Identification is not taken into account

Bug Reports
1

Please fill out the following sections to the best of your ability, it will help us investigate bugs if we have this information at the outset. Screenshots are especially helpful, so please provide those if you can.

Platform (Android, iOS, Website): website

App version number, if a mobile app issue (shown under Settings or About): -

Browser, if a website issue (Firefox, Chrome, etc) : Vivaldi

URLs (aka web addresses) of any relevant observations or pages:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159905341

Screenshots of what you are seeing (instructions for taking a screenshot on computers and mobile devices: https://www.take-a-screenshot.org/):

image
image1513×436 125 KB

image
image868×442 38 KB

Description of problem (please provide a set of steps we can use to replicate the issue, and make as many as you need.):

I found this observation in the “unknown” pool of the id module. The status is “unknown”, but has a first identification.
when I add “lepidoptera” because I don’t know more about them, the observation stays “unkown” and turned to hobby quality.
when I deleted my “lepidoptera” it turns back to “unknown”.

Why? what is missing? it’s a bug? or not?

Thanks for any help. Kind regards.

1 Like
2

There isn’t a bug; the system is working as intended. The observer has opted out of the community taxon.

image
image622×197 10.6 KB

The observation won’t move from “unknown” unless the observer either opts back in to the community taxon or adds their own ID. It’s not uncommon for new users to misunderstand the implications of opting out.

There is a little more info on opting out on this help page: What if I disagree with someone’s identification?

3 Likes
3

Thanks for the explanation and additional information.

Than I can ignore this observations in the future.

1 Like
4

Quick question: Is there any ‘official’ way to clear such observations out of ‘Needs ID’? I haven’t come across it often, but can think of one particular example where the original observer opted out but put the correct ID in the notes and listed the ID as Plants. Since then, at least half a dozen different identifiers have tried in vain to get it to move - which is a waste of everyone’s time.

2 Likes
5

I leave a comment when I see a queue of identifiers.
Save the next one the (frustrating!) ‘waste of time and effort’
I would like Opted Out to be in the banner up top. Along with Research Grade / Needs ID / Casual.

If there is one particular observer, you can mute them.
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/make-opting-out-of-community-id-unavailable-to-new-users/38192
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-can-i-opt-back-into-community-id/57678

3 Likes