ID please... A request for help and a reminder to myself to go back!

So, after my trip to Portland, I've found myself hitting on the "ID please" box as I upload many observations...

Well, I do this for a couple reasons -- the intended purpose is to ask anyone else for some guidance on identifying the plant/bug in question. The second reason I do it is to tag it for myself... Sometimes, I'll go back and study the organism a little more -- I'll do a search for "Oregon wildflowers" or something like that and perhaps get some more suggestions on what it is.

Sometimes, I won't take enough photographs or won't get the right angles to make any ID possible... I tend to leave these observations in the "ID please" section... If I ever do go back to that location and see the plant or critter again, I'll try even better to get the angles I missed the first time.

Most importantly, after an observation is ID'ed either by myself or by someone else, I untag that ID please box. This removes the flag for myself and lets me focus on the critters I still need to ID. :)

OH! I do hope that more people would message others on iNat asking for help. I know that when I've received a message asking for some guidance on an observation or two, I definitely check that out and devote some time and energy into providing some guidance to an ID.

Just my two cents and how I use that ID please box!

Posted on May 23, 2015 04:33 AM by sambiology sambiology

Comments

I think there was some discussion on iNat google group website earlier about overuse of the "ID please" flag and so, I have been more cautious about using it ever since.

I do agree that once an observation has been satisfactorily ID'ed, the square should be unchecked. Not doing so is abuse of the purpose of the box.

I do like your method of flagging observations for your use and to request the help of others. That was sorta the way I started out.

I will return to my original thinking and action until griped at....

Enter observation
Wait a while to give others opportunity to ID or contribute more information, while....
Continuing my personal research to ID species.
If observation has continued lack of info or ID, flag it with "ID please". Perhaps this is be of use to those that welcome challenges.

Revisit these observations periodically to remind me of need to revisit, re-investigate, re-photo, if at all possible. Or, perhaps I have learned more and can experience an "AHAAA" moment.

Thanks so much for this journal. Very helpful to me.... ljc

Posted by connlindajo almost 9 years ago

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