PSA: My friend called my plant ID app 'cheating'

I was showing them how I found a rare fern in my backyard using PictureThis, and they said real botany lovers only use field guides. It made me think about how tech changes the hobby. Do you think using an app takes away from the learning process?

3 comments

3 Comments

rosek4417d ago

Ever get that feeling where you just want to know the answer right away? I tried learning birds with a book once and spent an hour flipping pages while the thing had already flown off... the app told me it was a common grackle in like ten seconds. Sometimes you just need a place to start.

hayden_rivera17d ago

Totally get that. Read a piece about how field guides are great for deep learning, but apps win for quick IDs in real time. Makes you wonder if the goal is knowing every feather or just not feeling lost.

ericnguyen16d ago

@rosek44, that book method sounds like a special kind of torture. You end up learning more about page-flipping frustration than actual birds. The app gives you a name so you can at least start to learn what to look for next time. It's the difference between having a teacher right there or trying to teach yourself from a silent movie. Sometimes technology just saves us from our own stubbornness.