The automated review process is rejecting many of my nominations, and I believe it may have something to do with the colors or lighting in my photos. It seems that images with slightly duller or grayer tones are more likely to be flagged, especially on cloudy or rainy days. Unfortunately, when this happens, the appeal process takes quite a long time, which can be frustrating. Where I live, sunny days are quite rare, so I often feel pressured to rush out and submit nominations whenever the sun is shining, even though cloudy weather might fit my schedule much better. This makes the process feel unnecessarily restrictive. I wanted to ask if there is any way to disable or bypass the automated review process for photo evaluation, or if this is simply how the system is intended to work going forward.
Can you share some examples and we can see if we can make suggestions that might help going forwards?
The automated review (ML system) uses the photo, title, description and location, maybe other things as well. If you are having lots of submissions rejected by it, there is likely to be something about your submissions that is making them ineligible. If you post details you can get advice on that.
The automated review cannot be turned off because one person has issues with it, or even because several people do. It does a very good job at weeding out the absolute garbage that would otherwise by clogging up the review system.
With an ML rejection, I would always look to see if the photo can be improved and resubmit before appealing.
With Kieverute, the photo is from too far away for an automated system to know the sign is the focus.
With Gray picnic table, the photo seems fine. Could the location be confirmed through streetview/aerial images? The bench is potentially temporary as it doesn’t appear fixed!
With Stone Cat, this is a small statue that could easily have been placed there to take the photo, so I would be providing proof of permanence (maybe you did?)
With Grill and bench, the photo has slightly too much background, as the top half of the photo is redundant, and could have been better focussed.
Of course, but the stone cat has a great supporting view, but the issue is that all of these will be approved in the appeal process, but it takes time. All benches can be seen on google maps, and some even on street view. Any tips to make them better.
You cannot know that these will all be approved on appeal. You can expect and hope that submissions will be, but there is no certainty.
I have had to appeal a lot of picnic table stuff too. Sadly its just part of the feedback process and I like to think the system will be trained on cases where the appeals team overturned its decision, and improve long term
We don’t know what the ML is specifically picking up on here, but your pictures are mainly fine, like was already mentioned you can try to ensure the object fills more of the photo, while keeping a little of the surroundings as context.
Should I go closer to the picnic tabels or does it looks fine?
This seems like I just have to wait until summer for maximum acceptence.
And yes, I can not know for sure, but I have had a lot of similar cases that all get accepted so if it does not gets accepted something else with the nomination must be wrong
This is the criteria clarification for picnic areas:
I’ve only nominated one picnic area - a collection of tables and benches in a business park. Rejected initially by the community and after that by ML, but accepted at appeal. I only nominated it because it was a group of seating rather than a single table, which enhanced its social value. Also, because it was featured as promotional material on the website for the company that ran the business park. I felt that meant that the social importance of the picnic area was elevated in the context of that area.