I suppose some (not me) might find it a little creepy that an unknown iNatter was systematically going through all their observations.
3 Likes
And sometimes it might appear that an IDer is systematically going through one’s observations, when in fact they are merely systematically looking at a particular observations in a particular taxon/place.
My feelings about suddenly getting a bunch of IDs varies quite a bit depending on whether I know the user and whether they appear to have knowledge about the taxa they are providing IDs for. While I always feel honored if a specialist decides to give some extra attention to my observations and refine a bunch of the spiders/flies/fungi/etc. that I have broadly ID’d, occasionally I will get a series of apparently random IDs from someone who I’ve had little prior interaction with.
Most of the time when this happens, it seems that either 1) they want to reciprocate because I provided a number of IDs for them as part of my usual process of looking at recent bee and wasp observations or 2) they find my observations interesting or like my photos and it is a way of engaging. I am not particularly enthusiastic about receiving such IDs, because it often is not clear whether the user actually understands the IDs they are providing or just thinks that they are being helpful by adding agrees.
So I’d much prefer that if people want to say thank you for having received IDs, rather than providing IDs to me for taxa they aren’t familiar with, they pay it forward instead – find some taxon that they are familiar with and provide IDs for others, or help out the community in other ways such as adding annotations.
2 Likes
If I have disagreed with a new user’s identification, I sometimes go through the rest of their obs to try and give them some agreements so that they don’t feel discouraged.
18 Likes
That is a very dry, clinical term which does not evoke any emotions. We can do better.
4 Likes
I’ve had that happen and done the same to other people but there’s a third kind, I’ve had some new users drop some bad ID’s so I’ve gone through their identifications to check for errors and found a few
2 Likes
Margaret Singer, in her 1996 book, wrote, “As soon as any interest is shown by the [cult] recruits, they may be love bombed by the recruiter or other cult members. This process of feigning friendship and interest in the recruit was originally associated with one of the early youth cults, but soon it was taken up by a number of groups as part of their program for luring people in. Love bombing is a coordinated effort, usually under the direction of leadership, that involves long-term members’ flooding recruits and newer members with flattery, verbal seduction, affectionate but usually nonsexual touching, and lots of attention to their every remark. Love bombing—or the offer of instant companionship—is a deceptive ploy accounting for many successful recruitment drives.”
Jason wanted to share a positive experience on iNat (congrats on your new badge, by the way), but he inadvertently kicked off a debate about language. Which means that everybody is missing his point, which he hates!
Language is always evolving. Jason meant it in a positive way. I’m okay with this usage. Congrats on getting love bombed!
4 Likes
Replying to myself about myself, but it looks like I got some ID focus from @gerrit_oehm on tons of my arthropod observations! Thanks Gerrit!
Maybe send some love his way if you’re familiar with German or South African insects/arthropods!
I just scoured a bunch of their recent plant observations without IDs, and then realized in making this post that he’s not from South Africa (lol).
I never thought I’d say this, but I think SA almost has too much plant diversity, my head is spinning a bit from looking through just some of the subfamilies, tribes and genera of Aizoaceae alone!
2 Likes
By the way, who said iNat (and the forum) wasn’t a cult? 
9 Likes
I love your term for it, ha! It is a great feeling when a specialist tackles your observations. Thank you for sharing the joy of this feeling :)
2 Likes
Humble confession - I mostly leave the ID at Family for those. We have some good botanists who ID with interesting discussions, and UNdescribed sp.
2 Likes
I understood exactly the warm fuzzy hug feeing Jason was speaking of! I’m ok with love bombing in the iNat way…
And Jason set off many good sparks with the post, as I received sooo many new ids from a couple of Very Appreciated IDers that I once again got my “iNat headache” from scrolling through them all! (IYKYK- screen or scrolling sickness is real and akin to motion sickness)
Thank you to ALL the IDers !
Especially the ones I haven’t said thanks to individually… 
4 Likes
This just happened to me. I was so grateful when I saw the IDs!
The one ID that I disagree with got me to look more closely at my photos and learn a little more about two species that look quite similar.
I’ll definitely pass the love bombing along to someone soon!
5 Likes
That’s cool! I think I did that when I was trying to identify some bird audio recordings. I was frustrated at all the not-so-good recordings that, when I found someone that posted really good, clear audio files, I went to their observations list and searched for more. I will do that again. It sort of rewards people for making an effort to post good observations.
3 Likes
Maybe I’m just a dry, clinical sort of person. ;-)
But I agree there are better terms.
I guess I don’t get that emotional about IDs. I appreciate them, certainly, and it is fun when someone swoops in and carpet-bombs a bunch of my records with IDs. I’ve done it a few times for others.
4 Likes
I guess I’m also dry and clinical (Honestly, it would be a fair assessment.)
Cult manipulation tactics are something I am hyperaware of due to my past, and I will admit that the term love bombing does uh.. give me the ick a bit.
That said, I’m happy to see folks happy!
4 Likes
Well, I’m open to other terms. Jnstuart just now used the term carpet-bombing, although that has connotations of war crimes.
8 Likes
Yeah, don’t use that one.
4 Likes
I got an iNat hug
?
5 Likes
There’s, uh, nothing like an identification blitzkrieg!..???
4 Likes
Upon further consideration, these situations are more difficult to describe than I imagined; we should probably just keep these “mass identification events” in our thoughts and prayers, yes?
Edit: Do these “enhanced identification techniques” always elicit the truth?
(Sorry, I don’t mean to sidetrack the conversation, I’ll be quiet now). 
1 Like