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ASKING FOR ID - Tips For Posting In The Id Section - (NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ)


Gatorman

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  • 4 weeks later...

how do i post a pic if my fossil

The fundamentals can be found here: LINK

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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  • 10 months later...

Having trouble downloading pics. I have reduced them to fit (approx. 550kb each) but each time I use the advanced loader it freezes the screen after the first pic. even if I try it with only one. If I use the basic loader it goes through the process but never attaches anything, just goes back to the attach screen. Any suggestions?

Oop. Figured it out. It had to do with the actual dimensions. Once I reduced it they loaded. Amazing what you can find out by reading

Edited by RojoViejo
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  • 2 months later...

I found today what I believe to be a large bone fossil. Found today in glacial till in northern door county wis. We are a dolomite limestone escarpment. I believe this to be a significant find for our area.

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I found today what I believe to be a large bone fossil. Found today in glacial till in northern door county wis. We are a dolomite limestone escarpment. I believe this to be a significant find for our area.

Start a topic in Fossil ID, and post some images.

  • I found this Informative 1

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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  • 1 month later...

Rich,

I agree with you and Sharkbyte. Sometimes, I see someone looking for an ID and no one responds for a few days. Even if I'm not sure or just have a guess based on some experience with the group it probably represents, I try to at least say something like "It's difficult to ID that because..." I have been known to offer an ID that turned out to be wrong. Nobody likes to be wrong but you shouldn't think of it as lowering your batting average. You should be thinking about it as making an effort to help the team.

In science you have to expect to be corrected later anyway.

Jess

There is nothing wrong with being wrong! There is not one single person on this Forum who has not made an incorrect identification. Not one. I try to run with a couple of simple guidelines.

1. All identifications made from a photograph are provisional. All of them. Always keep that in mind.
2. More important than dispensing with an authoratative appearing identification deus es machina is describing why you think it is what you believe it to be. Describing the process of how you eliminate certain things, or how you allocate the fossil to a taxon, at whatever level, is what helps others learn.
3. A simple measurement or a scale (always parallel to the focal plane of the camera) will prevent a lot of incorrect identifications.

For my part, I prefer for the person with an unknown to withhold the location/geological age for a bit. I use the biological approach first, and then the other information. Others prefer to have the location/age of the fossil right up front.

Rich

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  • 2 months later...

Simply, if it is a GUESS, say so. If you know for a FACT, say so. When I'm able to post I will state that all guesses and theories are welcome, however it would be good to know whether you are stating FACT or THEORY.

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Simply, if it is a GUESS, say so. If you know for a FACT, say so. When I'm able to post I will state that all guesses and theories are welcome, however it would be good to know whether you are stating FACT or THEORY.

People give their opinions, often based on decades of experience. Is that not good enough? :D

I normally hunt around the internet to find images and text to back up what I'm trying to push. Not only is it a good rhetorical trick, but it is often very educational to everybody (me included).

I've worked in science since I was in high school. Most people who are unfamiliar with the game of science believe there is such a thing as FACT or THEORY, but the more you work in it, the more you realize... it's basically all good guesses and argument. This disturbs people in search of TRUTH, but what you are seeing in this forum is actually what happens in those mysterious, smoke filled, back laboratories of science. :D

The TRUTH is out there... now where did I put it? :D

Welcome to the forum.

Edited by tmaier
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I use a lot of "maybe", "perhaps", and "?" when I am unsure or flat-out guessing. In these cases, I am trying to foster discussion and maybe trigger someone's memory. Elsewise, I try to comment on features I can observe in the image, to the same end.

Forums live or die by conversation, and a succinct, definitive answer to every inquiry would deflate us quicker than a bucket of trolls. ;)

  • I found this Informative 1

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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I try to comment on features I can observe in the image,

Yes, that is what happens in team meetings. When trying to resolve an issue and there is no clear answer, people throw out observations, sometimes even of the obvious, as food for thought. Sometimes there are long periods of silence, punctuated by "Could you pass me one of those donuts?".

:D

EDIT:

Sometimes while stating the obvious openly, that everybody is assuming is true, the obvious is discovered to be false. Then things unravel.

Edited by tmaier
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Posting even obvious observations also illuminates the process of deductive reasoning to all the folks who may just be starting out.

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"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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  • 2 months later...

First, in case you're missing this point: you click 'start new topic' at the upper right (top of page). At the bottom of where you type there is a button that says 'Choose files' (above it 'attach photos'), then you choose your photo from your harddrive, then 'save' (or just double-click the thumbnail)... wait for it to load, then click 'add reply' at bottom of page. Let us know if you're still having trouble, I know I had problems the first time I tried posting a pic but can never remember offhand all the steps and where the difficult part was..

There is no start new topic button.

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Posting even obvious observations also illuminates the process of deductive reasoning to all the folks who may just be starting out.

I have tried various buttons to no effect. When I tried to start an account I always got the message my e-mail address was already in use. It's the only one I have. It also will not accept the value of pi in my CRC manual. It never agreed on the number shown in the question window. To summarize, I will use an old military acronym, SNAFU.

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I have tried various buttons to no effect. When I tried to start an account I always got the message my e-mail address was already in use. It's the only one I have. It also will not accept the value of pi in my CRC manual. It never agreed on the number shown in the question window. To summarize, I will use an old military acronym, SNAFU.

What exactly are you trying to do? You obviously have an account, as you posted here.

I don't understand what the highlighted phrases mean.

Regards,

    Tim    VETERAN SHALE SPLITTER

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There is no start new topic button.

Click on the forum to which you wish to post; you will find the button there:

post-423-0-86955500-1421523922_thumb.jpg

You must be on a forum's head-page; you cannot start a new topic from within an existing topic.

"There has been an alarming increase in the number of things I know nothing about." - Ashleigh Ellwood Brilliant

“Try to learn something about everything and everything about something.” - Thomas Henry Huxley

>Paleontology is an evolving science.

>May your wonders never cease!

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  • Fossildude19 changed the title to ASKING FOR ID - Tips For Posting In The Id Section - (NEW MEMBERS PLEASE READ)
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