The RESCUING OBSERVATIONS PROJECT (tried to add the “snowflakes”, but the second one refuses to paste in as such) has meant that some users are adding more IDs than usual, and has raised some questions about the odd behaviour of the “matching” process (which can, as an example, change its mind if you hesitate, and move to a different set of options), and the ways in which an ID can “fail”. Even when promptly and conscientiously picked from a list, the ID does not always form links/become valid/turn the right colour (I’m personally not sure of the best phrasing). The best case scenario is when the user realises it and corrects the error immediately with yet another revision.
But another issue is being highlighted: the appalling state of taxonomic science. See, f’rinstance, https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/198553/wasp-with-caterpillar. Ammophila is both a grass and a wasp.
It’s probably about as likely as finding an honest politician, but iSpot could help here. Many scientific name pick-list items have only a single name, and - as we discover - there are several duplications.
Correcting the database - even an updated one - would be very hard work, I suspect. But iSpot might be capable of displaying the related group icon when one is highlighted/picked, rather than when the ID is confirmed. That would be a helpful clue. It occures to me, though that it wouldn’t work in every case: “Ctenophora”, which has caught me out, has two possibilities, and both are invertebrates.
I seem to recall previous version of ispot you had to select the group first then the id,
All excellent points
I am having more and more trouble forming a Valid ID using the Drop-down menu.
And an upgrade of Taxonomy is well overdue but there are still no general progress reports from Admin.
"…you had to select the group first then the id" true but it was still possible to Group Bird and have a plant as an ID (Prunella)
A few old posts are still either Ungrouped or Wrong-grouped - I found two yesterday
They are often solved by adding an agreement or a new ID - hence my 200 comments headed Code Runner!
If iSpot had a decent search mechanism, I could search for them and be more precise but here’s one https://www.ispotnature.org/communities/uk-and-ireland/view/observation/45120/