Pokemon Go! and the Holocaust Museum

[Belsnickel]

Not sure if anyone else has been paying attention to this, but the Holocaust Museum in DC has had to ask people not to play inside. Arlington National Cemetery has also made the request.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/12/holocaust-museum-to-visitors-please-stop-catching-pokemon-here/

Now, this is an interesting topic, but this particular image is the one I find most cringe worthy, and I hope is not real.



The article mentions this, it's a Pokemon that apparently emits a gas, and it's in a room where there are testimonials of gas chamber survivors.

[GMDino]

Ouch.

[Brownshoe]

(07-13-2016, 12:30 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Not sure if anyone else has been paying attention to this, but the Holocaust Museum in DC has had to ask people not to play inside. Arlington National Cemetery has also made the request.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/12/holocaust-museum-to-visitors-please-stop-catching-pokemon-here/

Now, this is an interesting topic, but this particular image is the one I find most cringe worthy, and I hope is not real.



The article mentions this, it's a Pokemon that apparently emits a gas, and it's in a room where there are testimonials of gas chamber survivors.

From what I understand about the game is that the pokemon are randomly generated, and they can pop up anywhere. I think that public places are "hot spots" for the pokemon to spawn too. So, I think that museum is a hot spot (and that graveyard), and the person who took that screen shot probably waited until that exact pokemon showed up. This seems to me like people are just reaching.

But I honestly don't know the exact details, because the last time I played Pokemon was in 1999 when I was a kid.

[Aquapod770]

(07-13-2016, 12:30 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Not sure if anyone else has been paying attention to this, but the Holocaust Museum in DC has had to ask people not to play inside. Arlington National Cemetery has also made the request.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/12/holocaust-museum-to-visitors-please-stop-catching-pokemon-here/

Now, this is an interesting topic, but this particular image is the one I find most cringe worthy, and I hope is not real.



The article mentions this, it's a Pokemon that apparently emits a gas, and it's in a room where there are testimonials of gas chamber survivors.

 
















I'm going to hell. 

[*jason*]

(07-13-2016, 12:30 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Not sure if anyone else has been paying attention to this, but the Holocaust Museum in DC has had to ask people not to play inside. Arlington National Cemetery has also made the request.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/12/holocaust-museum-to-visitors-please-stop-catching-pokemon-here/

Now, this is an interesting topic, but this particular image is the one I find most cringe worthy, and I hope is not real.



The article mentions this, it's a Pokemon that apparently emits a gas, and it's in a room where there are testimonials of gas chamber survivors.

What the **** is wrong with people? That museum is so powerful that it almost ruins your day. It certainly changes your mood.

I was in DC two months after 9/11. I was watching the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington. I was kinda zoned out looking at the Pentagon, and thinking how that guard had to be standing there and stoically watch the plane crash. All of the sudden the guard just yelled at these people who were chatting it up during the ceremony. I got a kick out of it, but it was disrespectful to the umpteenth degree.

[GMDino]

(07-13-2016, 01:02 PM)jason Wrote: What the **** is wrong with people? That museum is so powerful that it almost ruins your day. It certainly changes your mood.

I was in DC two months after 9/11. I was watching the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington. I was kinda zoned out looking at the Pentagon, and thinking how that guard had to be standing there and stoically watch the plane crash. All of the sudden the guard just yelled at these people who were chatting it up during the ceremony. I got a kick out of it, but it was disrespectful to the umpteenth degree.

We were there a few months ago and everyone was totally respectful.

In fact I made comment (maybe on this board too) that the JFK grave site was one of the most respectful places I have ever been to.  A simple sign in the front and people were completely well behaved.

[Belsnickel]

The timing of all of this was interesting for me. We have a book fair here that is great for discounted books and I picked up Schindler's List because I had never read it before (or seen the movie). So I read it over the weekend, and then there has been this. After reading a book like that and then seeing things like this it evokes some serious opinions.

But, having almost run over three college students so far because they were playing this game and not paying attention, I already had some strong feelings about this.

[*jason*]

(07-13-2016, 01:10 PM)GMDino Wrote: We were there a few months ago and everyone was totally respectful.

In fact I made comment (maybe on this board too) that the JFK grave site was one of the most respectful places I have ever been to.  A simple sign in the front and people were completely well behaved.

That was the only time I've ever seen something like that. Those guards are normally silent too. It wasn't a ruckus or anything. I was just two or three clowns talking. The guard lit into them.

[BmorePat87]

(07-13-2016, 12:30 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: Not sure if anyone else has been paying attention to this, but the Holocaust Museum in DC has had to ask people not to play inside. Arlington National Cemetery has also made the request.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2016/07/12/holocaust-museum-to-visitors-please-stop-catching-pokemon-here/

Now, this is an interesting topic, but this particular image is the one I find most cringe worthy, and I hope is not real.



The article mentions this, it's a Pokemon that apparently emits a gas, and it's in a room where there are testimonials of gas chamber survivors.

Koffings are found in cities. The museum is in DC, hence the fact that Koffings will be found in buildings in DC. Besides the "poke stops" (landmarks based on images on google maps), there is no distinction for what building you are in when you play the game.

This is just an unfortunate coincidence. 

[*Nately120*]

Ok, I only have a vague idea of how this app works BUT are people walking around the Holocaust Museum looking for Pokeymans OR are they outside and see "Hey, there is a Pokeyman in there! Quick, let's go into the Holocaust Museum!"

Seriously, how does this work? Should I watch for people randomly trying to get into my house because some imaginary monster randomly spawned in my living room?

[BmorePat87]

(07-13-2016, 01:34 PM)Nately120 Wrote: Ok, I only have a vague idea of how this app works BUT are people walking around the Holocaust Museum looking for Pokeymans OR are they outside and see "Hey, there is a Pokeyman in there!  Quick, let's go into the  Holocaust Museum!"

Seriously, how does this work?  Should I watch for people randomly trying to get into my house because some imaginary monster randomly spawned in my living room?

The game has an overview that looks like a simplified version of google maps. The pokemon will randomly spawn on the map. You can get an idea of where they might be because a little bit of leaves/grass will twirl around spots they might spawn. You can be tens of yards of away from them and still catch them, though.

There is some scenario specific pokemon spawning, but it isn't as specific as making a gas emitting pokemon spawn in the holocaust museum, much less a room about gas killings. Fish pokemon will appear more often near water. The rat, bug,  and bird pokemon will be around your neighborhood, etc.

[*Nately120*]

(07-13-2016, 01:40 PM)BmorePat87 Wrote: The game has an overview that looks like a simplified version of google maps. The pokemon will randomly spawn on the map. You can get an idea of where they might be because a little bit of leaves/grass will twirl around spots they might spawn. You can be tens of yards of away from them and still catch them, though.

There is some scenario specific pokemon spawning, but it isn't as specific as making a gas emitting pokemon spawn in the holocaust museum, much less a room about gas killings. Fish pokemon will appear more often near water. The rat, bug,  and bird pokemon will be around your neighborhood, etc.

Hmm, well I assume someone will get shot for walking onto someone else's property looking for some fake monster, eventually.

[Nebuchadnezzar]

Businesses, I believe, can pay something like $2.00 an hour to make their stores a "Hotspot" for this game.

I doubt the Holocaust Museum pays for their building to be a "Hotspot" but the game randomly generates Pokemon anywhere and everywhere. "Hotspots" is where extra Pokemon are generated.

I think this is how it works anyway.

I'll tell you what though, whoever came up with this idea(Nintendo) is making money hand over fist with this thing. People pay money to buy coins to be able to buy those balls. .99 cents will get you 100 coins which will buy 20 balls. Then businesses pay to be a "Hotspot"...it's a great business model if the developer continue to improve the game.

[GMDino]

(07-13-2016, 01:29 PM)jason Wrote: That was the only time I've ever seen something like that. Those guards are normally silent too. It wasn't a ruckus or anything. I was just two or three clowns talking. The guard lit into them.

Wish I would have seen that!

[BmorePat87]

(07-13-2016, 02:11 PM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: Businesses, I believe, can pay something like $2.00 an hour to make their stores a "Hotspot" for this game.

I doubt the Holocaust Museum pays for their building to be a "Hotspot" but the game randomly generates Pokemon anywhere and everywhere. "Hotspots" is where extra Pokemon are generated.

I think this is how it works anyway.

I'll tell you what though, whoever came up with this idea(Nintendo) is making money hand over fist with this thing. People pay money to buy coins to be able to buy those balls. .99 cents will get you 100 coins which will buy 20 balls. Then businesses pay to be a "Hotspot"...it's a great business model if the developer continue to improve the game.

You can buy a lure and it makes pre established pokestops into "hot spots" of sorts that all users can use. The Baltimore Zoo is doing this.

The game determines what the pokestops are, though, so some businesses may not have any near them.

[McC]

I don't even know what the object of the game is. Apparently, it is no longer a kids' game.

[Au165]

(07-13-2016, 04:23 PM)McC Wrote: I don't even know what the object of the game is.  Apparently, it is no longer a kids' game.

A lot of the older people playing were kids when it originally came out, so it is more about the nostalgia behind it. When you were a kid and it came out you wanted nothing more for this stuff to be real, now in a stoke of genius they have done that to an extent. I am thinking it will die down in a couple weeks for a majority but some will still play.