Likely ID algorithm

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I took long enough puzzling over the ID that someone else got another id in in advance of me. I would have thought that perhaps his knowledgeable badge would have trumped me, but it didn’t.

The number of badges you have (both 5) can hide a lot of variation in the underlying reputation. So quite possibly you just have a sufficiently higher reputation than them even including the ‘knowledgeable’ badge that your ID gets to win.

Received points mean prizes
LVTG 12824
Alex 4045
5 icons rates the same as Knowledgeable
Sometimes though iSpot gets most things wrong, not this time…

The case of the Dab, https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/128324/dab where 8 people couldn’t overturn 1 expert, reminds me that nothing seems to have been done about fixing reputation errors as pointed out in oct’17, eg
“I switched my agreement in https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/southern-africa/view/observation/666303/tiny-blue-crabs2 away from Tony’s ID only because miked asked for examples where a lesser reputation has trumped a greater.”
But if the Dab isn’t a reputation error it shows we’ve no longer any fish expert.

Just tried to play “shove the dab” but alas have zero reputation in fishy things. Surely if enough of us tried though…

What I would suggest is that, now we have few ‘experts’ with their nice shiny gold badges, more of those who feel they are sufficiently knowledegable, could request an upgrade to ‘knowledgeable’. PeachySteve is a case in point - he should certainly have a knowledegable badge, but doesn’t. The same goes for LavateraGuy. Both have 5 ordinary badges and there is nowhere they can go beyond that, but both should be in a position to ‘outvote’ someone with a lot less plant knowledge who has gained the same number of badges over years of making relatively straightforward IDs.

On the one hand I’ve got to the point where I don’t get very excited about anything less that a county first record; on the other hand I’m keenly aware of all the groups of plants that I’m not good at identifying. And I’ve already outweighed a knowledgeable badge; it’s not clear that giving the badge would change anything, my 4000 ids, even with their meagre agreements ratio, beat out most 5 star users.

On the gripping hand, Aaron (tiggrx) and Dirk (spins) are better qualified for a knowledgeable badge that I am.

Over the years, I have very quietly proposed to Admin the award of quite a few Knowledgeable badges - ALL, save 1, have been accepted.
This sort of thing is best done out of the public’s eye and with gentle persuasion from a Curator.
Knowledgeable does not mean perfect opinion, nor a useful stick for shifting Likely Banners.
It’s my experience that those with Knowledgeable badges become cautiously VERY useful. My fourth Icons in Marine Plants and inverts is mostly courtesy of them.
If I may say, INcautiously, that in iSpot SA there might have been too may experts (did I write that?) The result was rapid rise to power (to four or five icons) of some whose experience was weak and whose power was overplayed (I think 5 icons have the same score-weight as Knowledgeable).
Here the opposite is possibly true. There are many, in the other two Communities, whose knowledge, commitment, excellence in posting and, don’t forget the crucial, agreements-trail, is worthy of the Knowledgeable badge.
Personally, I do not think anyone should refuse a knowledgeable badge, if offered, on the grounds it should be seen as very valuable to the rank and file poster and for the future of iSpot.

I think all you have mentioned ought to qualify as knowledgeable

Tts the very fact that you ARE “keenly aware of all the groups of plants that I’m not good at identifying” that means you make the grade!