I’ve just started our as a reviewer and i give users the best go at suggesting new wayfarer points for pokemon. I think theres too many busy bodies who keep rejecting good and on criteria points! My town is full of history and you reviewers denying them is like not allowing history to be allowed or re discovered! I have had to appeal so much as a footbridge shouldn’t be denied. Or historical buildings with plaques and info you can find on them on google as early as 1800s. I have only reported waypoints if its a repeat or a really bad photo, but i don’t think many do this i do believe theres some of you high and mighty reviewers who act like this is a paying career. Let users have their spots especially if its an actual loaction and historical place or building. Getting fed up of my contributions getting denied when they hit criteria! Some of us play daily and find it shocking just how little pokestops there are in a small town and by the sea when so many structures, plaques, historical places and buildings arent waypoints but i see why now, theres too many busy bodies falsly denying wayspots. Very dissappointed. I shall stay virtuous and make sure players wayspots are accepted unless bad photo, repeat or just wildly not on criteria bit no dount most players know what they doing and its a fair wayspot!
*Edit: I understand now that AI learning is involved with some photo stuff and using pokemon specific wording might not help the contribution. Thanks all for replying.
If you are getting “Wayfarer criteria” rejections with an email that reads “our team” decided, then those are being rejected by the ML (machine learning ai) model. Please post screenshots of a nomination you feel was unfairly rejected, and we would love to help advise whether to appeal the rejection or try again with a new submission.
I certainly can understand the frustration and relate to (sometimes resemble) the feeling that it’s “busy bodies” rejecting more than they should without considering the importance something may have to members of the local community.
I’m really curious what nominations you’re struggling with and would really like the chance to help you improve them to see if we can’t get a better chance at explaining how your nominations can be considered acceptable to meeting the criteria reviewers look for - a place for socializing, exercising, or exploration. I suspect historic buildings could be a place for exploration but may not be easy if the proper context isn’t provided.
Would you be willing to engage in providing some examples to walk through?
When i say historcal places buildings like on my pokewalks in public places and streets, i walk past listed and historical buildings that the public has access to outside and some of them also inside. My town has so many places like this and my photos are taken on a samsung s23+ so it’s not terrible quality. I am just frustrated as I’ve seen other reviewers complain on here, yet I’m new and love doing a bunch of reviews a day seeing cool places I’m helping get approved, etc. I will check my gmail emails as it was suggested it might be AI taking over the review. In that case, that’s really upsetting. I would rather a real person was reviewing mine. In my local area only like the brewery part has a few pokestops but buildings behind and nearby are historical even with plaques and signs. Ive tried 2 times with a local popular footbridge i honesty think should be a gym if possible like many people walk over it daily its a vital part of the area for getting to another location for people on foot and dog walkers/runners etc. I’ll try again, i am just very disappointed as for me it feels like history is also getting lost, it could be something interesting for pokemon players to learn about let alone extra pokestops.
Rejection text will appear on your Contribution management page Niantic Wayfarer and like Cyndiepooh said above you can cross check that with the email text.
I love footbridges! In my region, it isn’t uncommon to see people hanging out on them (sometimes blocking trail traffic ) or children playing under them.
And a friend of mine has had a lot of fun digging through historical archives of old building to provide fun and whimsical stories about their construction, use, and ownership over the years.
One thing I’d like to explain early is to adjust the mindset of nominating PokéStops to nominating Wayspots. Niantic has a map of everything nominated (mostly by the local community - like yourself) and approved. This map is then used by their various games (Pokémon GO, Ingress, Pikmin: Bloom, Peridot, etc) for use in those games. You submit a Wayspot that may be used in Pokémon GO. And there are ways we can help better the chances of that happening for you!
Adding: Nobody will be upset if you talk about PokéStop nominations, here, but some will dislike that if that sort of text shows up in your actual nomination.
These are 4 screenshots of 2 of my contributions. 1 is a sign for a historical building thats had a fair amount of transformation over the years but remains still standing and is accessible by the public. The bridge is vital to the area and something even I walk over daily yet its not a pokestop? Its a footbridge/bridge with many nature places and pokestops nearby like in amother grid cube like a little to the left of the bridge is HMS BEE plaque, its it own pokestop but the bridge itself isnt? I dunno. I read the criteria whilst giving some history and facts. All my contributions are accessible for the public.
A lot of times the ML rejections can be avoided by framing the photo differently. It is easily confused. Also, you get 2 appeals, each on a 20 day timer, where you can request that a human reconsider the nomination, and you can provide more evidence that it should be accepted. But we like to see the nomination before we recommend that you do that, so that you don’t waste an appeal on something that has an obvious to us flaw.
Since you are mentioning Pokemon, this is advice I copy and paste for new Explorers:
I know the prompt tells you that you are submitting a “Pokestop” but you are actually submitting a Wayspot to the Lightship database, which can only become a Pokestop or gym if it is alone in a level 17 S2 cell. This is a good article about S2 cells and PoGo: https://pokemongohub.net/post/article/comprehensive-guide-s2-cells-pokemon-go/
Yes i know about the grids and cells, i try to make sure ones i suggest arent on top of another or too mamy in a small area. Mine are spread out and I’m just windering if its the photos not being framed right or the right size i take them 1:1 at 12mp as otherwise my app crashes as the other qualities are too much? I’m not sure.
I really like your nominations, but yep as said above, I would also suggest getting rid of the mentions of Pokémon, Pokéstops, Pokéwalks etc. For supporting information it’s gentle advice, for descriptions it’s non-negotiable. Unfortunately the first one cannot be appealed because of that.
I won’t be able to engage much for a while but I love that nighttime photo of the Mews sign! But also worry ML (and even community reviewers) would nitpick it for being “dark.”
I do love submitting nighttime pictures once something is approved, though!
Footbridges are kind of hit and miss. I believe the reference to Pokemon in the description will make this unacceptable to appeal reviewers, so would not appeal. If you try to submit again, take a photo that shows the footbridge and path more than the view, although that is a lovely view. ML isn’t very smart about figuring out that the railing belongs to the bridge. It accepted this nomination
For Coopers Mews, that is also a lovely photo, but again, I don’t think the ai could figure out what it was being presented with. That one I think I would appeal, but you might want to get some other perspectives on that. If you resubmit, I would try a daytime photo. And in the supporting section, I would possibly add a link to something that proves what you say it is and is important today.
I can’t change them?! So even if it was appealed i can’t go back and change the description. I think that would help if i re do that location?. I just wanted some history and facts making it a nice thing to read as well as a cool place to see on the apps.
No sorry, I’m not suggesting you edit a rejected one, that is not possible. Your nominations freeze the second they garner their first vote (community or ML). This is advice for a resubmission.
You can’t change photos or locations on a submission once you hit “submit” and you can’t edit the text after it has gone into voting. If the Wayspot is accepted, you can edit it then, but you can’t edit it for the appeal.
Okay. Well I’m not sure this will get accepted. Shame as night photos look really cool. Plus its when i go on most my walks. I’ll reword them and get better views for next submission
I like the Coopers Mews photo. Some people say that night-time photos are ineligible, but really it’s a question of the photo being too dark. That has good contrast between the sign and the dark sky. I don’t really know what it is from the description though. Flats? Shops? It seems a bit vague.
The footbridge does look like a good nomination, but as other people said… never use game-specific terms in the title or description. The bridge looks like it has some very interesting artwork on it, perhaps find out about the artist and what it represents. The bridge itself might have a different official name, check for that. I actually prefer the supporting photo to the main one as you can see the bridge clearly, perhaps see if you can take a picture from the pavement beneath that shows the artwork against the sky.
It sounds like your approach is a good one and perhaps you’ve been unlucky with the reviews. I’ve certainly seen a lot worse than these accepted, so I understand your frustration.
Hello! Something I do want to add is just because its old, doesnt make it historic. If it has history on why its important to the community you need to explain that. Do a little research on the place you are thinking of submitting and see if there is a website talking about it. Hit some of the key points in your description/supporting info and maybe link the website in your supporting info. A building being a few hundred years old is cool, but doesnt mean its got history worth exploring. So if it has history on top of that then providing it will help reviewers understand its importance & history(just a reminder since the Coopers Mews submission is a great example of this). Its also important to note, because this is the case in my area, that single family private property is ineligible even if it is a historic building. There are several in my area that are even noted on a database as historic but they are owned and lived in by single families. One good way to highlight that a place is open to the public is if it offers tours to the public. Wish you the best of luck with your future submissions!
I too like the night photo, and would be happy to vote positively for it.
Try playing around with the cropping maybe
I tried to take out the lit building at the bottom as the sign is the star.
You could reference that in the description and it addresses what someone might see.
I would be happy with the title just Cooper Mews as your submission is about the mews building not the sign,
I like the history of this place. Make you description really focussed on the building
Built in 1903 the building housed workshops which were part of brewers quay. That sort thing
Although I’m not clear how much of the original buildings remain so do explain that.
But I like it - just need to convince Emily
From these pictures, I can’t tell for sure that it’s a walking bridge. Is it primarily a bridge for cars, with a sidewalk? That would be hard to pass, because sidewalks are common generic infrastructure. What do reviewers see with satellite view? What was your rejection reason?
Its best odds are if it’s part of a named trail (which sometimes run along sidewalks in order to cross a highway). Especially if you can get a photo with the name, or link to the trail in your Supporting.
It’s second-best odds are if it is for walking only, not cars.
) or children playing under them.
