Waystops not being Accepted

[Tdiguy]

I think the discussion about trail markers is very much relevant in this case. I see an awful lot of trail markers as approved wayspots. They meet the criteria as being great for socializing and exploring. Depending on your view of being distinct they meet that as well. So how is even a mass produced memorial bench much different? Other than the fact a bench is bigger, heavier, more permanent and of course the cost to get the bench there, customize the plaque on said bench and get it affixed into position are all going to be considerably more time consuming and expensive than any trail markers.

[cowyn2016]

Lol when you tag me and I get an email sure! @cyndiepooh

I agree it tends to be judgement calls, I just tend to find your stance unusual (not wrong as you said judgement) because most people are against all benches as anchor for something else eligible or for all benches as something else eligible. You tend to be unusual because you mix-match benches as bench anchor for “Eligible View” yes but benches as anchor for “Specific spot on Eligible Trail” no.

@NianticTintino

Benches (with or without plaques) can encourage exploration if they are an anchor at a significant point such as a scenic viewpoint.

I will say admit to a fairly fundamental question. Are Criteria Clarifications supposed to be mixed and matched and combined?

@NianticTintino

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.

I am mixing and matching from the 2 clarifications. Trail Markers Clarification + Benches Clarification = My logic. Whether I am supposed to do that or not, no idea.

The Trail Marker Clarification indicates the trail that is eligible. This to me means a specific point (And I’ve never seen same memorial on 2 separated benches so it makes that bench into a specific point) is a significant point as called for in the benches clarification.
alright) with Benches

Of course, even we are supposed to mix-match clarifications that “Specific Anchor Point on Eligible Trail” = “Significant Point” is a judgement call. But the use of the word “Point” in both clarifications tends to make me link them.

[cyndiepooh]

ty for presenting the opposite view as i thought you would! i believe that between us we have illustrated to the op the full spectrum of how reviewers can read the same criteria clarifications and still vote differently on the same type of candidate, which was part of the original question.

@icantstoplmao

some memorial benches of mine get accepted and some declined

so to make sure everything was answered:

@icantstoplmao

who gets to approve or decline waystops that people submit

it is either Niantic’s ML (machine learning ai) model, or Niantic’s internal staff, or community review by fellow Wayfarers. the email will indicate if the decision is by “our team” or the “community”

@icantstoplmao

a literal tag option with valid pictures and description.

it was addressed that the categories have nothing to do with eligibility, a common misunderstanding that a famous you-tuber even put out, but I don’t think it was mentioned that nominations done in ingress don’t even have category tags as an option to choose from

Another point that has not been made is that the tool tip under Appropriate lists memorials as places that are NOT appropriate. I have the school explanation highlighted on this snip, but people may be choosing to reject memorials as a sensitive location based on this:

So there are many different ways for different reviewers to see these benches.

[cowyn2016]

@cyndiepooh

it is either Niantic’s ML (machine learning ai) model, or Niantic’s internal staff, or community review by fellow Wayfarers. the email will indicate if the decision is by “our team” or the “community”

Of those 3 ways, ML would likely be the most consistent, though its learning.

Community consists of people viewing criteria differently, meaning that you can literally do the exact same submission twice. Get a random sample of the community or thinks against the submission and fail, and get a random sample of the community that thinks for the submission and pass. Heck, even a submission that overall majority community thinks should pass or fail, can get the opposite result by getting a lucky/unlucky oversampling of the minority view.

Even Niantic’s team is human. You will find many results posted on here if things accepted/rejected by Nianatic Reviewers that the vast majority of the community disagree with.

One last thing worth repointing out, is that in game POIs aren’t always the best example. Some of them are older than the existing standards and review system. Some of them got a lucky subset of reviewers when the majority of the community would have rejected. That tends to frustrate submitters the most as they often say “Well I’ve seen X”

[Tdiguy]

See to me memorial benches rarely are sensitive. That being said the hospital campus I work at has several memorial benches that are along the outdoor walking path, so often those are what I think of when talking about memorial benches. I guess it’s all about context. For example the chapel at work has a lone dinner table all set up inside the chapel amongst the pews. Is it a strong memorial and possibly in some ways a great wayspot? Probably, but it’s for certain in what I would call a sensitive area I would not want people gathering with their nose in their phone, so I personally have never submitted it ( and I rejected it the one time I saw it ). The outdoor memorial benches were wayspots before I started working here. Honestly I will say the wayspots around campus actually promote exercise because each one isn’t that far away, but if I just go to the next one I end up walking about a mile around campus.