229. Spaghetti Noms

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

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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

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