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NW_history_buff

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Everything posted by NW_history_buff

  1. The Lodge-Style Accommodations category is needing an extra officer or two to oversee submissions. I've opened enrollment for people to join as a regular member and I'll promote as needed. Many thanks!
  2. The problem with this statue/sculpture is that it's not a grave or headstone, a requirement for Funerary Art. It could be submitted into the Statues of Religious Figures category.
  3. As the leader of this potential category who took over the role from lumbricus, the vision and emphasis is to create a home for those works of funerary art that wouldn't be accepted in the myriad of other existing categories, through whatever reasons. Most, if not all other categories in question, have the potential to include funerary art but don't for whatever reasons (leaders/officers don't want to make an amendment to their categories, inactive officers in categories don't respond to messages, etc.). I'd like to think of funerary art much like I do of the Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious category It's a dedicated, last-resort repository for beautiful and eye-catching works of art that would be rejected anywhere else in the Waymarking community but would have a home in this category. Outspoken1 and I are collaborating together on the fine-tuning of the category details. We agree on most aspects but disagree on one argument, that being how inclusive/exclusive we want this category to be. I've adopted a more exclusive 'vision' for this category since I don't personally want it to be a category that could also be cross posted into a number of other categories. I've started putting together a growing list of excluded categories in the category description much like I did with the Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious category. For example, Woodmen of the World and zinc headstones have their own respective categories, and although a small number of them possess a 'wow' factor, wouldn't be accepted in Funerary Art. It should also be mentioned that there are a good number of cemetery works of art around the world that aren't figurative in nature, as I've come across dozens of photos that argue that point but possess other 'wow' factors. I'm in the process of putting together photo collages of funerary art for the category description that would qualify and photos of art that wouldn't qualify by either being too mainstream, mass-produced or not possessing enough of a 'wow' factor. Outpoken1 pointed out to me recently that a large work of funerary art shouldn't be the determining factor in whether it deserves inclusion in the category. I agree. I've seen some amazing photo examples of cemetery works of art that aren't substantial in size but definitely possess a 'wow' factor. I hope to be able to provide examples of what constitutes a 'wow' work of art compared to other less appealing works of art. Another argument I have is to possibly limit the number of individual funerary art submissions in a particular cemetery to possibly the top five works they encounter (much like the Woodmen of the World category). Why, you ask? Well, I've come across many cemetery landscape photos online of headstones of funerary art that would technically qualify in the dozens in one cemetery. Including this limitation to the top five funerary works of art would encourage waymarkers to narrow down the options to their five favorite works of art as well as allow other waymarkers to contribute from the same cemetery. I welcome comments and suggestions from the community.
  4. I'm an officer of the Art Deco Art Nouveau category and recently came across one of the finest examples of Art Nouveau I've ever seen, that being 'La Terraza' and declared a Spanish National Artistic Historical Monument in 1975. It was submitted by Aribena and I'd like to nominate it as a Featured Waymark. Although the photos he provided aren't the best, you may see some beautiful photo examples here and here. Well done!
  5. Any cancer/disease memorials would be accepted in the Citizen Memorials category. I don't see the need to create another redundant category <snip>.
  6. This is a weather station and there's a category for them here: https://www.Waymarking.com/waymarks/wmWRHT_High_Desert_Ranger_Station_Weather_Station_Bend_OR
  7. These aerial barns are really interesting and some look to be very historic. I can see why it was denied in the Barns category since these raised structures don't really fit into the mission of the category. But I also see aerial barns as something the Barns category officers could add to the category as an amendment instead of creating an entirely new category for them. I'm assuming they're not that common, but they seem to have enough presence (at least across Europe) to justify a new category if it came to that. I personally find them interesting and somewhat 'quirky' and would definitely make a point of stopping to take photos one one if I happened upon one in my travels (probably not in the United States, but maybe?).
  8. I agree with iconions and voted accordingly in Peer Review. Add an addendum to the Death Mask Gravestones category and the laser etched graves would easily fit. Categories should work on being more inclusive of new additions which might fit into their missions rather than go off in a different tangent with a new category 'to fill a new icon for their collection.'
  9. I also don't find TACAN/VorTac buildings interesting unless there's some history attached to them. My last remark was mainly to point out that since credit unions are commercial entities (and possible mainstream across America), they will probably not get much support in the Waymarking community since the group is becoming more finicky over the years with world-presence (including me). Look at the last 20-30 approved categories. All but a few are focused on niche, somewhat-uncommon subject matter (I never heard of dovecotes, lych gates and chronograms until they became categories). They incite me to go out and try to seek and document some of of them, much like treasure hunting (brings Geocaching to mind!). With that said, I'm not discouraging you from trying, just offering a different perspective. I've had a few category ideas go to a vote and fail in this community over the years that I thought would be fun and interesting to document (Food-eating contests and Former Brothels are a couple). This forum is a good gauge of how far to pursue a category idea. Start looking for your next topic to propose!
  10. Personally, I don't particularly find credit unions (or savings and loans) an interesting topic to waymark. Credit unions are very popular in my neck of the woods (Oregon) and their buildings are mainly newer, and non-historic, so for me, visiting one would be like visiting a fast food restaurant. There's a particular group who loves Waymarking everything on the planet and alternatively, there's a group who only waymarks interesting, historical and/or meaningful subject matter. I fall in between. I know that Waymarking has slowly evolved over the years to become more exclusive and particular in what the community wants, so everyday entities like restaurant franchises and other corporate-owned businesses are frowned upon as new category proposals (along with redundant category ideas, one which was rejected recently, thankfully).
  11. I fully support this proposed requirement for a physical description. Many statues are being relocated inside museums and out of the public eye to avoid damage/destruction, so if the category doesn't currently allow Civil War memorials inside of museums or other buildings, making an exception for them would be nice.
  12. I agree that the category can be subjective, even if there is an independent or 'official' reference (like a website or document) supporting a building or structure as Art Nouveau /Art Deco, or one of the sub styles that are also acceptable in the category. A link to a website or document from a local historic society or the National Register of Historic Places definitely makes a great argument for inclusion and should be taken with great merit. But sometimes a news article, blog or link to a general discussion of a building is submitted as part of the 'proof of documentation' and for these types, we officers should be more discriminating. I guess what I'm saying is just because a waymarker submits a link to a website or document should not automatically justify an approval. And that's why categories have a voting system when those submissions become questionable.
  13. The issue I have with artistic/unique art fixtures is the same issue I see in many other categories I'm either an officer or leader of --- that is, it becomes a VERY subjective challenge for those officers who would vote on submissions that are the least bit questionable... UNLESS the category was well-written to eliminate most, if not all, confusion, doubts and general opinions about what make a light 'artistic' or 'unique'. These issues would be helped greatly by providing lots of photo examples of what would qualify (or not) in the category description (take a look at my Pergolas category to get an idea). Another issue I have with this category proposal is that the majority, if not all, light fixtures that would likely qualify are located indoors within businesses, museums, churches, what-have-you, and would only be accessible to the public during business hours to take a photo or two and 'log'. That really limits those opportunities to gain access to a waymark. But it's been done already (the Guest Books category comes to mind). I've seen some absolute gorgeous chandeliers (a few have qualified in other existing categories) in my travels that I've sometimes thought would make a great waymark and then realize there's no dedicated category for them. Your idea is not a bad one, I'm just telling you that it would need a great category write-up and photo examples (or web links to interesting examples) to justify its inclusion as a new category.
  14. Personally, I don't find these interesting and informative and I feel many others in the community feel the same. I believe the Waymarking admins have encouraged the community to 'retire' commercial businesses (either Ma and Pa or retail chains) and focus on those sites and structures that are more interesting and provide some educational/informative value.
  15. Max and 99 is correct. The process for creating new Waymarking categories was much different years ago, essentially an 'anything goes' mentality. Over the years, the community in general has 'evolved' to discourage categories devoted to commercial businesses. I feel racquetball courts fall into this category to a certain degree. Today, one has to ask themselves before proposing a new category, "Is it Interesting and informative?"... one of the questions everyone sees when a category goes to Peer Review. The new categories I've seen of late are more educational in value and encourage people to actively seek them out to visit or document. With that said, I feel you'd have much better luck trying to persuade the leader of the Tennis Facilities category to amend its rules to allow racquetball courts. I'm an officer in that category and could pitch the idea on your behalf. AND the category's title could even change to include 'Racquetball' ... this has been done before and needs help by an admin (like wayfrog). Just my two cents!
  16. Personally, I don't find these interesting and informative and I feel many others in the community feel the same. I believe the Waymarking admins have encouraged the community to 'retire' commercial businesses (either Ma and Pa or retail chains) and focus on those sites and structures that are more interesting and provide some educational/informative value.
  17. As most of you know, the Waymarking community is very small and so when a leader or officer of a category passes away, it makes our community a little smaller, at least in the heart and soul. I wanted to address the issue of those folks who have passed on and are still leaders or officers in specific categories. As uncomfortable as it feels, I (or other leaders/officers) have voted a few fellow Waymarkers out of officership after they've been deceased at least six months to a year. These include BruceS and MountainWoods (BTW, BruceS is still leader/officer of a number of categories after being gone for over a year). I just found out recently that another category leader/officer, chstress53, passed away. Why remove deceased officers, you may ask? It makes sense for at least a couple of reasons. Replacing them with active officers will keep a category viable --- they can actively vote on any questionable submissions or officers, update the category as needed and ensure the category doesn't go stagnant (the deceased can't vote and deceased leaders are unable to update the category). The big challenge is when a category leader passes away, then a Waymarking admin needs to get involved to remove the leader and appoint their replacement. I'm just curious of any other Waymarking individuals who've passed on that I may not be aware of (an officer or leader)?
  18. I inherited the leadership of the Grave of a Famous Person category a couple of years ago and knew immediately it would be another one of those 'subjective' categories that involve numerous 'send to vote' actions, raised questions and a little confusion as to what constitutes being 'famous' to deserve admission. I believe as the category sits, any individual with a minimum of a regional or statewide notoriety is accepted into the category. This includes many politicians and lawmakers since the majority have a Wikipedia page devoted to them, which segways into the next question: "Does a person require a Wikipedia bio to merit inclusion in the category?" The answer is 'No' but it makes a stronger case for inclusion, since every officer who sees a submission would like to have as much proof of the individual's notoriety as possible before approving. The category's description currently doesn't require a Wikipedia page of an individual but encourages the submitter to include a link to some web page highlighting the individual's life. I believe the category needs to be amended to require a web link (or more) when submitting waymarks. wayfrog, one of the admins, has related to me numerous times in promoting the principle of 'inclusiveness' when reviewing submissions. I've tried to follow that same principle but I also worry about a category becoming 'run-of-the-mill' and over-saturated with an 'anything goes' mindset. My motto when Waymarking is... 'Does your waymark(s) create enough interest to cause a person to want to visit it themselves?' I believe the Grave of a Famous Person should follow that motto.
  19. Don.Morfe messaged me directly regarding officer inactivity in the Underground Railroad Sites category and is requesting assistance for an admin to approve a number of his submissions. Thanks, Doug
  20. A compromise has been made between an admin and myself and hopefully you can read it here and provide feedback before I re-approve the remaining MOH submissions: Ernest Von Vegesack-Stockholm, Sweden Thank you.
  21. I never said uncategorized waymarks wouldn't be accepted. The alternative to an 'authentic, visited in person' waymark is to create an assisted waymark. I mentioned this option to the submitter in question with the following message: Comment: I'm sorry but I have a real problem with submitting waymarks into this category (or any other category for that matter) using photos taken by someone else and claiming credit for that site as if you visited it in person. In the spirit of the hobby, the aim and intention of the administrators when creating the Waymarking community was to have the waymarker actually visit the site in person, document it with photos, create a write-up and then submit. With that said, there is an alternative method of creating an 'assisted' waymark that uses another individual as a two-person way of documenting a site. Another individual creates an Uncategorized Waymark with photos, makes it public, and then you can claim that waymark by categorizing it (such as selecting in into Medal of Honor Resting Places), thus taken partial credit along with the other individual who actually took the photos. This method works in situations like yours where someone has discovered an interesting site but doesn't have the time to visit it in person. By finding another individual to take the photos on your behalf, you both get half credit. The main challenge is to get the other individual to log into Waymarking.com, create an account and submitting an Uncategorized Waymark. Easier said than done. Until this method is taken, I cannot in good faith allow this or prior approved Waymarks to be accepted in this caetgory. If you still have questions, contact me and I can provide further guidance. I will also be re-evaluating and denying all previously approved waymarks that slipped through the cracks. ~NW_history_buff I personally feel the assisted waymark route is the only legitimate way to approve the MOH submissions and keep the practice 'kosher' within the community. If the majority of the Waymarking community promotes approving submissions containing photos NOT by the submitter, (in essence, 'armchair Waymarking') please let me know and I'll retire from the hobby/activity because that would be a movement I do not want to be a part of.
  22. I was going create a post regarding my surprise and disappointment at discovering a number of waymarks approved the past couple of months in the Medal of Honor Resting Places were done with photos taken by miscellaneous people and NOT the submitter, and then I came across this post. As an officer of the MOH category who hasn't been very active in the community until recently, I find this practice of submitting and approving waymarks using others' photos to be EXTREMELY disconcerting and I recalled a term that was brought up a couple of years ago in satirical conversations: 'Armchair Waymarking'. It's a practice that I DEFINITELY DO NOT promote nor approve of in categories I lead or officer of and I strongly feel was NOT the original vision of the creators of the community many years ago. As a forum admin, BruceS always pointed out that mentioning specific user names was a no-no in discussion (if it was negative in tone) so I will continue to honor his intent and just say that I went back and re-evaluated and declined any and all approved waymarks in question in the MOH category. The positive side to this is that the submitter at least mentioned photo credits to those individuals, which made sifting through the legitimate and not-so-legitimate approvals much easier. I also messaged Wayfrog and have requested that he remove BruceS as leader and appoint me (or someone else) as leader. I feel enough time has passed since Bruce's passing that we officers can move on and move forward with taking over categories that he led, bringing in new officers if needed. NW_history_buff
  23. Many thanks to those individuals who volunteered to become officers in the categories listed above. I have fulfilled all categories with selected officers to my satisfaction and there should be no issue of non-active officers in these categories for the foreseeable future. Happy Waymarking! NW_history_buff
  24. Waymarkers: The following categories that I lead are in need of an officer or two to aid in approvals. If you are interested, please join any category group(s) listed below, message me your interest, and I'll try to make it happen. Thank you in advance for helping to keep Waymarking a viable activity in the community! Bandshells group (Only three officers, we need an active officer badly!) Feeding the Animals group (Only three officers, we need an active officer badly!) Fraternal Order of Eagles group (Only three officers, we need an active officer badly!) IMAX Theaters group (Only three officers, we need an active officer badly!) Lodge-Style Accommodations group (Would love to have a European officer since many submissions come from that part of the world) Man-Made Animal Bridges and Crossings group (Only three officers, we need an active officer badly!) Master Architects - Deconstructivism group (Needs someone who appreciates art and architecture and the the master architects involved with this movement) Master Architects - International Style group (Really would love to have a European officer who appreciates the art in architecture and the many international architects of this movement) Moose Lodges and Centers group (Only three officers, we need an active officer badly!) Soroptimist International Markers group (Only three officers, we need an active officer badly!) Free Community Book Exchanges group (Very popular category looking for a couple of officers) Most of the categories above are not very active so would not demand much of your time. Please consider! NW_history_buff
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