Using gallery photos to submit portal
One of the difficulties in evaluating portal candidates is dealing with trying to submit fake candidates. Malicious agents take advantage of outdated locations on google maps and use illicit programs to submit fake and edited photos. Now, with the OPR update to receive gallery photos, Niantic has made submitting fake portals official. They said that accepting photos from the gallery would be a help for weak signal locations, I still don't understand if a portal candidate has a weak signal should not be accepted as only players using fake GPS will be able to capture.😨
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I was against this change at first, but I have used it a few times now and it really is nice to be able to snap several photos at a location, take my photosphere shot, and then move on without having to stand there entering in all the data outside in the heat. Yes, people can potentially be using it to submit inaccurate portals, but it still has to go through OPR review and meet all the guidelines, including location accuracy. It's not a perfect system, but the signal required to play the game versus uploading photos is not necessarily the same. I've had photos time out when trying to upload when I've had one bar of service. I can still play the game, but submitting is a pain.
Furthermore, in OPR there is no way of knowing the signal quality at the location of any submission, so I don't think it would be reasonable to use that as criteria for approval or rejection. Signal can also vary wildly depending on the carrier you are utilizing, so there is also that issue. Ive seen old sitreps of agents having to use satalite phones to get some hard to reach portals, where traditional signals fail.
I understand the concern over it being used to submit fake portals, I have the same one. But I've come to believe the good outweighs the bad given the other checks in place.
I agree that I can send photos of better and better angles and times to the uploader.
I know that appraisers have no way of knowing remotely what the signal from operators is at the site of the portal seeker, the only proof is that the candidate has been submitted from the site (although the use of Fake GPS allows sending from anywhere).
This feature only served to ease those who are still afraid to use Fake GPS.
I would like to believe that good principles always win.