Identify Mode says there's no more observations when there are

[squidtk]

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) : Ecosia

URLs (aka web addresses) of any relevant observations or pages:

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

Description of problem (please provide a set of steps we can use to replicate the issue, and make as many as you need.):
When identifying for long periods of time, the website lies to me and says there’s no more observations that meet my search criteria when there are. Sometimes I get the notification that there’s “no more observations,” but I didn’t when I took screenshots this time. Some of the “hidden” observations appear when I change the filter (usually I just check and uncheck “reviewed”), but I encounter the same bug later. In this example, I had Casual, Needs ID, and Research Grade observations showing. I got to the “end” of the observations immediately after being told there were at least 34 more (usually that page will only have like 4 or 5 observations, which is when I get the false “you’ve reached the end” notification). I then EXCLUDED casual grade. That’s the only change I made in the filters, so, hypothetically, even LESS observations should qualify if there were any. However, after updating the search, I was met with a full page of 30 observations.

Step 1: Go to Identify mode. I’ve had a few different filter combinations where I reached this bug, but I’ve always had a specified taxon (it’s been different, but always Lepidoptera), a specified location (indiana,US), and specified “without annotation= Life stage.” Everything else in the screenshots has been variable

Step 2: Scroll through the observations. I annotated all the ones I could every time, but there’s also some I don’t know so I just scrolled passed and some I added an ID or Marked as Reviewed for some reason or another. I don’t know if the amount of times I did or didn’t do that affected the bug

Step 3: Reach the “end” and note that the last page should have told you that there were more observations than you are presented with.

Step 4: Change the filter and be presented with more observations, OR refresh the page (if presented with 4 or 5 observations in Step 3) and be presented with 4 or 5 NEW observations (sometimes this shows you observations you’ve seen in a previous page if they still meet the filter criteria)

[gcwarbler]

I think this is a manifestation of the well-documented and oft-maligned behavior of the Identify Mode. When I get a (false) “No observations” message, even without changing filters, if I refresh the page it sometimes brings up a fresh set. As a worst case, I just momentarily change a filter (e.g. location) and change it back to my desired set and voilá, the fresh set of observations appears. Annoying for sure. I don’t think staff considers this a “bug”.

[tiwane]

Correct, I don’t think it’s a bug. It would be helpful to know what specific URLs you’re using, though.

[squidtk]

First Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&taxon_id=48662&photos=true&without_term_id=1&place_id=20

Finished first page screenshot:

Next Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=2&taxon_id=48662&photos=true&without_term_id=1&place_id=20

Next Page screenshot:

Check/Uncheck “has Photos” URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&taxon_id=48662&without_term_id=1&place_id=20&photos=true

Check/Uncheck “Has Photos” screenshot:

First Page, Second Search screenshot (True “finished” notification):

Check/Uncheck “Has Photos” (second time) screenshot:

[these two observations I have seen, but didn’t annotate. They still meet the filter requirements, but didn’t make the “finished” notification inaccurate. Everything seems as intended to me in the last two screenshots]

Check/Uncheck “Has Photos” (second time) URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&taxon_id=48662&without_term_id=1&place_id=20&photos=true

Idk how good of an example this is since I did actually finish in the end, but I did get the false notification once.

I also noticed that after I checked and unchecked “has photos,” the filter button showed a 4 instead of a 5 when all the filters were the same. It’s probably an unrelated quirk, but I thought I’d mention it since I’ve got the screenshots anyway

[squidtk]

Initial Search URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Initial Search Screenshot:

Finished First Page Screenshot:

Second page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=2&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Second Page Screenshot:

Second Page Finished Screenshot:

Third Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=3&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Third Page Screenshot:

Third Page Finished Screenshot:

Fourth Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=4&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Fourth Page Screenshot:

Fourth Page Finished:

Fifth Page URL (clicked “skip to next page”): https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=5&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Fifth Page Screenshot:

Fifth Page finished:

Sixth Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=6&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Sixth Page Screenshot:

Sixth Page Finished:

Seventh Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=7&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Seventh Page Screenshot:

Seventh Page Finished:

Eighth Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=8&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Eighth Page Screenshot:

Eighth Page finished:

Ninth Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=9&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Ninth Page screenshot:

Ninth Page refresh URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=9&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Ninth Page refresh screenshot:

Ninth Page uncheck “Needs ID” URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=research&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Ninth Page uncheck “Needs ID” screenshot:

Ninth Page check “Needs ID” URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=research%2Cneeds_id&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

ninth Page check “Needs ID” screenshot:

“Ninth” Page (New First Page) finished:

New Second Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=research%2Cneeds_id&page=2&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

New Second Page screenshot:

New Second Page Finished:

Third Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=research%2Cneeds_id&page=3&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Third Page Screenshot:

Third Page Finished:

Fourth Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=research%2Cneeds_id&page=4&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Fourth Page Screenshot:

Fourth Page Finished:

Fifth Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=research%2Cneeds_id&page=5&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Fifth Page Screenshot:

Fifth Page refresh URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=research%2Cneeds_id&page=5&order_by=random&place_id=20&photos=true&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47223

Fifth Page refresh screenshot:

I got it twice here, but I haven’t gotten it to show 4 or 5 observations on the false page while I’m record keeping yet. I’m going to stop recording my actions as detailed as this, but I’ll add screenshots and URLs of the 4 or 5 page and the pages after the filter change if I come across it.

[squidtk]

Last Page URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=3&order_by=random&place_id=20&without_term_id=1&photos=true&taxon_id=47157&month=1%2C2%2C12

Last Page Screenshot:

I annotated 1 of these observations, the rest I didn’t

Last Page Refresh URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=3&order_by=random&place_id=20&without_term_id=1&photos=true&taxon_id=47157&month=1%2C2%2C12

Last Page Refresh Screenshot:

I annotated 2 of these observations

Last Page Refresh 2 URL:https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=3&order_by=random&place_id=20&without_term_id=1&photos=true&taxon_id=47157&month=1%2C2%2C12

Last Page Refresh 2 Screenshot:

I didn’t annotate this observation

Last Page Refresh 3 URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=3&order_by=random&place_id=20&without_term_id=1&photos=true&taxon_id=47157&month=1%2C2%2C12

Last Page Refresh 3 Screenshot:

I annotated this observation

Last Page refresh 4 URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&page=3&order_by=random&place_id=20&without_term_id=1&photos=true&taxon_id=47157&month=1%2C2%2C12

Last Page refresh 4 Screenshot:

Uncheck “has photos” URL: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/identify?reviewed=any&quality_grade=needs_id%2Cresearch&order_by=random&place_id=20&without_term_id=1&taxon_id=47157&month=1%2C2%2C12

Uncheck “Has Photos” screenshot:

End of page with new filter:

Some of the observations I had seen before and others I hadn’t

[papagolf_forum]

I think it is coming from the caching of the results list. The result list a user sees seems to get updated. You can see that the number of the last page is increasing over time if you work yourself through long lists of results you want to examine. This has to be done as others can be editing the same pages as you, but if you keep the list static, you will not see updates and might miss important info of others given to the same observation. It is also dependent on the locking strategy you have on the database. If it is set to “lazy” different users have access to the same data, if you set it to “strict” the data is locked for one particular user until he finishes his transaction. But as many people normally work parallel on the same “new” entries I think you can’t follow that “strict” pattern.
A user-friendly solution would be for example a “reload” button shown when he reaches the end of his search. It should just have some other naming and a good description.
Or just an explanation text on the GUI.