In Defense of Failing to Add an ID When Submitting an Observation

https://www.inaturalist.org/blog/100580-identification-pilot-to-onboard-new-users

I’m in the same boat, and more generally put as much effort into identifying as they do in posting. Blurry? One photo from far away? Thats not going to get as much time from me (genus, family, etc) as someone who posts a lot of good photos and maybe a nice note who’s trying to learn. I think if you’re a completionist for a small(ish) area these must be the bane of your existence!

I see this mainly with beginners. They don’t know how to / why to provide a name using the iNaturalist method.

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I’ve wondered if this happens because the app (Android, at least) asks, ā€œWhat did you see?ā€ and people think they need to know the species name to put something there.

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Possibly unpopular opinion, but I don’t mind, and sometimes even enjoy, unknowns. I regularly check for various types of plant observations and for unknowns.

The only time I ever really encounter non-plant observations is when I’m reviewing these unknowns. And without them, I’d have never bothered to learn any / so many insect orders. :man_shrugging:

Plus, they’re an easy way to boost my ID count. Hehe. I know it’s not all about that, but something in the brain says it feels good.

That being said, I stick to mainly IDing observations from my own state within the US. Once I got through the initial set of what was already out there, it’s not so bad. I only see a handful (2 to 20, or so, depending on the season) of new unknowns per day. I can imagine though that it might be overwhelming if I were to ID over a larger area, or switch up where I ID now and then.

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Just yesterday, we had a power blip right as I walked back into the house from the garden whilst uploading an Observation. Thus I added an Unknown, which I did not notice until I logged into my computer to see a notification that so-and-so had added an Identification and now it was at Family.

Was I confused? Yes indeedy! I thought it meant my Observation had been bumped back to Family, since I was sure I had entered the species, which I well knew. But then I opened the Observation and realized hers was the first, so with shame I added the species below her identification.

I.
Was.
Second.
:2nd_place_medal:

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Or as a friend used to tell me ā€œYou’re memory is in your derriere. As soon as you sit down you’ll remember what you were supposed to get.ā€

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Doorway not derriere ;~)
Skimming thru the text - that probably explains why, when I read a printed book, I can remember ā€˜where’ I read that sentence. Which I lose altogether online! Was it an iNat blog post, or somewhere in the Forum, or a comment on which obs???

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It’s the ghost. He feeds on human thoughts. He stands in the doorway and pulls your current thought from you as you pass him.

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As long as he refrains from puffing others’ thoughts into my head as some kind of exchange …

Oh, I get it. I was just trying to politely paraphrase my friend, who actually said ā€œYour memory is in your buttā€ LOL! And in my case, as soon as I stand up my brain jumps to a new task or train of thought, so the original one gets lost within seconds. Is that ADHD or do other people do that too?

Your doorway starts when you stand or sit. A bit more tightly focused, but the same ā€˜short term memory starts again’ effect. It’s a named thing in psychology. Affects all of us.

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Huh. Just trying to process this interesting observation as my supper burns up on the stove.

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I’ve definitely seen complaints about people just selecting the top ID suggestion without thought, and how they don’t like it ;)

I’ve accidentally forgotten to put an ID on something, and then had to go back and correct that later.

I’ve also definitely added something as a fungus, and then seen later it’s set as ā€œlifeā€ because it turns out it was an insect gall, or a virus, or weird goop that no one really knows wtf it is. https://inaturalist.nz/observations/107216641

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As to the first, I plead guilty, but it’s not even a misdemeanor. As to the second: hey, I’m not Johnny Cash.

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