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Published by Pickaxe
Join hosts Jamal Harvey and Chris Bell for a weekly podcast dedicated to the Wide World of Scopley Explore Wayfarer! Niantic Wayfarer provides the Points of Interests (POIs) that make these games run: Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom, Monster Hunter & More! Find us! On X (Formally Twitter) @wayspotters At our Website -> www.wayspotters.com On Instagram @wayspotterspodcast On TikTok @imakewayspots On YouTube @wayspotterspodcast Also available on pokemonprofessor.com
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This week, Chris and Jamal get into one of the most controversial Wayfarer announcements in years! Scopely Explore is separating Wayfarer abuse enforcement from Pokémon GO, and the community has plenty to say about it. Is removing Pokémon GO account bans a step toward a more independent Wayfarer platform, or has Scopely just eliminated one of its biggest deterrents against abuse? The guys break down the updated enforcement ladder, the potential flood of coal, the reaction from Wayfarer Ambassadors, and what this could mean for the future of the Wayspot map. Jamal shares his theory that Scopely is building Wayfarer into a standalone platform that serves multiple games, while Chris raises concerns about bad actors, disposable accounts, and the challenges facing reviewers. They also discuss Tintino's response, AI-generated nominations, and why experienced Wayfinders may be more important than ever. Plus, Chris experiences Buc-ee's for the first time, the Dad Jokes return, and we've got two fantastic Wayspots of the Week! Wayspots of the Week: Heritage Hills Monument Park, submitted by Darker Solstice The Good, The Bad, and The Extraterrestrial, submitted by Sushi Slayer And for Coal of the Week, a potentially great nomination gets photobombed! The enforcement ladder may be broken, but does that mean the future of Wayfarer is? Tune in for the debate, the laughs, and a reminder that protecting the map starts with the community. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 17 October 2026 Published: 19 October 2026 Season 5, Episode 39 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. About Wayspotters – A Scopely Explore Wayfarer Podcast Established in 2021, Wayspotters is a weekly podcast dedicated to Scopely Explore Wayfarer, Pokémon GO PokéStop nominations, Wayspot submissions, and the global Wayfarer community. Hosted by Jamal Harvey (BlameJamal) and Chris Bell (Professor Glaw) of the Pokémon Professor Network, Wayspotters has produced more than 245 episodes and reached audiences in 119 countries and territories in 2026, bringing together Wayfinders, Pokémon GO trainers, and Point of Interest (POI) enthusiasts from around the world. Wayspotters delivers weekly Wayfarer news, Wayspot nomination tips, reviewing strategies, eligibility criteria discussions, appeals guidance, abuse prevention updates, and community conversations about the real-world locations that shape Pokémon GO and other location-based games. Through firsthand experience, informed perspectives, humor, and community engagement, Wayspotters helps listeners navigate the Wayfarer nomination and review process while celebrating the people and places that make the global Wayspot map unique. With a mission to Educate, Entertain, Excite, Wayspotters is committed to helping every listener become a better Wayfinder. Find Wayspotters on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts. Website: www.wayspotters.com YouTube: youtube.com/@WayspottersPodcast X: @Wayspotters Instagram: @wayspottersPodcast TikTok: @IMakeWaySpots Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Chris and Jamal are back with a simple question: What if fixing one email could eliminate one of the biggest sources of confusion in Wayfarer? Jamal has redesigned the Wayfarer acceptance email, and he's got some free, unsolicited advice for Scopely Explore. Instead of leaving nominators wondering why their newly accepted Wayspot hasn't appeared in Pokémon GO, why not tell them upfront whether it's eligible to appear in the game? Chris weighs in on the idea, the potential engineering challenges, and whether a little more transparency could make a big difference. Then things get personal. Have you ever been so frustrated with Wayfarer that you wanted to put your phone down and walk away? From questionable rejections and endless voting queues to AI-generated nominations and suspicious Wayspot removals, Chris and Jamal discuss what drives them crazy. But more importantly, they explore what keeps them coming back, how their motivations have changed, and why helping others discover and improve their communities still makes it all worthwhile. Also in this episode: The News: Chris discovers a Wayfarer draft bug that could put your nomination pin in the wrong location. Coming Next Week: A brand-new segment, This Week on the Forum, bringing community discussions and announcements to listeners who aren't active on the forums. One's Gotta Go: Rocket Battles, GO Battle League, Routes, or Showcases. Which Pokémon GO feature would you eliminate forever? Wayspot of the Week #1: Monica.exe celebrates her first accepted Wayspot, The Chumley House in Fort Worth, Texas! Wayspot of the Week #2: LFromSpace shares Happy Camper Wilderness, a colorful camper-themed art installation at Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin Dells. Coal of the Week: Jan MK brings us a Little Free Library nomination that practically announces its own K–12 eligibility problem. Plus: Chris becomes "Grisk," Jackson dominates lacrosse camp, Jamal wants to deduct gas for Wayspot nominations, and a little debate about roller coasters. Whether you're frustrated with the system, excited about your latest acceptance, or just looking for another reason to get out and explore, this episode reminds us why we started contributing to Wayfarer in the first place. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 08 Oct 2026 Published: 11 Oct 2026 Season 5, Episode 37 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO ©Scopley. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Scopley, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Chris and Jamal get into seven years of Wayfarer and just how much has changed since the early days. From the old five-star review system and the legendary “four-star gazebo,” to year-long nomination queues, invisible maps, Ingress gatekeepers, wild location edits, Emily, appeals, and today’s much faster submission process, the guys take a trip through Wayfarer history and somehow realize... we actually survived all of this. Jamal remembers becoming an Ingress Agent basically out of spite just so he could submit Wayspots himself, while Chris recalls the days when someone apparently thought the answer to a bad location was moving Christ the Redeemer from Brazil to Oshawa. They also talk about how Pokémon GO players used to nominate completely blind, why Emily may have been put in timeout, the 24-hour submission window, and why using an Upgrade too early is a little like ordering your Uber before you've cleared customs. Plus, there’s a little tinfoil-hat time as Chris wonders whether Niantic spent the last few years cleaning up Wayfarer before the transition to Scopely Explore. The guys look at how dramatically the system has evolved, what was actually better about the old days, what definitely was not, and where Wayfarer might go from here. And because this is Wayspotters, somehow there’s also candy corn, mac-and-cheese soda, Jamal admitting he became an Ingress player out of spite, two Wayspots of the Week, Coal of the Week, and plenty of “back in my day” energy. Seven years later, the tools have changed, the rules have changed, the map has changed... and Chris and Jamal are apparently now the old men of Wayfarer telling everyone how they used to walk uphill both ways to submit a gazebo. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 02 October 2026 Published: 04 October 2026 Season 5, Episode 37 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Chris and Jamal dig into rejection reasons in Wayfarer and why choosing the right one matters. From private property and low-quality photos to schools, businesses, and abuse reports, they break down some of the most commonly misused rejection reasons and how getting them wrong can leave nominators confused about what actually needs fixing. Then, the guys tackle a Wayfarer Forum debate about successful appeals. If the community rejects your nomination and Scopely overturns that decision, should you get your appeal back? Chris and Jamal look at why simply returning appeals could create another backlog, then kick around some alternatives, including shorter cooldowns for successful appeals and a little extra “skin in the game” when an appeal fails. Plus, an important heads-up about photo metadata unexpectedly moving your nomination pin, community feedback, some upcoming Discord fun, Wayspots of the Week featuring Goblin Brain and Shadowfax Rides West, and a Coal of the Week that may have achieved the impossible: less than minimum effort. And somewhere along the way, Jamal reveals a mild obsession with learning about the furry community. Because apparently that’s part of a Wayfarer podcast now. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 24 September 2026 Published: 27 September 2026 Season 5, Episode 35 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Jamal and Chris get into what happens when enforcement gets it wrong, and they have a special guest to help them out. Lemyrrio joins the show to tell the wild story of getting a new phone, suddenly finding their Pokémon GO account permanently banned, and then having everything mysteriously return to normal just a few hours later. What happened, who helped, and what does “permanently banned” even mean when it can disappear that quickly? Then, since they just happen to have a doctor of ecology on the show, Jamal and Chris take full advantage and ask a bigger Wayfarer question: Are we undervaluing nature? Why can the sign pointing toward an incredible natural feature sometimes make a better Wayspot than the feature itself? And how do we encourage exploration without damaging the very places we're trying to explore? Plus, a nature-themed One's Gotta Go, two Wayspots of the Week, Coal of the Week, a listener voicemail celebrating a brand-new PokéStop, and plenty of the usual nonsense along the way. Educate. Entertain. Excite. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 17 September 2026 Published: 20 September 2026 Season 5, Episode 34 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Jamal and Chris get into what “accepted” really means in Wayfarer. If Pokémon GO tells you to nominate a PokéStop and your nomination gets accepted, is it reasonable to expect a PokéStop to actually appear? The guys talk about confusing in-game language, inclusion rules, how much homework players should be expected to do, and whether better communication could prevent one of the most common questions in Wayfarer. Then, the reviewer doesn’t owe you anything. Jamal and Chris discuss where the nominator’s responsibility ends and the reviewer’s begins, why supporting information matters, whether reviewers should have to research your nomination, and what happens when a great Wayspot gets a terrible submission. Jamal also issues a challenge to Scopely Explore and the Ambassadors: it’s time to rethink the rejection reasons. Plus, One’s Gotta Go tackles libraries, public parks, museums, and community centers; we have two very different Wayspots of the Week; and Coal of the Week features a pickleball court where a very good boy accidentally becomes the star of the nomination. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 12 Sept 2026 Published: 13 Sept 2026 Season 5, Episode 33 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO ©Scopley. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Scopley, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Chris and Jamal get into the new world of submitting Wayspots now that Pokémon GO nominations have officially moved to the web. Jamal takes a well-earned victory lap after realizing that much of what he predicted back in Episode 217 has actually happened, and the guys share their best tips for using Drafts to make nominations faster, easier, and less disruptive while you're out exploring. From getting the pin right and taking plenty of photos to gathering information on-site and finishing the nomination later, they break down how to make the most of the new workflow. Then, Chris and Jamal finally tackle one of the community's most requested topics: Wayfarer plugins! Chris walks through installing Tampermonkey, finding scripts through Wayfarer Tools, and highlights some of the plugins that can make reviewing, submitting, mapping, and managing Wayspots much easier. If you've looked at plugins before and thought they seemed too technical, this is the episode for you. Plus, Tales from Canada gets a little soggy after a massive storm rolls through Chris's area, and Wayspots of the Week take us from a unique piece of Genghis Khan artwork to Victory Lane at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. And Coal of the Week? Well… let's just say Queens, New York and Toronto, Ontario aren't exactly a few meters between friends. Topic #1: Tips for Using DraftsTopic #2: Wayfarer Plugins Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 05 September 2026 Published: 06 September 2026 Season 5, Episode 32 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jamal and Chris get into a major change coming to Wayfarer, and this one could fundamentally change how Pokémon GO players think about Wayspot nominations. Beginning September 1st, new PokéStop nominations started in Pokémon GO will send Wayfinders over to the Wayfarer website to complete their submission. Jamal and Chris break down why they both love the change, what it could mean for casual nominators, and some of the potential bumps along the way. Topic #1 – Pokémon GO Is Sending Us to Wayfarer Is this finally the move that separates “submitting a PokéStop” from nominating a Wayspot? The guys discuss the new workflow, web drafts, mobile versus desktop submissions, browser and login concerns, and whether this is another step toward Wayfarer becoming the true home of the Wayspot network. Topic #2 – Are Better Tools Making Better Wayfinders? With the Wayspot Map, Web Submission, satellite imagery, S2 overlays, Wayfarer Map Mods and years of community knowledge at our fingertips, today’s Wayfinder has access to more information than ever before. But does better information actually make better Wayfinders, or does it just make people better at optimizing the gameboard? Jamal and Chris get into the difference between optimization and manipulation and what happens when a whole new group of Wayfinders suddenly gets introduced to everything Wayfarer has to offer. Plus, One’s Gotta Go: Toy Edition puts LEGO, Hot Wheels, Nerf and Super Soakers on the chopping block. We’ve got two fantastic Wayspots of the Week, including an incredible rainbow playground shot, and Kroner delivers a Coal of the Week that is, quite literally, coal. 😂 And a special thanks to Lavender Town Accounting for supporting Episode 241, along with all of our Patrons, Gym Leaders and Elite Four! Are better tools making us better Wayfinders? Let us know what you think! Wayspotters Podcast – Changing the gameboard, one Wayspot at a time. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 29 August 2026 Published: 30 August 2026 Season 5, Episode 31 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO ©Scopley. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Scopley, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week on Wayspotters, Chris comes in with what might be one of his hottest Wayfarer takes ever: Would Pokémon GO even exist without OPR and Wayfarer? We talk about just how much the player-built map has shaped the games we play and the way we explore the real world. Then things take an unexpected turn when Chris's computer decides it's done podcasting for the day. Wayfarer Ambassador Elf From Space answers the emergency call and joins Jamal for the rest of the show. Could Pokémon GO exist without Wayfarer? And what would these games look like if their maps weren't built around real-world places discovered by actual people? Chris and Jamal dig into it. A gorgeous historic staircase nominated by Pokémon GO creator JoeBeats gets rejected by Emily. Jamal and Elf discuss why AI sometimes struggles with unusual nominations, when an appeal makes sense, and the challenge of creating a nomination that works for Emily, the community, and an appeals reviewer. Mermaid at Coa Del Mar – A beautiful mural and relief artwork submitted by Agent X. Cars and Jellyfish Driving Underwater – Jamal finds another example of Portland apparently refusing to leave any wall unpainted. This time, it's a mural hiding behind a car wash. An interesting historic mantelpiece meets a questionable photo, some rough capitalization, and "mantelpiece" spelled wrong twice... two different ways. Reading is fundamental, people. A HUGE thank you to our Elite Four: Ozark Renee and our newest member, Monika.exe! Your incredible support of Wayspotters and the Pokémon Professor Network means more than you know. Thanks for listening, thanks for exploring, and remember: What's a few meters between friends? It's not that far. Get out of your car! Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 06 August 2026 Published: 09 Augusy 2026 Season 5, Episode 30 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Jamal and Chris dive into two topics that have been generating plenty of conversation throughout the Wayfarer community: voting rings and how not to get yourself banned. The guys start by defining what a voting ring actually is and, just as importantly, what it isn't. Talking Wayfarer with friends, helping someone improve a nomination, teaching criteria, or simply reviewing in the same community isn't automatically abuse. The line gets crossed when reviewers begin coordinating outcomes: asking others to approve or reject specific nominations, trading votes, using multiple accounts, or organizing reviews specifically to manipulate the map. They also discuss how perfectly innocent behavior can sometimes look suspicious and why context matters when enforcement gets it wrong. That leads directly into Topic #2: How Not to Get Yourself Banned. Jamal and Chris break down multi-accounting, fake Wayspots, AI-generated and manipulated images, title and description edits, photo edits, and the especially complicated world of location edits. The big distinction throughout the conversation is intent: correcting an inaccurate Wayspot location is very different from moving an already accurate Wayspot simply to manipulate a game board. And because this is Wayspotters, things inevitably get nerdy when Jamal and Chris start talking about strategic pin placement. Can a few meters make the difference between getting a PokéStop and getting nothing? Absolutely. But where's the line between smart initial placement and manipulating an existing Wayspot? They even look at a real playground where roughly half a meter could determine whether the nomination appears in Pokémon GO. What's a half-meter between friends? 😂 Plus, the guys give some love to PokeAK for highlighting Chris's take on the recent ban conversation, cover the new Japanese Wayfarer Ambassador program, and finish with two very different Wayspots of the Week: Agent X's snow-covered Broken Horn Brewing Company and Elf From Space's absolutely wild Verve Lobby Slides. And then there's Coal of the Week. It's a two-story American flag mural that should have been an absolute slam dunk... except someone somehow used a screenshot of the Pokémon GO nomination screen as the main photo. Jamal and Chris spend several minutes simply trying to figure out how we got here. 😂 Voting rings vs. healthy Wayfarer communities • Coordinated reviewing and multi-accounting • How innocent reviewers can accidentally look suspicious • Ban appeals and false positives • Fake and AI-generated Wayspots • Good edits vs. abusive edits • Location accuracy vs. game-board manipulation • Strategic pin placement • Japanese Wayfarer Ambassadors • PokeAK gives Wayspotters some love • Two Wayspots of the Week • One spectacularly bad Coal of the Week Stick around for: A playground, an S2 cell boundary, and the return of the most important philosophical question in Wayfarer... What's a half-meter between friends? 😂 Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 12 August 2026 Published: 16 August 2026 Season 5, Episode 31 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chris and Jamal are back for Episode 238, and after some dad talk about birthdays, kids growing up, college, lacrosse, and just how different parenting is in the digital age, they jump into a week where the Wayfarer community had a lot to say. The guys revisit last week’s discussion about moving Wayspots and gameboard optimization after listeners raise an important question: what happens when moving an existing Wayspot into a new cell affects someone else’s legitimate nomination, or even another game entirely? They also discover that apparently they managed to upset both the breakfast-mushroom community AND Pikmin Bloom players in the same episode. Impressive. Then it’s time for the main event. A Pokémon GO player took to X claiming they received a 30-day ban after simply trying to help their community by submitting PokéStops. Sounds scary... until you start looking at the details. Multiple accounts, a nomination for something already on the map, and a screenshot from a YouTube video being used as the nomination photo suddenly make the story look very different. Jamal and Chris break down the viral conversation surrounding the ban and tackle some of the arguments that followed. Can reviewers actually target a specific submitter? Why can a Wayfarer violation affect your Pokémon GO account? Should volunteers really be punished for breaking the rules? What about spoofers and major content creators who appear to violate Terms of Service without consequences? And when does legitimate criticism of Wayfarer cross over into fear mongering? The conversation leads to a simple message: participating in Wayfarer is not inherently dangerous. Enforcement emails can sometimes be poorly worded, community review will never be perfectly consistent, and legitimate nominations absolutely get rejected. But those things are very different from receiving enforcement action after violating established rules. They also examine another ban situation involving accounts being used by children and how something that initially looks like another frightening enforcement story can become much easier to understand once all the details come out. And for anyone hearing these stories and wondering whether they should even try Wayfarer, the guys finish the discussion with the opposite message: yes, you should. Read the guidelines, start reviewing, connect with experienced Wayfinders, ask questions, and get involved. The goal shouldn't be to make people afraid of Wayfarer. It should be to help people understand how to participate responsibly. Plus, we’ve got Wayspots of the Week, Coal of the Week, Tales from Canada, Dad Jokes, and plenty of the usual Wayspotters chaos along the way. Stick around for: Chris and Jamal discover that sometimes the biggest threat to your Wayfarer account isn't Scopely Explore, the reviewers, or some mysterious person targeting your nominations... Sometimes you just need to stop hurting yourself. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 06 August 2026 Published: 09 Augusy 2026 Season 5, Episode 30 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Chris and Jamal get into one of the biggest philosophical questions Wayfarer has faced since the transition to Scopely Explore: should gameplay finally have a seat at the table? They debate whether legitimate location edits that improve the gameboard should still be considered abuse, discuss if Scopely should be more transparent about S2 cells and inclusion rules, and imagine what Wayfarer would look like if it were built from scratch by a gaming company instead of a mapping company. Before diving into the topics, Chris responds to a lively Reddit discussion surrounding last week's episode and clarifies his thoughts on Wayfarer, player data, and Niantic's original mission. Chris responds to last week's Reddit debate and clears up the context behind his comments. A major Wayfarer update now lets you finish draft submissions from anywhere without returning to the nomination location. Should gameplay optimization still be considered abuse if the final pin location remains accurate? If Scopely built Wayfarer from scratch today, what rules would stay, what would change, and what would disappear? One's Gotta Go: Pizza Toppings Edition (Pepperoni, Sausage, Bacon, or Mushrooms?) Wayspots of the Week feature a stunning dog park mural and a beautifully designed boardwalk entrance. Coal of the Week highlights why Little Free Libraries on K–12 school property should never be nominated. A thought-provoking discussion about the future of Wayfarer under Scopely, Chris' Reddit rebuttal, another community debate sparked by One's Gotta Go, and a pair of fantastic community-submitted Wayspots that showcase exactly what makes exploring so much fun. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 30 July 2026 Published: 2 August 2026 Season 5, Episode 29 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Chris and Jamal get into Scopely Explore's recent Pokémon GO survey and what it could mean for the future of gyms, PokéCoins, and Wayfarer. They discuss whether more gyms could be coming, if free coins might move beyond the current gym system, and how those changes could impact the Wayfarer community. The conversation then shifts to a spirited debate about the value of Wayfarer contributions, as they respond to the claim that Wayfinders are simply providing "free labor" and explain why helping build better communities is its own reward. Plus, Chris shares another hilarious Tales from Canada, Agent X celebrates an incredible milestone of 3,000 accepted Wayspots, and the guys expose a fake playground that somehow appeared in two different locations on the map. Stick around for: Dad Jokes Tales from Canada Wayspots of the Week Coal of the Week A look at what Scopely's latest survey could mean for the future of Pokémon GO and Wayfarer. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 23 July 2026 Published: 26 July 2026 Season 5, Episode 28 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week Jamal and Chris are back together as Chris returns to the show, and there is plenty to catch up on! The guys discuss the end of the standalone Wayfarer social media presence and what combining Wayfarer and general player support under Scopely Explore could mean for communication with the community. Will Wayfarer benefit from a larger audience, or will important updates get lost among game support issues? And does this move make the Wayfarer Community Forum more important than ever? Then, inspired by a listener question, Jamal and Chris break down how to write a successful Wayfarer appeal. From addressing the actual rejection reason and bringing new evidence to avoiding emotional arguments and making reviewers do the work for you, they share practical advice for giving your appeal its best chance of success. Plus, One’s Gotta Go forces them to choose between Google Street View, official website links, supporting photos, and satellite view. Which essential Wayfarer tool could they live without forever? Stick around for two very different Wayspots of the Week, including a lesson in how to get a Wayspot approved inside one of the biggest chain restaurants in the world, plus a beautiful mural celebrating a Pennsylvania town’s coal-mining roots. Then Grandpa TP sends us straight to detention with a Coal of the Week that proves sometimes a great joke still makes for a terrible Wayspot. In this episode: Chris returns to the show Wayfarer and player support merge under Scopely Explore Does Wayfarer still need its own social media identity? Why the Wayfarer Forum may now be the real home for official communication How to build a stronger Wayfarer appeal Why you should address the rejection reason first Bringing evidence instead of emotion One’s Gotta Go: Wayfarer Tools Edition How to nominate something eligible inside a chain restaurant A mural celebrating local coal-mining history A detention center nomination that belongs in the Coal pile Stick around for: Dad jokes, two Wayspots of the Week, Coal of the Week, and the return of the Jamal-and-Chris banter we’ve been missing! Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 16 July 2026 Published: 19 July 2026 Season 5, Episode 27 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chris is still away this week, so Agent X returns to the co-host chair alongside Jamal for another packed episode of Wayspotters. This week’s conversation covers some of the biggest recent developments in Wayfarer, including the shift from Niantic Games to Scopely Explore, reports that Niantic Spatial has moved from resolving photo additions to processing nomination approvals, and signs that Pikmin Bloom may have received a map update. Then Agent X takes the lead on Topic #1: Location, Location, Location, breaking down how even a great nomination can fail if the pin placement is wrong. Using real examples like pathway markers, neighborhood signs, and Little Free Libraries, he and Jamal talk through how sidewalks, fences, verges, and other boundaries can be the difference between an acceptance and a rejection—especially when private residential property is involved. In Topic #2, they tackle the question of whether suspicious nominations are actually abuse or just misunderstandings from newer Wayfarers who don’t fully understand how location placement works. It’s a thoughtful discussion about where to draw the line between education and enforcement, and how reviewers can approach questionable nominations without assuming the worst every time. Wayfarer News: Scopely Explore officially arrives, Niantic Spatial appears to be approving nominations, and Pikmin Bloom may have had a map sync Topic #1 – Location, Location, Location: why bad pin placement can ruin an otherwise great nomination Topic #2 – Abuse or Misunderstanding?: when a misplaced pin is just a mistake, and when it might be something more Tales from Idaho: Agent X debuts a new segment with the story of Soda Springs’ famous man-made captive geyser Wayspot of the Week #1: a creative bug hotel that blends art, conservation, and local identity Wayspot of the Week #2: a clubhouse nomination that nails the social gathering criteria Coal of the Week: a Little Caesars submission that is a perfect reminder that sometimes you really do need to get out of your car Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Scott Robinson Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 09 July 2026 Published: 12 July 2026 Season 5, Episode 26 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week Jamal is joined by not one but two Wayfarer Ambassadors, as Chris is out this week, with Agent X and ElfFromSpace stepping in for a packed episode of Wayspotters. After opening with some heartfelt words for Chris and his family, the crew jumps into one of the biggest recent Wayfarer updates: photo voting on the Wayfarer map. They break down what the feature does, why it’s a meaningful quality-of-life change, and whether it could lead to better Wayspot photos, more player engagement on the Wayfarer website, or a few good old-fashioned photo thumb wars. From there, ElfFromSpace takes the lead on a deep-dive into how to take better Wayspot photos, with practical tips on framing, lighting, cropping, night photography, murals, bridges, basketball courts, restaurant interiors, and how far you can go with editing before a photo starts to cross the line. One’s Gotta Go: Movie Theater Snacks A featured Wayspot of the Week from Japan Plenty of Wayfarer photo strategy, hot takes, and ambassador insight along the way Photo Voting Comes to the Wayfarer Map Jamal, Agent X, and ElfFromSpace discuss Niantic’s new photo voting system, what it means for Wayspot cover images, and whether the benefits outweigh the possible chaos. How to Take Better Wayspot Photos ElfFromSpace shares a full set of tips for improving main Wayspot images, from choosing the right angle and time of day to handling murals, sports courts, and difficult indoor lighting. Photo Editing: Helpful Tool or Risky Move? The crew talks about what kinds of edits can improve a Wayspot photo and where things can go too far. One’s Gotta Go: Movie Theater Snacks Popcorn, nachos, candy, and soft pretzels enter the arena. Only three can stay. Wayspot of the Week A really cool featured nomination from Japan rounds out the show. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 03 July 2026 Published: 05 July 2026 Season 5, Episode 25 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Chris and Jamal discuss how one great nomination can inspire hundreds more and how one questionable nomination can do the same. From footbridges and neighborhood signs to title formats and descriptions, they explore the ripple effect that shapes the Wayfarer map, for better or worse. They also discuss Niantic's latest contributor display update, whether Pokémon GO players actually care what a PokéStop is, and why eligibility shouldn't be confused with popularity. Niantic fixes contributor codename displays on Wayspots Should you leave your Wayfarer username visible? Do Pokémon GO players actually care about the Point of Interest? Why restaurant ratings don't determine Wayfarer eligibility The idea behind "Wayfarer See, Wayfarer Do" How good nominations inspire better submissions When community trends go too far (footbridges, pools, neighborhood signs, and more) Why titles, descriptions, and photos matter more than you think Helping new Wayfinders without encouraging abuse Tales from Canada Dad Jokes Wayspot(s) of the Week Coal of the Week And more! Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 24 June 2026 Published: 28 June 2026 Season 5, Episode 24 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week, Jamal and Chris dive into one of the biggest philosophical debates in Wayfarer: Who gets to decide what's interesting? Using memorial benches as the foundation of the conversation, they explore how reviewers balance personal opinions against local significance and whether a nomination's value should be determined by the broader community or the people who know its story best. The debate over memorial benches and whether they deserve a place on the map. Why "selling the nomination" with strong supporting information can make all the difference. The importance of local context and why something meaningful to a community may not look impressive to outsiders. The difference between an eligible Wayspot and what some reviewers consider a "high-quality" Wayspot. Real-world examples of community leaders, coaches, athletes, and advocates whose stories transformed ordinary-looking benches into meaningful places of exploration. The discussion then expands into the concept of rogue reviewing communities and how local reviewing cultures can shape the map in dramatically different ways. Jamal and Chris examine the challenges created when some cities become extremely strict while others become much more accepting, and whether either approach is ultimately healthy for Wayfarer. How local Discords, Facebook groups, and community norms influence reviewing behavior. The pros and cons of "Need More Stops" communities. Why some cities become known for approving neighborhood signs, murals, trails, and local businesses. Whether it's worse for a community to approve too much or reject too much. The question: Do most Pokémon GO players care what a Wayspot is, or simply where it appears on the map? A spirited round of One's Gotta Go featuring kickball, dodgeball, four square, and tag. Wayspot of the Week featuring a memorial bench honoring Pokémon voice actress Rachel Lillis. Another Wayspot of the Week showcasing an artist-designed public bench that turns functional seating into public art. Coal of the Week highlighting why K-12 school nominations remain one of the easiest ways to earn a rejection. Whether you're a seasoned Wayfarer reviewer, a new submitter, or just someone who enjoys the philosophy behind what makes a great Wayspot, this episode asks a simple question with surprisingly complicated answers: Is a Wayspot interesting because you think it is, or because it matters to someone else? Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 19 June 2026 Published: 21 June 2026 Season 5, Episode 23 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week Chris and Jamal discuss a recent wave of Wayfarer-related bans and the lessons every Wayfinder can learn from them. The duo breaks down several forum posts from players claiming they were unfairly punished, only for the truth to unravel through forum investigations, misplaced pins, AI-edited nomination photos, multi-accounting admissions, and a few cases of people digging themselves deeper with every reply. Along the way, they discuss why the Wayfarer forums often provide a more balanced perspective than social media and offer practical advice on avoiding the dreaded banhammer. The conversation also takes a detour into a classic Tales from Canada segment featuring a former airline captain who allegedly flew commercial jets for 17 years without the required pilot license. Chris and Jamal discuss how such a thing could happen, what it says about trust in verification systems, and why both Air Canada and Transport Canada are likely eager to move on from the story. The episode wraps up with a look at a stunning butterfly mural for Wastepot of the Week, an appeal-worthy hobby shop nomination featuring one of the best supporting statements they've ever seen, and a Call of the Week highlighting why accurate pin placement remains one of the most important parts of a successful nomination. Episode Highlights: Recent Wayfarer ban cases and what actually happened Multi-accounting, AI-edited photos, and misplaced pins Why forum investigations often reveal the full story Tales from Canada: The pilot who allegedly flew without a license for 17 years Wastepot of the Week: "Unraveling Border #2" butterfly mural Appeal success story from Des Plaines Hobbies Call of the Week: Airport map nomination gone wrong Dad jokes, hockey talk, and a birthday countdown for Jamal Quote of the Week:"If you're digging a hole, drop the shovel and walk away." Stick around for: ✅ Spatial / Scopely News ✅ Wayspots / Coal of the Week ✅ Dad Jokes (of course!) Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Chris Bell Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 12 June 2026 Published: 14 June 2026 Season 5, Episode 22 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
This week Jamal and Chris dive into the rise of what Jamal calls "spaghetti nominations" Wayspot submissions that live in the gray area between obvious slam dunks and outright rejections. The duo takes a nostalgic trip back to the early days of Wayfarer, when submitters had only seven nominations and every submission had to count. Comparing those days to today's abundance of nomination slots, they discuss how player behavior has changed, whether nomination quality has dipped, and if Niantic and Scopely have unintentionally encouraged Wayfinders to test the boundaries of eligibility. Along the way, Chris and Jamal review a variety of real-world nomination examples, including neighborhood entrance signs, apartment pergolas, decorative benches, utility box art, fountains, trail markers, business murals, community mailboxes, and even dumpster art. The conversation explores the difference between reviewing to approve versus reviewing to deny, the growing divide between map purists and gameplay-focused submitters, and whether Wayfarer communities are at risk of "going rogue" as nomination opportunities continue to expand. The episode also features Dad Jokes, Mom Jokes, a discussion about Go Fest, and a pair of fascinating Wayspots of the Week, including a Purdue University cyclotron model tied to J. Robert Oppenheimer. Stick Around For... ✅ The rise of "Spaghetti Nominations" and how hundreds of available submissions may be changing Wayfarer behavior. ✅ Chris and Jamal debate neighborhood signs, pergolas, benches, utility box art, trail markers, murals, and other gray-area nominations. ✅ A discussion on Scopely's impact on the Pokémon GO map and whether Wayfarer should stay out of game-specific decisions. ✅ Dad Jokes, Mom Jokes, Wayspots of the Week, and a preview of an upcoming discussion on what happens when a Wayfarer community goes rogue. Show Credits Hosts: Jamal Harvey & Chris Bell Writer: Jamal Harvey Producer: Jamal Harvey Executive Producer: Kate Konz Show Historian: Matty G Recorded: 03 June 2026 Published: 07 June 2026 Season 5, Episode 21 Contact Us wayspotters@pokemonprofessor.com Voicemail / SMS: 704-426-3710 Support the Show Patreon: patreon.com/PokemonProfessor Website: wayspotters.com Follow! Instagram: @wayspotterspodcast Twitter/X: @wayspotters TikTok: @imakewayspots YouTube: @WayspottersPodcast Twitch: twitch.tv/pokemonprofessornetwork Community & Friends Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/niawayfarer German Wayfarer Discord: discord.gg/ThTZCZH5 Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/2241761169257836 Solstice: 🎧 Spotify Episode • 📸 Unsplash Agent X on TikTok: @agentx_wayfinder Chris Bell’s Articles: pokemongohub.net/post/author/glawhantojar Niantic Wayfarer: @NianticWayfarer Music CreditsIntro: “Game Over” – Danijel ZamboBreak: Heavy Trap Drum Loops – LoopmastersOutro: “Itty Bitty 8 Bit” – Kevin MacLeodAdditional: Spanish Hard Trap – Steve Oxen Vocal Recordings © Pokémon Professor Network 2025 Pokémon and all respective names © Nintendo 1996–2025. Pokémon GO © Niantic, Inc. Wayspotters & Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic, The Pokémon Company, Game Freak, or Nintendo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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Apple Podcasts rankings via the Mato Topic Intelligence Platform.
Observed November 4, 2026.
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