Hi, y’all I’m trying to keep it together over here. Is it possible, just an itty-bitty possible, to put in the instructions for making a nomination that the supporting photograph show the nominated object in the context of its surroundings? I see so many examples where this isn’t done, where people turn around and photograph the surroundings without the nominated object, or just submit the same photo as supporting, or just submit a photo I am unable to interpret at all. I want to approve things! But in situations where the nomination is new and not on Google streetview, I feel like I need that supporting picture. Sorry to have a panic attack, but I just got three in quick succession. When I do nominations I also state in words where the supporting photo was taken from and which direction I was facing. I don’t need this from everyone, but I need SOMETHING… Maybe it isn’t possible to ask nominators for this because as far as Niantic is concerned the system is working. This sure is frustrating, though. [edit: suggestion that supporting photographs be in landscape mode would be helpful too… just so we can see what is around the nomination…]
Nominators are just following instructions when they show you the surroundings without the object they’re nominating. It’s what Niantic tells them to do.
It is a frustration for many of us reviewers!
I think there could be better explanations of what should be included in nominations (description, supporting info, and supporting photo) coming from both Ingress and Pokémon Go. Currently as the only Niantic games that allow nominations they both choose to prioritize game immersion over giving quality expectations of a nomination.
It wasn’t until I explored various forums that I understood that you should include the nomination itself in the supporting photo and not just the walkable area.
I doubt this makes you feel much better, but at least we have a variety of ways to try and confirm a nomination. It just is unfortunate that many nominators miss out on sharing relevant information to make it easier to evaluate their suggestion.
Yeah, exactly, my strangled and desperate plea is that the text you screenshotted be changed to be something more specific and useful. Am I overreacting in your opinion, are you saying that the " turn around" supporting photo works for you when reviewing? I mean, I’ve found that I am an outlier in some opinions when reading this forum, and I have literally no idea If I am in this case.
Basically every nomination screen has text that reviewers and nominators have been asking Niantic to change for years, since it leads to bad outcomes like you’ve described.
No, “turn around” supporting photos are not useful 99% of the time.
Thank you for your thoughts. So if this is frustrating for so many reviewers how can we get it changed? Doesn’t seem like it would be that hard, surely the change to software would be trivial for Niantic, and if wording is a problem they can consult educators and learning designers with various languages to pitch things at the grade level they want at a trivial change at to them… By “game immersion” do you mean that the text for nomination instructions is designed to be short and sweet, so players don’t feel uncomfortable and distracted from the game? I can see how that would be a minus for making the instructions more thorough, but so is getting your nomination denied because nobody can tell wherre it is, surely.
If you’re an outlier, I am too. When a submitter uses two identical tightly cropped pictures, I don’t know if they’re being lazy or attempting to slide something by. I’ve reviewed several lately where I could not verify location via satellite, street view, or web search, and a good second photo would have made a difference. The POI should be in the photo, and I didn’t understand that until I came to these forums. It would be really nice to have it in the text in the game.
If the supporting photo doesn’t show the wayspot and there’s no other way of telling, then I tend to vote that the location is inaccurate or that I don’t know. It is a way that people try to get fake nominations approved, so I lean towards being harsh on these.
There is a trope that suggests that players should be ‘immersed’ in the fantasy/role-playing aspects of their game. In the case of Ingress, there is a backstory and story-line that justifies one’s character’s behavior, including the discovery of Portals.
When Ingress was the primary arbiter and reference for Niantic’s location database, its designers could get away with infusing Wayfaring with in-game meaning.
Now days Lightship is the central repository, and Pokemon Go doesn’t have any lore that encourages Trainers to apply for spots. All connection to Wayfarer is through the software’s Settings menu where you control when, where, why and how your data is transmitted.
Somehow, the PoGo designers insist upon using false and misleading language in the Settings sub-menus to pretend as if you are a Trainer being advised to take action within the game’s imaginary world.
They claim the Wayfarer process would spoil the ‘illusion of immersion’ if game-neutral terminology and accurate instructions were employed.
Does that make sense? No? It doesn’t work for me, either.
Thanks for this context. Now I get it… but you could still have an “immersive” text that was better than the one we see in Pokemon Go… Something like “Your photo of the surrounding area should include the proposed PokeStop to show Professor [whichever tree is in charge of this part of the story…] where your PokeStop is located in it’s surroundings to ensure that trainers have a safe place to gather” or some such. I refuse to believe it’s impossible for something like this to be created by a company like Niantic, but again if we’re reviewing and nominating for free why should they care if whatever proportion of our time (another thing they know that we don’t) is wasted. As long as a sufficient proportion of us don’t quit in frustration, why should they spend a dime?
Ahhh, thanks, so this text has been around even longer than PoGo players know!
I agree that it is super frustrating. It makes it so hard to make the best decision we can.
I saw this tonight, and I just had to share this gem of a supporting photo for a nomination for a mural. Supporting photo: grass. Supporting info: “N/A”
That one is outta hand…
I’ve now noticed on this, that Trainers “play” whereas Agents “gather” according to the texts
I guess the two cameras in different positions but both pointing at the poi is supposed to clue you in to both photos being aimed at it, but it could be so much clearer…
I just don’t understand why making it so hard to create a poke stop, when it shouldn’t be that hard or complicated at all! As long if it’s a safe place and not in school (k-12) or any other crazy places, it should be granted!
The objective of Wayfarer is to create an accurate and unbiased augmented reality map. I’ve recently experienced a player creating completely bogus stops. As it always seems to be, those are the folks for whom rules get made.
But we don’t submit pokestops. We submit Wayspots to the Lightship database. These must be GREAT places for exercise, exploration, or being social. Pokemon Go uses some of these locations for that game, but they need to meet the rules for the Lightship database first.
Agents gather in their masses! You made me think of Ozzy Osbourne!