The State of Nominations, Part 2

Four months ago, I wrote about the state of nominations - that is, nominating places or objects of interest in the real world as PokéStops or Gyms in the overworld of Pokémon Go. I coupled it with my own progress in doing so, due to my eagerness of contributing to the game. Since that time, lots of things have changed - including my shift to another part of my town - so this topic is worth discussing again. This particularly includes my progress, which has been affected by everything that has gone on, as well as added particulars to the nomination process.

One of those things is how many nominations that I've made. As predicted, I've been able to nominate 12 places or objects, and in fact lots more. According to my records, I've made 22 nominations, one of which I've made just this afternoon, and I have two more nominations to spare; that means I'm due for 24 at the least and even more with regained nominations. There is actually a way to gauge progress in this. The Options screen states for me that "more nominations may be available in 14 day(s)", which means I may regain a nomination in that time, provided that I haven't reached 7 available nominations, which seems to be the limit. Therefore, the suggestion a friend gives, which is to nominate something every other day, makes sense; it leaves room for a nomination to return after two weeks while demanding one to contribute. It's a good thing in that way.

As for the progress of them being reviewed, that's another matter. So far, I've had two nominations approved, including the previous one. Unfortunately, I've also had two nominations rejected, one due to an unknown reason and the other because the object in question "does not match what is seen from map views", as the review process is aided by the innovation that is Google Maps and Street View, perhaps in addition to people just coming to the object in question to see it for themselves. It has been suggested that if this happens and the nomination seems valid otherwise, it may be possible to renominate it, as some reviewers may be apt to reject a "wild" nomination. Nevertheless, the ones that have been accepted have proven to be very good ones: each has converted a PokéStop in their surrounding area into a Gym. With progress like this, I'm definitely warranted to continue nominating, especially in the area where I live, which could use a few more nominated places.

It is most likely that the review process for those nominations were carried out through Niantic Wayfarer, which as I've noted previously was in the works for those playing Pokémon Go. Around three weeks ago, it became live for my local area, and my raid fellows began using it. I myself haven't accessed it, as neither my Google nor my Facebook account (either being the two credentials for using it) are linked to Pokémon Go, and I log into the game exclusively by a PTC account. But that's fine; I expect others to be reviewing, not so much myself. With a larger reviewer base, it would seem that this may and does expedite the review process; the first accepted nomination, before Wayfarer, took 18 days or so, while the second took only nine days. The impact is therefore perceptible. As for the others of uncertain status, with the first of these dating all the way back to five months ago, they may still need to be processed.

The process of nominating places and objects will certainly continue. I've identified many places or objects that could very well have a place in the game's overworld, and I'm likely to nominate them as I regain nominations that could be used for them. Should they be approved after the review and be a part of the overworld, then I would say I've done a very good job, as have the reviewers. This may eventually inspire me to review as well... though not in the near future. What matters now is that the nomination process continues so that it may make the overworld a better place, as nice as the real one it is based on.

One year ago: A Raid Group Gathering
Two years ago: On Cosplay Props and Prop Makers