I’ve been enjoying the push to get more people to add identifications on the platform and see this as important way to grow, improve, and sustain the community we have. However, I have started to wonder about the possible downsides to adding more identifiers. It definitely has the potential to exa…

[image] tom_reichner: I would never want to make a mistake on a platform where that mistake is publicly visible. I’d like to invite you to join Club Imperfect here on iNaturalist. One or two mistakes aren’t enough to qualify, but as you make more you can join with us more experienced error-m…

[image] tom_reichner: So now that I see this thread, I am wondering if there are downsides to me becoming involved as an identifier. If so, please let me know and I will curtail my identification activities. I don’t want to mess anything up by making IDs without being an actual expert. This i…

An identification is not a mistake if you can explain your reasoning when asked to. It is not a mistake even if others provide a different ID or even if you change your mind later and withdraw it.

[image] vbjanos: if you can explain your reasoning when asked to. This is the problem with lacking formal scientific training. Some of the species local to here I know because I have observed them hour upon hour upon hour but I would be hard pressed to identify the why of how I know, just tha…

That is called giss. General impression of size and shape – birds, or WW2 planes. I cannot spell out why – but I DO KNOW it is that.

For me (plants in Turkey and Britain), the first ID should at least be a genus guess, and if a near-looking species can be given that’s helpful. This is because a Turkish genus can be quite large, so it’s frequently rather unhelpful to have things at genus level, it’s better to have an incorrect spe…

[image] meteorquake: an incorrect species level but if I use an tentative sp, follow notifications to see if / who agrees. Then call in a taxon specialist. I would rather let the obs wait in a correct Genus, or even Family. The specialists do taxon sweeps.

[image] ItsMeLucy: my queries about the availability of keys for species like these go unanswered This makes me quite sad. I hope you find helpful individuals.

Have you asked on this forum about the availability of keys? There are people here with access to big libraries and who are experts at finding such things on the web. (You have probably realised, I meant this as a reply to Lucy.)

Downsides of more identifiers?

General

LostInCR July 1, 2026, 6:21pm 73

Gestalt identification

https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/identifying-by-gestalt/44987

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Crazy prolific but incorrect identifier General	74	5612	December 8, 2020
User downgrading my IDs unnecessarily General	69	7585	May 9, 2019
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Downsides of more identifiers?

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