This is just a speculative post brought on by seeing this forum post about finding experts in given taxa. @haemocyanin11 was looking for an expert in a particular species, and @thebeachcomber chimed in to suggest that, in addition to looking at the leaderboard for the focal species, it might be good…

You bring up a great idea with the ability to search for texts in a user profile. Maybe you should put a suggestion in the Features section about this? Also, thanks for the advice. I will look into it.

I thought about putting it in as a Feature request, but then I realized that a) maybe you can do this and I just don’t know how or b) maybe there’s a good reason (like privacy or something?) that the capability doesn’t exist, so I figured I’d get some general feedback first. If folks want it as a fe…

One workaround is to use an outside search engine, but I’m not sure how robust search engine results are for iNat profiles. Some profiles are currently hidden from view if they don’t yet have 3 research grade observations, for example. [image]

this kind of brings up the related topic—the hidden profiles are good for reducing spam, but many of the experts I’m aware of on the site don’t upload their own observations and only offer ID’s (sometimes in low enough numbers that they don’t show up on the leaderboard). I wonder if a feature reques…

[image] nomolosx: the hidden profiles are good for reducing spam, but many of the experts I’m aware of on the site don’t upload their own observations and only offer ID’s (sometimes in low enough numbers that they don’t show up on the leaderboard) I proposed a similar automated “no, I’m not a…

I think there are a few approaches iNat could take, if we want to move on from the workarounds. Perhaps there could be an optional, self-reported ‘expertise’ box on the profile’s where users could self-elect taxa they would consider themselves experts on. This could be taken further with an optiona…

I’m pretty sure staff have made a statement that they’re not considering any form of reputation system which relies on external credentials. the self-election idea might be interesting, though. There’s already a “favourite taxa” area, why not make a similar “taxa I identify” section?

Hah, I was just thinking of this! I don’t think it would be too hard to implement? One interesting other option could be to do this in the same way that you can subscribe to searches. Like, I have subscribed to “anoles in US” which is also my area of expertise. So if users have a subscribed search,…

If someone (new to me) weighs in with a casting vote, and a kind helpful explanatory comment. I check their profile. Working on pelargoniums, or Asteraceae, or Silene. Then I remember to value their ID when I meet them again. It would be good if iNat had a dedicated field on the profile. Searchable…

Search users' profiles to find experts?

General

cthawley October 5, 2020, 9:32pm 17

Just a quick note that given this discussion and suggestions to make a feature request for these search capabilities, I did so, and it is posted here. Feel free to vote for it if so inclined.

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Is there a way to search for people by words in their profile? General question	12	1153	July 31, 2023
Thank you to the experts General	24	1584	December 4, 2022
Make Profile Text Searchable Feature Requests	10	709	December 30, 2022
Create searchable expertise and interest tags for identifiers and curators Feature Requests web	17	615	December 8, 2025
I would really appreciate reading more about you than, "I am a naturalist" General	9	1274	September 24, 2021

Search users' profiles to find experts?

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