Penguin Watch Talk

Blog Post & Tips: How to Collect Similar Images with Tag Groups

  • DZM by DZM admin

    Hi zooites!

    I've come to realize lately that one of the more useful features of the current generation of Talk is not very well-advertised or widely used. Certainly nobody's fault here... I myself didn't fully understand it until just the other day!

    With "tag group" collections, also called "live" collections or "keyword" collections, you can create a collection that is automatically populated with all of the images containing a certain hashtag. This is a great way to locate tagged images without having to rely on the (currently rather buggy) search system.

    In case there's anyone else out there who was unaware of this feature, or who has never tried using it, I've put together this blog post explaining what tag groups are and how to use them. I hope you find it helpful!

    Let me know if anyone has any more questions on this topic! 😃

    DZM

    Posted

  • gardenmaeve by gardenmaeve moderator

    Two observations here:

    1. Yes, it would be helpful to help us understand how to use the tools for "tag group collections". A well-planned FAQ section would be a good way to accomplish this.
    2. Many new volunteers cannot count or comment with discernment because they haven't looked at enough sample photos with counts and comments visible BEFORE they begin counting as volunteers. This addition to the currently very minimal tutorial and a real FAQ would clearly add to our understanding of how to best do a good, accurate job as volunteers.

    Thank you for the tag group information.

    Posted

  • Nickypeng by Nickypeng moderator

    Hi Gardenmaeve
    We are aware of the need for an FAQ section and are working on it. I agree that having more examples would be helpful - I'll pass the idea on to the people working on the FAQs.
    Thanks for you comments.

    Posted

  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    Thanks gardenmaeve, Nickypeng and Darren. I'll certainly add Darren's info on group tags to the FAQ that we are building up.
    And thanks also, gardenmaeve, for taking the time to add your thoughts to the process with reference to FAQs and tutorial pages - users' help is what we need to pinpoint the real needs of the site. 😃

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin

    When we have an FAQ page here on Talk, let me know and I will add a button to it from the classification interface!

    We've done this on Higgs Hunters, for instance (http://www.higgshunters.org/#/classify) and it should really help get people over the initial fear threshold of classifying, plus provide a way that they can learn that Talk exists!

    Posted

  • yshish by yshish moderator, translator in response to DZM's comment.

    Great!! Going to dive among the FAQs tonight.

    My idea of how it will look is very specific and I'd like to consult that with some of the developers first (I'd love to have it in the accordion style of html and not sure whether it won't be a problem for them? If it was then we would have to create a bit different categories and the whole arrangement. Shall I talk about that with Cam or rather Brian or..?

    Thank you!

    Posted

  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    Hi Zuzi, Nickypeng, Kruseau, and Darren,
    Just to add my plea to Zuzi's comment that an accordian style FAQ section would be highly desirable. 😃

    Posted

  • gardenmaeve by gardenmaeve moderator

    Accordion style sounds very useful. I'd be happy to act as one of your guinea pigs for trying it out once you have your FAQ put together...if helpful to you.

    Thanks very much!

    Posted

  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    Gosh gardenmaeve...that is a very kind offer, that I am sure we will be happy to take you up on it. But no idea of when that will happen...keep your fingers crossed for us!

    Posted

  • wildmonster by wildmonster

    Hi,

    Glad to see that the FAQ section is being prepared!

    I have been looking regularly at all the comments on images to learn from others (especially from the responses and answers given by moderators). And decades working in libraries/archives has given me the habit of compiling lists 😃. So (for my own curiosity) I have been putting together a list of topics/ questions/ comments that appear all the time. I'm sure you notice them too 😃. Anyway, here they are for what they are worth:

    1. Dark; Blurry
    • What should I do when the image is too dark and/or blurry to see anything or just a few penguins?
    1. Too far away
    • What should I do when there are penguins that are too far away to see clearly and mark? Should I just mark the ones that I can see in the foreground?
    1. Too many penguins
    • Is 30 the "magic number", and is it a really good thing to mark more than 30 penguins?
    1. Chicks and Adults
    • How to differentiate between chicks and adults?
    • What should I do when I am not sure whether it is a chick or an adult (especially with moulting)?
    1. Eggs
    • Is that an egg or a pebble, and should I assume that it's an egg?
    1. Species
    • Do I need to indicate and differentiate between the different penguin species?
    1. "Hut"
    • What is that hut/structure?
    1. "Brown bird"
    • What is that brown bird and how should I mark it?
    1. "Pink stuff"
    • What is all that pink/red stuff on some penguins? Is that blood?
    1. "Injured?"
    • Why are some/all of the penguins lying on their bellies heads down? Are they injured or dead?

    Please let me know if there's anything I can help with 😃!

    P.S. I like the tutorial in CondorWatch (e.g. the way they show images to help people tell the difference between condors and turkey vultures).

    Posted

  • yshish by yshish moderator, translator in response to wildmonster's comment.

    Hi @wildmonster !

    I'm really happy for your input. However we have all of these ones already included, it is very nice to see someone wants to help us with that! We really do appreciate it.

    I've asked the scientists for some chick photos of higher resolution than these used in the species guide under the classified image. Hopefully they'll be able to provide some good ones. If not, I've collected many chick images from the classified ones for that.

    Thank you for your interest!

    Zuzi

    Posted

  • DZM by DZM admin in response to yshish's comment.

    Ah, so you want to build out an independent FAQs page?

    I've been suggesting that FAQs pages be locked Talk threads, since those can be quickly and easily edited to accommodate new commonly seen questions.

    But if the science teams are good with doing a separate page, that's fine, too!

    Posted

  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    Hello Wildmonster,
    One of my best friends is a librarian/archivist, so I recognize your organizational spirit - hurrah! Thanks so much for these. I think we've covered them all in our list of FAQ but I am certainly going to check! We will need some peng-zooites to help check our FAQs (it's always difficult checking these things when you have written them yourself) and if anything else comes up we will ask you. It is really nice to have help offered - and that is much appreciated.
    We do plan to incorporate photos in the FAQ. I'll have a trot around CondorWatch (presuming it is still active) to see what they have. (My regular home is OldWeather on the Zooniverse which has an enormous forum with answers to a thousand queries.)
    One thing I do need to incorporate is both the Black Boat Shed (already on the list), and a very distant red hut in a different set of views. Your question about the hut reminds me to do that - thanks.
    More to come later..
    Joan (AvastMH)

    Posted

  • yshish by yshish moderator, translator in response to DZM's comment.

    Yes, it would be much more useful to have the page independent and all the information on one place (in the accordion style). I'd love to have it as an another tab next to the 'Science', 'Team', 'Discuss', 'Blog'.. etc. on the top menu of the PW Home page so it could be visible on the classification page as well and users were able to open that in the new tab while classifying. Just haven't discussed that with anyone from the Zooniverse team yet! And I'm not sure whether it is possible to do so but I think it shouldn't be anything difficult or too time-consuming for such experienced developers they are!😉

    Will discuss that with the science team for sure first!

    Zuz

    Posted

  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    I'm absolutely in agreement with you Zuzi. Being able to see FAQ from another tab on that top menu line, AND to be able to do so during a classification, will bring more reliable assessments of each picture - it will improve peng-zooites experience, and I especially think of schools using the site. This is the moment when we can inspire our youngsters to take on such projects as their part within a global community.
    Joan

    Zuzi - I am an idiot - I forgot to try to call Caitlin I PROMISE TO DO SO TOMORROW. Sorry!

    Posted

  • AvastMH by AvastMH moderator

    Darren and Caitlin,
    I had an important message to send you both. However it looks like the message thing will not send to more than one person at a time. Sigh! I've sent a message to you and Zuzi via the messages - we have urgent and important issues about the images we are using. Your help is needed. Thank you,
    Joan

    Posted

  • nonie96 by nonie96

    Hi guys, as a newbie here I have to agree with the call for a faq page, that is accessible during classification. it would also be great te be able to ask questions or see the comments during classification. Reading after the fact what I should have doneand not being able to get back to classfying, is a bit annoying. Thanks!

    Posted

  • yshish by yshish moderator, translator in response to nonie96's comment.

    Hi @nonie96

    The FAQs are on the way. But please, be patient. It takes a lot of time to finish that since we're all just volunteers 😦

    As for the commenting, it actually isn't helpful for the project to comment images during the classification. So it definitely wouldn't be changed in future. Reading comments after the classification will help you to understand them better for the following classification! 😃

    I hope it is not that much annoying for you to continue classifying. You can always ask when having difficulties. We'll do our best to help you!

    Thank you for your help, we really appreciate every single penguin mark you do!

    Zuzi

    Posted