Catching them all: Pokémon Go Mustachians

[Migrator Soul]

So, let's hear it. How many of us are out there catching them all? I just downloaded it a little while ago, and have had a blast living out my childhood dream of being a Pokémon trainer.

[MoonShadow]

I'm wary about that game.  Can you give me a summary of what is really happening?

[Migrator Soul]

I'm wary about that game.  Can you give me a summary of what is really happening?

From what I have seen so far, you have to go out, and explore the city you live in, catching Pokémon. You actually have to physically move though. It's a sort of augmented VR, and it uses info pulled from Google maps to map your location and assist you in finding Pokémon. Landmarks like churches, stores, and monuments are used as pokestops and gyms to gain items and interact with others. Many of my peers and coworkers have enjoyed it, especially those with kids. It gets people outside and actually talking to one another in a friendly way.

[GuitarStv]

Oh good.  A new way to get people even more involved in their phones rather than the world around them.  :S

[Migrator Soul]

Oh good.  A new way to get people even more involved in their phones rather than the world around them.  :S

So that is what I thought as well, but in the past two hours of walking around, I've met and had conversations with seven other players, and they all seemed to be very cool people. Largely adult children in their early-mid 20's like myself.

[Inaya]

My husband and I have been having a good time. Him more than me, since my phone's GPS is usually malfunctioning. We met through Pokemon, and it's fun to get back into it as a couple (we haven't been interested in playing the games since Ruby/Sapphire or HG/SS, whichever was most recent). I'm finding lots of interesting landmarks that I've walked by hundreds of times but never noticed before.

It's a bit un-Mustachian though because it uses a lot of data. We normally use ~500MB per month, and we're already at 400MB 8 days into the billing cycle. I figure it's cheaper than date night at Ting's rates, and the hype will wear off, so a slightly elevated data plan for a month or two won't break the budget. The real problem is I want to buy a phone with functioning GPS! (Fortunately, I don't want anything larger than my Galaxy S4 Mini, and I don't think they make phones that small anymore.) I just want my 400 Magikarp candies!

Oh good.  A new way to get people even more involved in their phones rather than the world around them.  :S

It's rather the opposite, actually. People group up around "gyms" and popular "Pokestops" and little transient communities form and evolve as people come and go and interact. And many of these people (myself and hubs included) are the type who would otherwise probably not leave their sofa or computer chair--let alone interact with strangers out in the Real World.

[letired]

Oh good.  A new way to get people even more involved in their phones rather than the world around them.  :S

It's rather the opposite, actually. People group up around "gyms" and popular "Pokestops" and little transient communities form and evolve as people come and go and interact. And many of these people (myself and hubs included) are the type who would otherwise probably not leave their sofa or computer chair--let alone interact with strangers out in the Real World.

Hahaha this is what I was going to say! The intersection of 'people who go outside a lot and like talking to strangers' and 'people who love playing pokemon' is not typically very large. All my internet friends are reporting increased activity outside and increased socialization with strangers. I'm finding the game super charming, though my issue is that it eats my battery like none other, so I don't play it that much.

[Migrator Soul]

Overall, I am going to chalk this thing up to a win. It is free, and has the added benefit of assisting people who normally don't socialize or set foot outdoors to go on their own adventure of sorts.

[marty998]

Guy I work with caught one in the lift in the office.

The entire floor I work on is obsessed with the game... when grown adults start discussing how many Jigglypuffs and Bulbasaurs they have you know you should have bought shares in Nintendo

[Migrator Soul]

Guy I work with caught one in the lift in the office.

The entire floor I work on is obsessed with the game... when grown adults start discussing how many Jigglypuffs and Bulbasaurs they have you know you should have bought shares in Nintendo

Jigglypuffs are important! But seriously, I am honestly at this point wondering how I can tap into this new craze and maybe profit off of it. I enjoy the game, but if I could tap into this newfound spring of fandom, who knows?

[RFAAOATB]

Guy I work with caught one in the lift in the office.

The entire floor I work on is obsessed with the game... when grown adults start discussing how many Jigglypuffs and Bulbasaurs they have you know you should have bought shares in Nintendo

Jigglypuffs are important! But seriously, I am honestly at this point wondering how I can tap into this new craze and maybe profit off of it. I enjoy the game, but if I could tap into this newfound spring of fandom, who knows?

Instead of being a dogwalker, you could be a Pokémon walker.  Collect your clients' phones at the beginning of the day,  walk around with them on a tray tethered around your shoulders, and walk to all the nearby pokestops while they're at work.  Bring back the phones at the end of the day.  You could aim for an AM shift and a PM shift so the clients can get their phones back at lunch.

[Migrator Soul]

Guy I work with caught one in the lift in the office.

The entire floor I work on is obsessed with the game... when grown adults start discussing how many Jigglypuffs and Bulbasaurs they have you know you should have bought shares in Nintendo

Jigglypuffs are important! But seriously, I am honestly at this point wondering how I can tap into this new craze and maybe profit off of it. I enjoy the game, but if I could tap into this newfound spring of fandom, who knows?

Instead of being a dogwalker, you could be a Pokémon walker.  Collect your clients' phones at the beginning of the day,  walk around with them on a tray tethered around your shoulders, and walk to all the nearby pokestops while they're at work.  Bring back the phones at the end of the day.  You could aim for an AM shift and a PM shift so the clients can get their phones back at lunch.

I read an article about a guy who has been filling up his car with people playing and driving them to all the really good spots for $10 an hour. If he filled his car, with three people, that is $30 an hour. Not bad.

[FrugalKube]

Guy I work with caught one in the lift in the office.

The entire floor I work on is obsessed with the game... when grown adults start discussing how many Jigglypuffs and Bulbasaurs they have you know you should have bought shares in Nintendo

Jigglypuffs are important! But seriously, I am honestly at this point wondering how I can tap into this new craze and maybe profit off of it. I enjoy the game, but if I could tap into this newfound spring of fandom, who knows?

Instead of being a dogwalker, you could be a Pokémon walker.  Collect your clients' phones at the beginning of the day,  walk around with them on a tray tethered around your shoulders, and walk to all the nearby pokestops while they're at work.  Bring back the phones at the end of the day.  You could aim for an AM shift and a PM shift so the clients can get their phones back at lunch.

I read an article about a guy who has been filling up his car with people playing and driving them to all the really good spots for $10 an hour. If he filled his car, with three people, that is $30 an hour. Not bad.

Yep see a few people posting offering people ride to help them catch Pokemon

[faramund]

My son (almost 18) came home at 3pm last night. He's been driving his car around with 2 of his friends - at appropriate times they get out and find pokemon. He says he doesn't use his phone when driving, one of his friends does it for him - I hope thats true.

One of my daughters (almost 15) has got much better at walking our dogs - because she goes pokemon catching at the same time.

[dang1]

level 12 , 4 days after hitting level 16 in ingress

[Primm]

Oh good.  A new way to get people even more involved in their phones rather than the world around them.  :S

It's rather the opposite, actually. People group up around "gyms" and popular "Pokestops" and little transient communities form and evolve as people come and go and interact. And many of these people (myself and hubs included) are the type who would otherwise probably not leave their sofa or computer chair--let alone interact with strangers out in the Real World.

Not in my local experience. Large groups of people glued to their phones obstructing foot traffic from the hospital where I work to the local bus and ferry stops.

The sooner this trend evaporates and they all go back to their yo-yos the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Plus I'm pretty sure the three teenagers that suddenly ran out on the road in front of me the other day when I was driving were following a trail. I didn't hit them, but I certainly put the wind up them. The local hospital and police service have both put out "take it easy out there, people" warnings on their social media accounts.

[marty998]

Oh good.  A new way to get people even more involved in their phones rather than the world around them.  :S

It's rather the opposite, actually. People group up around "gyms" and popular "Pokestops" and little transient communities form and evolve as people come and go and interact. And many of these people (myself and hubs included) are the type who would otherwise probably not leave their sofa or computer chair--let alone interact with strangers out in the Real World.

Not in my local experience. Large groups of people glued to their phones obstructing foot traffic from the hospital where I work to the local bus and ferry stops.

The sooner this trend evaporates and they all go back to their yo-yos the better, as far as I'm concerned.

Plus I'm pretty sure the three teenagers that suddenly ran out on the road in front of me the other day when I was driving were following a trail. I didn't hit them, but I certainly put the wind up them. The local hospital and police service have both put out "take it easy out there, people" warnings on their social media accounts.

Just think... soon they won't be looking at phones... they'll be running in front of you on the road with virtual reality headsets....

[golden1]

Yeah, this is the killer app for something like Google glass.

I like it.  I have been taking walks with my kids, and it has gotten my kids out and exploring more.  Like any other toy, assholes are going to abuse and exploit it. 

Honestly, I think this is just the beginning for augmented reality. 

[Cwadda]

In defense of people walking around outside glued to their phones, at least they're WALKING around OUTSIDE. I've been doing bike rides and runs for egg hatches. I saw an overweight couple going for a walk and playing Pokemon. At least the game encourages people to get out and be active. You have to give it that.

[Inaya]

In defense of people walking around outside glued to their phones, at least they're WALKING around OUTSIDE. I've been doing bike rides and runs for egg hatches. I saw an overweight couple going for a walk and playing Pokemon. At least the game encourages people to get out and be active. You have to give it that.

And it's not like people weren't stopping in the middle of walkways/doorways or walking into traffic looking at their phones before this. I haven't noticed any more foot traffic clogging from Pokemon catchers than I had previously seen due to tourists being lost or taking selfies.

However, if they've put a Pokestop or a gym at a hospital, that's a problem. I wonder if it's possible to report that to Niantic to get it removed.

[GuitarStv]

However, if they've put a Pokestop or a gym at a hospital, that's a problem. I wonder if it's possible to report that to Niantic to get it removed.

The Holocaust museum has requested that they remove the Pokestop placed there.  So far, there hasn't been a reaction from the developers.

[Indexer]

I have noticed a lot more people walking because of it. There is a small high end shopping plaza near where I live. I have never shopped there but there are 6 pokestops scattered around the place so I walk my dog there to collect pokeballs and pokemon. The first night I saw one guy sitting in his car playing pokemon. Tonight I passed at least a dozen people playing it.

You also aren't as glued to your phone as one might think. Your phone vibrates when a pokemon is nearby so you can just walk with your phone by your side. You don't have to look at it except when you are actually throwing the ball or spinning a pokestop sign.

[teen persuasion]

Work in the public library, so we were trying to figure out if we are a pokestop or gym for a while.  We are a pokestop, and a gym is across the street, so we've seen some traffic due to the game.  It dovetails really nicely with the SRP theme this year, which is all about exercise and games.  We wish we'd know more ahead of time, to incorporate it in our programs.  I've seen lots of chatter on Twitter and our internal announcements among libraries about the game.

Yesterday's program presenters were college students, so they were playing and exchanging tips while setting up, so I learned a little more chatting with them.  A group of neighborhood kids were outside as I was locking up for the night - yep, all playing.

There was a story on the news a few days ago - lots of people in a big city park at 1am.   (DS explained that ghost pokemon come out at night.)  Only problem - park closes at dusk!  Police weren't pleased.

[wepner]

Oh good.  A new way to get people even more involved in their phones rather than the world around them.  :S

So that is what I thought as well, but in the past two hours of walking around, I've met and had conversations with seven other players, and they all seemed to be very cool people. Largely adult children in their early-mid 20's like myself.

Yeah I've met a lot of cool people out there in the real world and I've also met some people from team Valor...

[Migrator Soul]

Oh good.  A new way to get people even more involved in their phones rather than the world around them.  :S

So that is what I thought as well, but in the past two hours of walking around, I've met and had conversations with seven other players, and they all seemed to be very cool people. Largely adult children in their early-mid 20's like myself.

Yeah I've met a lot of cool people out there in the real world and I've also met some people from team Valor...

lol, pretty much. Most of the cool people are on Mystic I have noticed. Totally not biased, even though Mystic is my team :D

[Blonde Lawyer]

Woo hoo! I'm team Mystic.  I love it.  I'm not out of shape per se.  I enjoy exercise.  I just don't prioritize it.  In the last three days I've walked about 6 miles playing and I haven't even had to deal with incubating eggs yet.  That will be a lot more walking/biking! I plan to bike tomorrow to check out some other stops.  It motivates me.  I'd rather spend my limited downtime playing whereas before I wanted to spend my limited downtime online inside and not exercising.

[Shor]

I don't play myself but I saw how it plays. Question regarding the game's data use:

Why in the heck does this game consume large amounts of data?
Compared to other games, compared to casual use, it ranks right up there with streaming HD video (which I can understand).
Can anyone clue me in? Maybe there's something in the game that you see that I didn't catch in my brief moments of looking at it..

This is mostly from anecdotal review of people's data usage before and after getting the game, given an estimated hours per day usage.
Given what the game is actually doing, the data use should be way, way lower.

So far, all I get from actual players is: "Yeah it uses a lot of data. *shrug*"

[McBuck]

I don't play myself but I saw how it plays. Question regarding the game's data use:

Why in the heck does this game consume large amounts of data?
Compared to other games, compared to casual use, it ranks right up there with streaming HD video (which I can understand).
Can anyone clue me in? Maybe there's something in the game that you see that I didn't catch in my brief moments of looking at it..

This is mostly from anecdotal review of people's data usage before and after getting the game, given an estimated hours per day usage.
Given what the game is actually doing, the data use should be way, way lower.

So far, all I get from actual players is: "Yeah it uses a lot of data. *shrug*"

It really doesn't use all that much data. I've been playing quite a bit since it came out (few hours a day) and I've used 450MB total. In comparison, I accidentally had wifi off while I watched a 13 minute youtube video, and used 400MB.
Most of the data usage is from gps tracking. Having everything communicate with the server adds a little bit in order to stop people from hacking the game (giving themselves free stuff, changing the pokemon they catch, their levels, etc...)

[lifejoy]

Work in the public library, so we were trying to figure out if we are a pokestop or gym for a while.  We are a pokestop, and a gym is across the street, so we've seen some traffic due to the game.  It dovetails really nicely with the SRP theme this year, which is all about exercise and games.  We wish we'd know more ahead of time, to incorporate it in our programs.  I've seen lots of chatter on Twitter and our internal announcements among libraries about the game.

Yesterday's program presenters were college students, so they were playing and exchanging tips while setting up, so I learned a little more chatting with them.  A group of neighborhood kids were outside as I was locking up for the night - yep, all playing.

There was a story on the news a few days ago - lots of people in a big city park at 1am.   (DS explained that ghost pokemon come out at night.)  Only problem - park closes at dusk!  Police weren't pleased.

My library has been trying to get in on this trend. We put up a sign citing us as a poke stop, and we put pics of Pokemon in our library onto social media (look at drowsy checking out our new releases!). We also dropped a lure during a set time frame to lure Pokemon to our library. Other libraries have been doing Pokemon walks with lures and prizes :)

[Inaya]

It looks like between my husband and me, we'll be right around 1GB this month. We each play around an hour per day on mobile data. Our normal use hovers around 500MB, so not a ton of data overall, but double what we normally use. We're on Ting, so that's only $7 more than our pre-GO bills.

However, we have developed a bad habit of eating out when we go out to play. 90 minute commute + hot kitchen = the last thing I want to do is cook. And since we're already out... well it's way too easy to justify grabbing a schawarma pita and eating it in the park/on the river walk while catching our 'Mons.

[Jeremy E.]

My girlfriend got me into playing this, and as far as data goes, there are ways to decrease data usage. If you are on android, you download maps from google maps everywhere you will be playing, and some ways to save battery life are to turn off CP and to turn on battery saver in the settings and of course your screen brightness is important. There have been a few incidents where people have gotten into accidents and extra foot traffic, but I think the hundreds of millions of people getting more exercise and socialization outweighs this by a lot, and think the game is a good thing. Local businesses have also said they are getting more business lately, the animal rescue where I live has a sign that says "Take our dogs for a walk so people won't know you're Pokehunting." Since then, they have had lots of people take their dogs for walks every night, and a lot more adoptions as well.

[ketchup]

There was a story on the news a few days ago - lots of people in a big city park at 1am.   (DS explained that ghost pokemon come out at night.)  Only problem - park closes at dusk!  Police weren't pleased.

Where I live, there's a park with eight Pokéstops that wraps around and literally shares a parking lot with the local police station and city hall.  My GF and I (and typically 30+ other players) have been there until ~10-11pm many times and nobody has yelled at us yet...

[geekette]

Our back yard abuts a town park with a 2 mile trail around the lake, plus miles of trails in adjoining acreage.  There are at least a dozen Pokéstops around the lake walk, 4 gyms, and I can't count how many of each on the other trails. 

Lots of turnover at the gyms (I can see 3 from my house).  Often there will be multiple lures at Pokéstops around the boathouse.  There's a ton of activity, and this is with the heat index over 100 - i.e opening the front door is like opening the dishwasher just after running it.

[Kwill]

On the data question: I'm generally not using any data at all to play. I keep the data disabled on my phone, so I only play when I'm on wi-fi. I live near a number of university buildings with Eduroam, which I can use, so I take my little Pokemon walks on a path that keeps me near the buildings but hits up to 11 Poke stops and two gyms. I don't get credit for all the walking because there are dead spots as far as the wi-fi is concerned, but it works out pretty well overall.

If you're not near a campus, you might be able to do the same thing at a shopping mall or even in a neighbourhood with Comcast hotspots or something. Some universities have guest access to wi-fi, though I suppose that could get more limited if they get inundated with Pokemon hunters.

[geekette]

Since I have a park with a lake in my back yard, I collected 100+ Magikarps and evolved one today into a 1458 CP Gyarados.  Not too shabby for my lowly level 18 self!  I haven't been able to get out much due to a sprained ankle and the aforementioned 100+ degree heat index and hordes of mosquitos, but hopefully soon. 

[Inaya]

Since I have a park with a lake in my back yard, I collected 100+ Magikarps and evolved one today into a 1458 CP Gyarados.  Not too shabby for my lowly level 18 self!  I haven't been able to get out much due to a sprained ankle and the aforementioned 100+ degree heat index and hordes of mosquitos, but hopefully soon.

Sooo jealous. Gyarados has always been my favorite Pokemon. Just not that many 'Karp around here, even though we're right on a river. And something about the last update (the one that removed Nearby), the game has been unplayable. It often refuses to acknowledge my GPS is on (it was always a little hinky, but playable), and when it's working right, the 'Mons just run away.


I took the cat to Navy Pier yesterday, and it's a huge Pokemon hot spot. So many people running around and catching Pokemon--I couldn't even get the game to load up. I just had to console myself with the fact that I have a cat I can take to Navy Pier. Wouldn't trade her for all the 'Karp in the world.

[chemistk]

I've been at it for close to a month now. Definitely glad to see there are still folks who play it regularly. I keep telling myself that the first feelings of dissilusionment and I'll stop playing since this game takes a lot of work rhe higher you go.

I've walked over 115km since last month, double my normal monthly walking total. I usually never went outside at lunch during work but now I eat quickly at my desk and then go for a 30 minute walk. I'm at level 21 right now, close to 22. I know that eventually my interest will fade, so I'll be interested to see how other folks are doing in ano the month.

[faramund]

Well, I've been a runner (and when slack a walker) for a few years - but its much more fun with pokemon to give me a break now and then. Although, very un-mustacian, today I spent a reasonable amount of cash to buy some cables, a USB battery, and a car charger  - so I don't have to worry about running my phone flat.

[dramaman]

I'm so mustachian that we don't want to spend money on a phone with a data plan to play Pokemon Go.

Our Alternatives?

At first I made a game out of spotting Pokemon Go players.

Now my daughter is playing the WAY old school pokemon red on her Nintendo 2DS and having a blast.

Meanwhile I downloaded an Nintendo Color Game Boy emulator for my tablet and am playing Pokemon Gold on it... and having a blast. :)

[GuitarStv]

So, just to be clear . . .

Pokemon Go is the game where you steal digital animals from their natural home, then train them for brutal pit fights against the captive digital animals of others?  And parents are cool with their kids doing this?  :P

[Cyaphas]

So, just to be clear . . .

Pokemon Go is the game where you steal digital animals from their natural home, then train them for brutal pit fights against the captive digital animals of others?  And parents are cool with their kids doing this?  :P

Yep...

It's a blast! Atleast, the daughters, fiance and I have been having a great time with it. It's already cost me my phone, when it fell into the Comel river. We've got to see an increidble amount of monuments, fouintains, historical markers and plaques that we would've never knew were there if not for the game. We've also encountered a lot of real wild life, from deer (lots of deer) to water moccasins, squirrels and a lot of fish.

It's a lot more of a social game than you would think. I've never seen nerd type people be so open before. Parks and public areas that are usually abandoned at night are now flourishing with people walking around, talking and laughing. I've also seen a few small refreshment entrepenuers spring up. Overall I think this game is a big step in a good direction for everyone. I can't wait to see what types of RPGs come out using this play style. Mix them with some VR headets and you could have a pretty awesome game on your hands.

Level 20 - Instinct

Strategy/tips:

Don't use ANY of your star dust until after you reach level 20. It isn't worth it.

Only evolve your highest CP Pokemon, the stats randomize on evolution.

Save your evolutions for when you have an XP egg.
Only use your XP egg when you have a lot of pokemon to evolve. The exception is for when you first start the game. Make sure you're at a lured pokestop and then use your egg. The bonus XP for finding all new pokemon is worth it.

Make sure that you always have eggs in the incubators.

When you take a gym make sure you start your shop timer. You don't have to hold the gym, you just need to be in a gym when the timer is up to gain the additonal bonus.

When trying to hatch eggs, focus on walking in a long straight line. The distance calculator only checks in at intervals. If you walk in a circle you may not get a lot of the distance you walked counted.

Find a local place where you can sit and hit 2 or more pokestops from a single spot, find some shade and bring a book. We have a great starbucks with free Wifi nearby and 3 pokestops from their patio.

Local museums, gardens and parks usually have a lot of dense pokestops int ehm with shade.

If you're really hardcore, there are a lot of local facebook pokemon groups popping up with good tips on where to hunt and where to find rare nests.

[Inaya]

So, just to be clear . . .

Pokemon Go is the game where you steal digital animals from their natural home, then train them for brutal pit fights against the captive digital animals of others?  And parents are cool with their kids doing this?  :P

Yeah, PETA tried that same argument 20 years ago. Didn't work then; won't work now.

[ketchup]

So, just to be clear . . .

Pokemon Go is the game where you steal digital animals from their natural home, then train them for brutal pit fights against the captive digital animals of others?  And parents are cool with their kids doing this?  :P

Yeah, PETA tried that same argument 20 years ago. Didn't work then; won't work now.

Well, to be fair, PETA does all kinds of insane shit that embarrass most animal-lovers.

[Blonde Lawyer]

So, just to be clear . . .

Pokemon Go is the game where you steal digital animals from their natural home, then train them for brutal pit fights against the captive digital animals of others?  And parents are cool with their kids doing this?  :P

I'm a huge animal advocate and even the I love Pokemon Go, I do have a bit of an issue with this aspect of the game.  Luckily, though whole game is fictional with made up creatures. 

[Inaya]

Did anyone get the full version of the new "Sightings" feature? That is, the one that shows you an image of the Pokestop behind the Pokemon instead of just grass. From what I've seen it looks like a very big step in the right direction, but I'm also skeptical. Just curious if anyone has had the opportunity to try it out. (Alas, neither hubs nor myself were among the Chosen.)

[Blonde Lawyer]

Did anyone get the full version of the new "Sightings" feature? That is, the one that shows you an image of the Pokestop behind the Pokemon instead of just grass. From what I've seen it looks like a very big step in the right direction, but I'm also skeptical. Just curious if anyone has had the opportunity to try it out. (Alas, neither hubs nor myself were among the Chosen.)

I think it is just people in San Francisco.  I hope the picture is just of the pokestop and not of someone actually catching a "wild" pokemon.  I'd have some big privacy concerns if it were the latter.  I know Niantic gets all the pics anyway but I'd rather not have them redistributed to fellow players in the event that behind my Pokemon was something I'd rather not have the public see.  There are already bloggers out there making porn pics w/ Pokemon in them so people would likely do all kinds of gross stuff if the random pics were being displayed.  If it's just "hey, this pokemon might be near this pokestop" then cool. 

I mean, it would be fun to see pictures of where pokemon were caught near you and try to figure out what that picture is but the privacy concerns would outweigh that for me unless someone was reviewing each individual picture first.

[Inaya]

Did anyone get the full version of the new "Sightings" feature? That is, the one that shows you an image of the Pokestop behind the Pokemon instead of just grass. From what I've seen it looks like a very big step in the right direction, but I'm also skeptical. Just curious if anyone has had the opportunity to try it out. (Alas, neither hubs nor myself were among the Chosen.)

I think it is just people in San Francisco.  I hope the picture is just of the pokestop and not of someone actually catching a "wild" pokemon.  I'd have some big privacy concerns if it were the latter.  I know Niantic gets all the pics anyway but I'd rather not have them redistributed to fellow players in the event that behind my Pokemon was something I'd rather not have the public see.  There are already bloggers out there making porn pics w/ Pokemon in them so people would likely do all kinds of gross stuff if the random pics were being displayed.  If it's just "hey, this pokemon might be near this pokestop" then cool. 

I mean, it would be fun to see pictures of where pokemon were caught near you and try to figure out what that picture is but the privacy concerns would outweigh that for me unless someone was reviewing each individual picture first.

From what I've seen, it's just the same image that is used when you visit the Pokestop.