Regarding Wayspot candidate approval and rejection

General Discussion
1

Hello, this is Royalgeu who is actively promoting Wayfarer in Korea.

The reason is that hot air balloon-shaped evaluations have increased significantly recently.
And when you apply for a candidate, the approval or rejection result comes out within a week or two weeks at the most. This is very welcome news.

However, there are also problems that come with this.

In Korea, when a Wayspot candidate is registered, most of them are evaluated by Korean evaluators and the results are either approved or rejected.

(Excluding Global Challenge, Emily Evaluation, and Hot Air Balloon Evaluation)
However, since the hot air balloon evaluation has become more frequent, most of the Wayspot candidates that were normally approved are being rejected because they were evaluated by hot air balloons.

On the other hand, most Wayspots that are frequently seen overseas are being rejected in Korea as being for general companies or private properties.

Below is a rough list. Local private cafes and entertainment facilities (billiard halls, bowling alleys, arcades, game centers, etc.) have been very frequently approved and appear since the hot air balloon screening.

As a result, people like me who search for and report information quickly realize that this phenomenon occurred because of the hot air balloon screening…

The problem is that the winning cards that were usually approved as Wayspot candidates in Korean Pokemon Go are now being rejected.
For example, an area with old housing complexes was developed into a mural street tourist attraction. Previously, the murals in the mural street were approved and appeared, but now they are being rejected as private property. Likewise, structures installed in the tourist attraction are being rejected as private property, and similarly, information signs are being rejected, etc., causing problems.

Then, do you think that all previously approved Wayspots should be deleted and become rejected candidates? I think it is true that they are managed because there are clear common categories, but I think there may be special cases in each country. (I’ve talked about the murals on the school walls before.)

In addition,
I personally think that the number of Wayspot applicants has decreased significantly because it is difficult to confirm duplicate and accurate locations unless a replacement app is released because it is not IITC compatible. In addition, there are discussions about why this was rejected and approved because of the above-mentioned incident.

Do you have any plans to disclose or improve the details of the hot air balloon review in this regard?

2

If you see the hot air balloon, this means it is under internal review. If you do not think their evaluation was correct per Wayfarer criteria then you can appeal the decision.

Any nomination can be pulled for internal review, and they aren’t just pulling from your part of the world. Four of my last five nominations were decided this way. I am in the US.

Removal criteria is different from acceptance criteria.

Would you like to share some nominations that the internal review rejected that you believe would have been accepted in community review?

Definitely agree about the need for an up to date map of Wayspots to be an effective Wayfarer.

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3

Hi cyndiepooh
If you look at the hot air balloon, you can see that Niantic is reviewing it internally. However, the staff(?) will review it based on the Wayfarer criteria..
I have filed an appeal for the rejection, but it has never been approved and has been rejected all the time. (Based on the fact that a similar type of approval has already been received and appeared as a Wayspot..)

Usually, things that have been rejected by the hot air balloon or Emily are not approved even if you file an appeal. So I tell them not to waste an appeal. They should just reapply and wait for the reviewers in the country to review it.

The list of candidates that were rejected in the internal review is the one I mentioned above, but I have also shared it several times. (Ex. A mural painted on a large wall unrelated to the school entrance for environmental beautification cannot be accepted because of K-9. On the other hand, a mural on the opposite wall between an apartment and a school along a sidewalk can be a candidate. A mural on a mural street developed as a tourist attraction and used by tens of thousands of people a day cannot be accepted because it is private property.
The same goes for sculptures or guide signs there. A mural on a tiger enclosure in a zoo with a long history was approved as a candidate and appeared as a Wayspot, but a mural on another enclosure was rejected.

Also, in Korea, there are churches and temples that are located in private buildings rather than single churches or cathedrals. Of course, many of these places have already been approved and appeared as Wayspots. Should these churches and temples also be rejected on the grounds that they are private property?

In the end, if you see similar but different approved Wayspots around you and apply thinking that this will work, but get rejected, you will feel frustrated and wonder why this was approved but this one wasn’t.

4

In short: yes

If the POI is located on the ground (walls, fences incl.) of SFPRP (single family private residential property) it have to be rejected for being on private property.
Private property is also one of the removal criterias. So if you see those wayspots ingame you can report them.

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5

It’s the same example as the school mural, but since the school is in K-9, you said that the wall fence, etc. were reasons for rejection, so I gave up, but I don’t understand.

In order to revitalize the old village, the local government stepped in and made the village a local tourist attraction, a mural village. Since each old house has murals and various sculptures, and thousands of people come and go to see the mural village every day, why should it be rejected just because it’s a mural painted on a wall of private property?

I don’t understand.

Then, there is a village designated as a national cultural heritage.
However, some of the houses in that village are private property and people actually live there. Since it’s a famous tourist destination, tens of thousands of people come and go every day. Even if there are many Wayspot candidates, should it be rejected because it’s private property?

There is a famous amusement park (paid) in the area.
Of course, tens of thousands of people come and go to the amusement park every day.
Amusement parks should also be considered corporate or private property, so should the various Wayspot candidates in the amusement park be rejected because it’s private property?

The same goes for the church-type temples I mentioned.
They are in the same building, but they pay for it themselves and run it as a church, cathedral, or temple. However, other people live in the building. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a church, cathedral, or temple, so why should it be rejected?

On the other hand, why should local private cafes, entertainment facilities, and restaurants be approved even though they are private property?

In addition, shouldn’t various Wayspot candidates (including playgrounds) inside apartments be rejected because they are private property of the apartments?

I wrote a similar example, but even thinking about it again… I still don’t understand what you’re saying.

Should all the Wayspots I’ve created so far related to the above be removed?
I’ve been trying to promote Wayfarer for years now… and I’m shocked to think I’ve been getting it wrong.

I would appreciate it if you knew that I’m not writing this to fight, slander, or offend.
I’m always grateful to those who are working hard to develop Wayfarer.

6

When I said share examples, I meant screenshots from your contributions page, not examples of types that were removed.

“Private property” for Niantic is just single family private residential property. If the point of interest is in or on a family’s home, then it should be removed.

The common areas of apartments are eligible, not the individual living spaces.

Please review this clarification and see if it helps.

2 Likes
7

I think @cyndiepooh covered the most of your questions.
The difference is: is there living one single family?
Pois in/on Apartment blocks on shared spaces f.e. are ok.
Amusement parks as well as gyms or tennis clubs f.e. where you need a ticket or an entree fee/membership are ok.
Over the shared clarification above you can read this while reviewing in the tooltip for the first question. There’re some more infos.

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8

According to what you said, if it is a famous tourist destination designated as a national cultural heritage, but it is made up of a village, has private property, and people live there, does that mean it cannot be a candidate?
In fact, I feel that the language is not being conveyed clearly depending on the translation.

9

Hello @Royalgeu

You have some good questions. I’ll try and summarize some answers below.

  • Murals or other items anywhere on the property of a single family homes should be rejected (or reported for removal).

  • Murals or other items on the property of a school for children under 18 should be rejected or reported for removal.

  • Cafes/restaurants and art on or in a cafe/restaurant can be eligible

  • Amusement parks, zoos, museums all can have eligible wayspots even if you need to pay for entry

  • Curches can have m

I think you have confused general Private property with the rule about a single family property.

I do think your village will have some eligible places or items.

I hope this helps. And feel free to write in your own language. You can also use the translation feature at the bottom of each response if you have the forum set to your native language.

Please keep asking questions, we like helping :slight_smile:

10

Thank you for your answer.

The question is also included in the question above.

  1. Murals or other items within the site of a single-family home must be rejected (or demolition report).
    → In the question above, there are many Wayspots that are qualified as candidates because they are villages created as mural streets or famous tourist destinations registered as cultural heritage. However, since the mural streets themselves are murals painted on the walls of villages composed of private residences, can we interpret that they cannot all be candidates? The same goes for national cultural heritage villages.

Since the school-related content is in k-9, I practically gave up. They didn’t listen to me just because it’s k-9.

  1. Cafes/restaurants and art works can be used in cafes/restaurants.
    → Most of the famous cafes/restaurants in the area are private properties. They are also registered as general businesses and are operated. They may also close down and disappear at any time. I don’t know how they can be candidates for Wayspots.
    Even the reasons for rejection include general businesses and private properties. I think it’s the same as the example of the single-family home above.

  2. You said that you can have a qualified way spot such as an amusement park or zoo.
    Since the free-admission zoo operated by the local government featured animal enclosure murals, I submitted other animal enclosure murals and animal guide signs as candidates.

However, the hot air balloon review was rejected, and even the objection was rejected.

The reason was that access to the submission subject is not safe or cannot be accessed publicly. Also, it is in a sensitive location.

I cannot reapply because I don’t know when I will go there again.

I fully understand the rules for general private property and single-family property, but I mentioned this because cases like 1 and 2 also fall under those categories.

And the fundamental reason I posted this article is that when people in the country and region review Wayspot candidates, similar types of Wayspot candidates that were approved are mostly rejected during the hot air balloon review.

Because the translation is not accurate, I always use Google Translate and revise it to convey it as similarly as possible.

11

I too have thought about the permanence of cafes and restaurants.
A business with no distinctive features and no advantages will not be supported by residents, and an unremarkable operation will be difficult to sustain. For example, when financial institutions provide funds to a business, they determine whether the business can guarantee continuous repayment by checking not only its past income and expenditures but also its business plan for the future.
This is my personal opinion, but I believe that the criteria are set forth to ensure that the business is sustainable, or in other words, that permanence is guaranteed, by the submitter’s detailed appeal of the business’s advantages and characteristics. Of course, a business may close due to an unforeseen accident of the proprietor or failure to find a successor.
Also, there is the issue of private property. I do not know the reason, but I believe that Niantic’s intention is not to adopt places that are used for residential purposes as Wayspots. Stores such as cafes and restaurants are used for business, and parks and yards of apartment complexes are places for shared use, so they are not used for residential purposes.

12

Hi! Thanks for your reply!

I actually thought local banks were more attractive Wayspot candidates than cafes and restaurants.

This is because in Korea, local banks are designated as summer heat shelters by the region and are free to use, so many people use them.

I thought they were more attractive candidates than cafes and restaurants that exist to make money as individual businesses. Likewise, the probability of a local bank closing down is much lower than that of a cafe or restaurant.

And as you said, stores such as cafes and restaurants are used for commercial purposes, so if they could be designated as candidates, all similar types of commercial businesses could be Wayspot candidates, but they are not. So I don’t understand why only a few stores are getting preferential treatment.

I know that apartment complexes, parks, and playgrounds are used for public purposes, so that’s why I said the above.

I just don’t understand why it’s based on fences and walls, whether it’s a private residence or a school.
It is the same as saying that even though it is a wall of private property, it cannot be an attractive Wayspot candidate even though it was designated as a village of national cultural heritage with the consent of the owner to save our village or it was created with the consent of the owner to make it a tourist attraction with a mural street.

In any case, the fact that there is a mural or sculpture on a wall or fence called a boundary point is possible because it was agreed upon by the owner of the private property or the local government, so I don’t think it is a definitive decision that it cannot be a Wayspot candidate. (Of course, I know that the Wayfarer guide clearly states that it cannot be because there is a k-9, but I still don’t understand..)

13

Banks, even if air conditioned, aren’t good wayspot candidates. They’re generic businesses.

The question about the permanence of cafés or restaurants isn’t the most important. The submitter has to convience the reviewers that this is indeed a “hot spot”. Very famous, not a chain. And/or (long lasting) community relevant like a family owned restaurant since 30 years.

In case of your village art project it would be helpful to give us some photos, an area… so that we understand the idea and can advice you in the correct direction.
At this point (without further details over “murals on k-12 and SFPRP”) I’d think about nominating the entree to this village.

1 Like
14

Thank you for your reply. I saw it too late…!!!

In addition to deposits and savings, banks also provide insurance and cards, but you can visit them freely even if you don’t have any business.
In cafes and restaurants, you can’t use them unless you pay for food.. Isn’t this more of a business? ㅎㅎ
No matter how famous a cafe or restaurant is…
(Because most of them are rejected as general businesses as Wayspot candidates)
(Of course, I agree that banks cannot be unique because there are identical branches all over the country with similar or different shapes)

Thank you for your opinion on the village art project.
One thing I’d like to say is that in Korea, murals (no graffiti) are painted with the consent of the homeowner or approval of the local government. Even if it’s private property, wouldn’t murals created with consent be eligible for Wayspot? (But it’s unfortunate that things like K-9 are not approved because they are fences or walls at the boundary point. And the same goes for murals on private property. Depending on the translation, how you receive them may vary..)

I don’t think I can give you an example right now.
It’s because it came up while talking about the text in the main text..
I can’t go to the place right now…

15

On SFPRP (single family private residential property) the mural would be ineligible, even on an outer wall or fence. But on other types of “private property,” it could be eligible.

This is a clarification on SFPRP:

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16

If the mural is located on the wall of cafe/business/apartment
, it can be eligible.. as long its not single family private residential place

17

Even if the mural is painted on an exterior wall because the owner or residents of a single-family home allow it, Niantic has clearly stated that it will not be adopted by Wayspot. This is also my personal opinion, but even if there is a mural, it does not mean that the residents have given their consent for it to be used in Niantic’s game, or that a game player might put up a little free library in their yard to create a Wayspot. This may be to avoid such a situation. No matter how much we reason on this point, it will not change unless the SFPRP rules are repealed. I am also pursuing two mural projects for Wayspot, but do not submit them if they violate the rejection criteria.
I also did not state that financial institutions are appropriate for Wayspot. I just stated my view on how a financial institution determines the sustainability of a business to be eligible for a loan.

18

The qualifier for cafes and restaurants is that it is a hotspot for social meetings/events, or the food is to visit for. Some are places where people chose to hold their social events or chose to try as the explorative destination itself. This description may not apply to all cafes and restaurants; the description may or may not also apply to other types of businesses. Some cafes and restaurants are just place to transact (get food) which also merits a generic business rejection.

While there are social elements (i.e. showing up in public) going to banks and similar, the “business” people do there are more transactional or happenstance socializing. It cannot be considered a hotspot for socialization just because their transaction queue is long.

There may be other merits with banks, the structure itself may have history or architectural wonder, but the activities a typical bank offers resonate less towards socializing.