Susan Erickson wrote:
This is where having decent typists helps, but it is more a case
of speed from the skill than accuracy. You need to have someone
who is knowledgable scan the list for typos. We are finding, 2
years in, that we correct more bad tags than typos. We find many
of the errors, but typing can be come transference from eye to
hand without brain scan in between. So we have a knowledgable
judge scan for obvious misspellings
Yep, we do that too. A judge (or two, or three, it is a social
event) is usually hanging around registration, helping the registration
team correct tags and looking for the errors we know we will see. Some
common errors - dendrobium species entered in the wrong class (we have
three or four species classes, and nobody knows what goes where), and
primary Paph hybrids entered as species (or vice versa). Those are easy
to fix at registration, and we see a fair amount of that kind of thing.
We also check spellings with Wildcatt (looking up hybrids) and put the
parentage on the entry tag if it isn't already there. Somebody came up
with this as something to 'help the judges', which it doesn't, really.
But it does help verify spellings and whatnot, and it is usually pretty
educational for the registration team. Nobody gets their registration
tags back (to hang on the plants) until after they have been verified.
That way we usually have the right information on both the tag on the
plant and the tag in the folder. Tags that get moved after judging
starts are anybody's guess, I usually try to write the right class on
the hang tag, but I don't know if anybody ever looks at that.
The big typos I see in the 'computer system' are in numbers. Entry
people type in the wrong class number (or worse the exhibit number).
That is a painful error to track, and a wrong exhibit number is death.
Everything else is gravy, we don't really need accurate names to ribbon
judge, just accurate classes.
But if the class number is not corrected HOW can the owner learn.
I would like to see more education at this point and may create a
tag to be left for the owner with the correct class number on it.
All too often the same mistake is made year after year by the
same people.
Absolutely!!! If I know the owner (yes, judging is supposed to be
blind, but you can only do so many shows before it becomes obvious) I
try to make a mention of any obvious problems when I see them. Like -
"you entered that beautiful Lc. Dinard in cattleya species... Did you
mean to do that?" Usually it is just a mistake, sometimes the exhibitor
just doesn't know, and then it is a good opportunity for education.
Another issue is the information on the back of the ribbon. In
our shows we fill it out, date, class, and judge sign. The owner
can put the plant name down. We have identified his win. But I
have been at shows where nothing is noted on the ribbon. If it
is in a OS exhibit, whose is it? Which plant, from which grower,
in which class? Well it will depend on where it fell after the
judges left the floor. So I like to see ribbons labeled.
I insist on putting at least enough information to identify the
plant and the class on the ribbon. The judges in our area (Great Lakes)
are pretty good at that, although there are still a few who don't bother.
This is the computer vs. tag-in-folder debate at its best. It
will only be resolved by a complete change in systems that does
away with both of our sides I fear. Someday someone will
design a new registration system for orchid shows.
I guess it depends on what you are used to. I haven't lost a tag in
recent memory, but I do like the convenience of having a printout to
take notes on. Actually the secret to ribbon judging regardless of
system is good clerks... If the clerks are good, then everybody wins.
If not, it doesn't matter if you are using printouts, tags, or stone
tablets.
Actually since we have had this debate at least once before, maybe
you and I should try to come up with a discussion paper for printing in
the AOS Bulletin (Orchids, whatever.... still can't get used to that).
We could at least address what we see as the big issues, and recommend
some sweeping guidelines. I'm done with my judging homework, so I need
things to do... *grin*
Rob
--
Rob's Rules:
http://www.msu.edu/~halgren
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a. See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to purchase
more orchids, obtain more credit