to explore them?

@MandoSapiens

The cross is not a warning sign though, it’s a nationally recognized trail marker.

Your examples do not look like those in the link. We do have similar on some of the highest roads and they are just “If you can’t see the road due to snow, stay between these signs or you are in the ditch”

They do not look like what is usual “Trail Markers” which mark a specific Trail and would usually be different colours and maybe show the name / logo of said trail. Follow the blue signs for “Niantic Trail” and the green ones for “Wayfarer Way”.

[MandoSapiens]

Described in the previous link:
"The winter trails are marked with guiding starts – crosses on posts. "

On the website of the swedish tourist association:
"Winter trails are marked with red trail crosses, while summer trails have orange markings on rocks and trees. "

How are the hiking trails marked?

On both the Swedish environmental protection agency and it’s associated page Snow mobile council, you can read the following:

“Like other mountain trails, snowmobile trails in the mountains are marked with trail crossings.”

Snowmobiling off road

English - Nationella Snöskoterrådet

[SlimboyFat71]

We are now arguing the ones that you have had accepted, again this is just an opinion and cultural differences may be at work

I see these in the same way as a “Cycle Path” which just follows a busy road and is to separate cycles and larger traffic to something like “Tissington Trail” which is specifically away from traffic, getting you out in to scenic areas.

You say these 2 have now been accepted so it’s now mute. Use your energy to see what else you could nominate (within criteria).

Good luck.

[MandoSapiens]

Yes, it must be cultural differences because we dont have any busy roads… I also often socialize on the benches I posted since it’s pretty much the only public benches for miles. But like I said, I understand better why some of them got declined now, so thank you! If you have any advice on the questions from my original post, like why my nominations get automatically declined by the bot even though they get approved when I appeal, I’d appreciate it as well!

[salixsorbus]

It’s sometimes difficult to know why a wayspot is automatically rejected and then accepted on appeal. The automation isn’t perfect and cannot be 100% correct in all rejections and non-rejections.

In order to catch the bulk of the trash (which we know it does do successfully, as was seen when it wasn’t working and the trash was most of the reviews), it is inevitable that some eligible things will get caught.

[SlimboyFat71]

@MandoSapiens

like why my nominations get automatically declined by the bot even though they get approved when I appeal,

We are not informed (and shouldn’t be) what the Bot is looking for and we should. Lets say we found that “Bench” is Rejected but “Communal Rest Area” gets through every bench nomination would now be renamed.

What I can tell you is that if you do Review and you have seen it when the Bot isn’t working it is flooded with “rubbish”, none criteria stuff. Schools (for under 18s) are a strict reject but without the Bot we get loads. Then there are the more ridiculous such as “My House”, “Tree in my Garden” and “My Mate Brian”.

[salixsorbus]

One basic way of seeing why a nomination was automatically rejected is to ask yourself (or others) - what does this picture show to you?

Don’t provide any context, just the picture.

If the answer is (e.g.) “I have no idea”, “just a street sign”, “a red cross”, “an abandoned building” and nothing looks interesting about it, this could explain why it is rejected by the ML system.

[SlimboyFat71]

@MandoSapiens

I also often socialize on the benches

Benches are an hard sell. The nominator needs to prove that they are regularly used to socialise. “I always say Hello to anyone sat on the bench is not enough”.

Picnic benches (especially several) can be much easier as they encourage people to socialise whilst having their picnic.

[MandoSapiens]

Excellent advice, thank you!