Whatbird.com

Just an observation:  It's really poor etiquette to alter a posting after the fact.  If you learn something new from the discussion and change your mind, put that in a new posting - don't just quietly change the old one.  We all make mistakes - there's no shame in that. The whole point of the forum is to learn and share, not to show the world that you're right all the time.

Good point, I agree with you!

how the heck can you edit your posts "after the fact"? i type badly, and spell even worse, (not to mention mis-identify birds) and lots of times i re-read my posts after the fact, and want to go back and correct it, but it never lets me?  Especially if someone else has posted in the meantime.....Shoot, i am wrong so dang often, if i were to go back and change my posts just to be right, i would never get more than one or two  a day in....

Actually on many forums, if a person wishes to go back and edit something, they put a note at the bottom of the post indicating what was edited and why preceeding it with "ETA" (edited to add).  For example: ETA correct spelling.

I guess it depends on what you're changing. I don't see anything wrong with changing a typo, but if in one post you say "I think it's a robin" then go back and edit out robin for wood thrush, yeah, I'd agree, that's in poor taste.

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Don't cry because it's over, smile because you were there.

I agree. The only time I think I edited was when I had said that I thought gnat-catchers have an eye ring, posted, then ran to grab my field guide. I checked on it and then added a bit more about gnat catchers. I did this before anyone else posted a reply. Maybe I should have added another post to include that. I wouldn't do that to make myself look good by changing a bird name- thats not fair.

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New Additions to Life List: semipalmated plover, prairie warbler, belted kingfisher, ruddy turnstone

I get annoyed when people on here guess just for the sake of guessing when they're obviously not even looking at field marks or have zero experience with the birds in question. If you know you're aren't experienced enough to make an ID, then don't post. Some of the bad IDs I see on here totally blow my mind.

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Warbler Life List: 35 species
Sparrow Life List: 18 species
Owl Life List: 9 species

I absolutely agree.  If you go back just to change a typo, who cares (no one would notice anyway), or if you wish to edit before anyone gets a chance to reply, that's harmless too.  But to make a change in ID, especially after a discussion has already begun, just to make yourself look good and hope nobody notices, that's very bad form.

I second TheGrine's motion.

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I deleted a post because I was embarrassed (but it was my own, I wasn't trying to be dishonest, just cover my shame!)....LMFAO!!! But...are people really doing what you are saying here!!! OMG! LOL!

Yeah, someone actually did that, or the subject would never have arisen.

If you wish to delete a post, for whatever reason, before anyone has responded, why would anyone care? For that matter, no one would even know.  However, after someone responds, the software will no longer allow you to make a deletion. Not so with edits, so one has to use discretion. Incidentally, making an honest mistake is no reason to feel embarrassed - it's just part of the learning process.

I agree that things have gotten very "guessy" on this forum lately.

I've birding for a few years, and still consider myself a beginner. Most of what I know has been learned from this forum. I post quite a few photos, even when I think I know what they are, because fairly often someone more experienced points out something important I've missed. 

There are some very expert contributors here who have really raised the level of the forum over the last year or so. I'm very grateful to them for sharing what they have learned from years of experience and study.

I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with posting a guess, but I usually try to resist the urge. When there are too many wild-a** guesses, the forum starts to become less reliable. Like recently, when someone posted a seat-of-the-pants guess and then a string other posters chimed in with "I agree", "me too", "yeah, that's right". Finally someone who knew what they were talking about corrected the erroneous ID, and explained why it was incorrect.  

 

  

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Chris from Denver

LOL.. i had no idea we could edit.. or i would have fixed some grammer mistakes...lol. But seriously, i agree about changing things to save face, its wrong. We all guess wrong sometimes. As far as posting an answer to a what is this bird question, I guess I am new.. i sometimes enjoy the wrong answers, because then someone will post a correct answer with an explaination as to why the other answers were wrong. Like the difference between all the different sparrows, those i dont even guess on, but i dont think someone would post obvious wrong answers, if they knew the post was wrong they wouldnt post it i would hope. I guess all the very experienced birders need to show a little patience with the less experienced on here as in anything else in life. We are all learning, some of you are just head of the game.

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Itsjustdeb

Yeah, I remember someone on this very stream who "agrees", changed one of their first posts....someone posted an obvious picture of a female Red-winged Blackbird and was suggesting it was a Cape May Warbler, and as I finished replying what it really was, I saw an almost simultaneous post (by one of our top 10 responders now!) that said, and I quote: "I really don't see what else it could be"....As I began chuckling to myself and attempting to reply to the mis-identifier, I noticed their original post was nowhere to be seen and instead in its place was a post that read "Definitely female Red-winged Blackbird", with no acknowledgement to my correct identification or their mis identification.

I think after a bird has been identified, and if you have no problem with the ID, there really is no reason to agree with the identification unless there is some uncertainty involved. Just to echo: "Definitely" 'this or that', seems unnecessary. And if one does feel it necessary to pile on the affirmatives, they should acknowledge that they are agreeing with the already pointed-to correct answer, and not respond as if they are ID'ing the bird by themselves for the first time.

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Dan Kopp
Sacramento

Many dreams come true, and some have silver linings; I live for my dream and a pocketful of gold...

None of this really matters.

I like the forum the way it is.  (Although I do find it shameful that someone (especially an experienced birder) should suggest that inexperienced people interested in birds shouldn't be making guesses regarding bird identification). 

If you find the guesses too wild, ignore them.  If you find there are superfluous agreements on IDs (which I do), ignore them.  If someone is changing their responses in order to appear smarter (which I don't condone), ignore them too.   

I understand that these things can be annoying to different people but ALL forums are like that (and hopefully it will never change).

Let's check our egos and get back to the birds. 

Andrew 

 

 

 

 

 

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Andrew Ritchie
Victoria, British Columbia
Formerly St. John's, Newfoundland

"I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven." - Emily Dickinson