I’ve noticed several instances of iNat using default common names that don’t seem to exist (or just barely so) outside of this site. This is easy enough to figure out by a quick Google search, where the only results will be from iNat and a small number of information-aggregating websites, but these …

I have noticed the same thing; iNat often comes up with common names that are new to me and may be formatted oddly (sometimes capitalized, sometimes not, etc.). Wondering exactly how they are sourced and curated. For some groups there really aren’t common names, but for most North American taxa ther…

Also this thread https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/which-common-name-to-use-the-most-common-or-taxonomically-accurate/5952/2 There are some clunky ‘common’ names which are translated from the Botanese.

I was wondering the same thing, iNat is listing taxa under common names that are just made up by translating scientific names, for example the “Confusing Spur-throated Locust” These common names can be confusing or unwieldy, but the thing that irks me the most is when the common name is just a trans…

I’ve actually been confused by that very Polistes fuscatus common name.

Common names can be problematic, and there certainly are some weird ones here on iNat. Some people may have been guilty of coining a common name themselves, or innocently putting in a common name that they thought was OK, but that was in fact coined by a friend or teacher. I think people often che…

You say this as if users have control over common names?

[image] susanhewitt: And all kinds of questions come up – e.g. when you have the same species occurring in the US and the UK, do we let the US name be dominant because there are more Yanks than Brits? For two circumpolar dragonfly species I can think of, iNat recognizes the UK name rather tha…

[image] insectobserver123: You say this as if users have control over common names? Yes, any user can add a common name to iNaturalist, and any curator can edit/manage common names, like fixing typos, assigning the global default, or assigning the default name for particular places. [image] …

The first name added with mark of “scientific” will stay as the main name, though it can be not the best choice. I add a lot of Russian names and we have some weirdly chosen common name, like Taraxacum officinale’s one, and as I know staff said those won’t be changed. As I understand all common name…

Erroneous and Uncommon "Common Names" As The Default

General

Topic		Replies	Views
Which common name to use - the most common or taxonomically accurate? Curators	19	3022	April 8, 2025
Common names from "not good enough" sources Curators	72	5520	November 16, 2021
Common names invented on iNat General common-names	192	12693	March 29, 2023
Inventing common names redux General	68	2540	May 6, 2023
What to do about silly common names? General common-names	53	2330	August 5, 2024

Erroneous and Uncommon "Common Names" As The Default

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