URL parameters and browser bookmarks to the rescue!
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?not_user_id=<long comma-separated list of ‘unwanted’ usernames or user numbers…>
1 Like
Thank you! I just found 3 of mine (old ones I had missed) and was able to correct them (and learn from them).
3 Likes
agreed, it is very difficult to get any verification for things sometimes. I mostly focus on fungi and that is not as popular as insects and plants where I live, but just getting anyone to confirm the most basic and obvious species of boletes is a chore
2 Likes
I am clearing the backlog (for Africa) from CNC. Sad to come across obs in October, which were ‘effectively disqualified’ by good intentioned broad IDs. Under the ‘time pressure’ of CNC or the approaching GSB identifiers split between generalists like me, sweeping thru Unknown in the hopes of routing interesting obs to the waiting taxon specialists. While those taxon specialists have their filters set for My Taxon of Choice. The in between taxa are abandoned in limbo, till we all sweep the cobwebs from dusty corners and unused rooms.
Might you focus - separately - on Refining Observations Stuck at a High Level Taxon, around CNC and GSB. Please ? It is also in that window of opportunity while newbie observer are still around and active. The problems I pick up now, which need to be resolved by the observer, will forever be broken, sadly.
Unknowns are always with us. And always appreciate another pair of eyes to clear another batch.
1 Like
Only if people decide in advance that it is not worthwhile to look at anything but unknowns. There is no inherent reason why generalists couldn’t similarly do a sweep through broadly ID’d taxa in order to “route interesting observations to the waiting taxon specialists” for the period of the CNC if it feels important to get these observations ID’d in a timely manner.
The problem, it seems to me, is too many observations and too few IDers, not too many people assigning broad IDs to observations instead of leaving them in unknown.
7 Likes
Honestly sometimes you just have to tag people.
I’m probably one of the most prolific fungi IDers for my area (actually I checked, I’m literally #1 for my county) - which means that often my own stuff doesn’t get confirmed (because I can’t exactly agree to my own observations.)
I just end up shoving things at friends who are good at fungi half of the time, if I really need something research grade
8 Likes
@tiwane , I don’t mean to chase, but wondering in case I missed the date.
A bit of follow up from previous comments, and plenty of supportive ones: so… I’ve been doing a tiny bit of ID with the obvious ones (families or even up to kingdoms “if all hope is lost”) and I already feel that IDers are saints 
.
The amount of blurry pictures that looks more like UFOs than nature observations on one hand, and the one time observer who uploads a dog under a tree in the garden and none are marked as captive… it’s really an interesting exercise as an observer because it provides insights in what makes an identifiable observation or a personal memento from an nature encounter.
It’s also a nice way to focus your learning into anatomical features and variations that are different than those we use in the field. In other words, I believe we need to become better IDers to improve our observations skills.
6 Likes
The webinar is on YouTube (and, even I, watched - I don’t do videos, and learned) Diana says … should I agree with her ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ln2z-9x2nmA
and the slideshow if you prefer to look at those in your own time
https://static.inaturalist.org/wiki_page_attachments/4827-original.pdf
Snap !
1 Like
It was a few weeks ago: https://www.inaturalist.org/blog/119680-identifying-on-inaturalist-how-you-can-help We only set announcements to appear for people with a small number of IDs.
1 Like
Many thanks @DianaStuder and @tiwane !
I’ll have a look at the materials.
1 Like
Please read the notes.
A lot of people don’t have / don’t carry / can’t use gear to make top quality photos. The only way to make an identifiable observation from a distant photo is to add notes, describing details the the observer notices but can’t document any other way. I often ask these people to add notes about the missing details if they can’t capture it with the camera or phone.
3 Likes
It is not a duty of the observer to make assumptions.
1 Like
Actually, we all (observers and identifiers alike) are supposed to assume good intentions on the part of others here. Occasional participants, usually students who have to use iNaturalist because their teachers require it, have inconsiderate to very bad intentions and should be reported. However, most cases that seem to involve bad intentions have other origins. Our community includes many people for whom English is not a first (or even second) language. Some of us are neurodivergent in ways that make communication challenging and can make us seem rude when our intentions are not. And many of us who do a lot of identifying move very fast and rarely leave explanations. Therefore, any person wanting more information should ask, and assuming that a person who doesn’t reply in a timely way (or maybe doesn’t reply at all) is somehow snubbing anybody would be inaccurate. For example, I have done very little identifying this past week and find I have over 700 notifications (not including posts by observers I follow). Clearing this will take a while. Given the clunky way we are presented with notifications on iNaturalist, it’s entirely possible I’ll skip some. I hope not. (Oh, please don’t let the electricity go out!)
11 Likes