Wow
What a thread !
I came here in search of answers to what is “citizen science” (more on this in this new thread) and got swept into to the diverse arguments - points, counterpoints and maverick points.
I went back and checked the meaning ot Citizen (Merriam Webster Quoted here"
Definition of citizen
1**:** an inhabitant of a city or town especially : one entitled to the rights and privileges of a freeman
2a**:** a member of a state
So the first and original meaning, if taken to heart, means all who consider themselves citizens scientists must / possible may belong to a city.
I make this point specifically because “villager” is a pejorative in many places (and my place too).
For some years, now, many people (i think across the world and here too) for various legal and political reasons have been resisting the inclusion of their village into a larger “town, or city, or municipal council” and are trying to reclaim the word “villager” (or its equivalent ) because being a city dweller is being equated with having a “better life” or being “smarter”.
For me, personally. till i came upon this thread had never really thought about “the Citizen” part of citizen science - but right now am inclined to start searching for a new word.
“Open Science was suggested and seems acceptable” mainly because of its probable “allusion” to “open source” - while quite aptly the “licensing” used in Inaturalist is drawn from the “open source movement” via Creative Commons licensing. But open science also because it allows anyone - without bias, without requiring to be a qualified expert tag to contribute to and benefit from the contributions of others.
One of the tags for CC is " Open access to knowledge" - while many factors hinder people being able to avail of and contribute to this open access knowledge atleast having a system that allows for it is in-itself a big achievement.
Community Science does not cover it all - again a lot has been said - my two bits are that community has many actors but sometimes communities tend to obscure individuals and their contributions (or vice versa) whereas Citizen (Open) Science acknowledges (or should acknowledge) the individual and the community both.
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On yet another note - where in the world can one find a person “expert” in something and tag them to help id something (and then even request an explanation". Similarly where in the world can we find “experts” who readily share their knowledge and time and help absolutely novices and beginners along.
I think iNaturalist is one of the very few places in the “sciences”. (and as i say that probably will receive a tonne load of other such places - in which case Yes I have been living under a rock :-) - sort of )
I have more to say but will do so in this thread.