Way off!!
Silver-spotted Ghost Moth - Hodges#00018 (Sthenopis argenteomaculatus)

the size probably would have been helpful in IDing this one. Thanks for being so tactful in letting me know...NOT!

that someone who is a "fricken genius" could be so wrong.
The photographer said it was a Ghost Moth (Hepialidae) but for some reason, unknown, you tactfully told him he was incorrect and decided it was a Noctuid. I cannot understand why some people make an identification when they have no idea what the species is. As you can dish it out I assumed you could take it.

I'm not sure what you thought it was that I "dished out"
But, rudeness is not cool, in any setting.
This is just something I do to pass the time.
Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog!

The photographer had made a correct identification, at least to family. He had essentially narrowed down the identification from about 11,000 NA species to about 20. Without any explanation or comment you dismissed his ID and, somewhat categorically, gave another. You may think you were tactful. But by ignoring a decent ID and replacing it with a ridiculous one, without explanation, I thought you were rude. If you wish to criticise others in that way I think you should be strong enough to accept a similar criticism. You have your way of telling someone he is wrong, I have mine. I’m not sure if one can be considered more honest than the other.
Identification is appreciated but I do believe one has to 100% certain of the ID, or if not then qualify your ID or give a reason why you think the original tentative ID was incorrect. I think we both have similar goals in this respect.

Julia was not being rude: she was succinctly telling me what she thought my far-from-perfect photo was, based on her knowledge. I believe the statement below reads "we are mostly just amateurs attempting to make sense of a diverse natural world." If we have to be 100% certain of ID's I think I will have to remove everything I have written on this site. While it would be nice to have a perfectly accurate ID of every picture I submit, to be honest I am happy just to have people who are interested enough to take the time and look at my photos.

Thank you Cliff, Tony could take a lesson from you in humility and maturity as well. Apparently out goals are not the same, Tony. Because mine is not to berate others or lord knowledge over them. I was tired when I looked at the picture initially. I saw the markings and for some reason, my first thought was "looper." I never meant to disregard Cliff's speculation. I usually pay closer attention.

Furthermore, I also know that I have correctly identified WAY more moths than I have incorrectly identified.

identified your moth. Please ignore my identification.

When I said I appreciate having people to look at my pictures I was talking about you as well as Julia. I was not attacking you, but merely pointing out that you may have misconstrued her earlier intentions. However, the fact that I even have to explain this is pretty ridiculous. Did you put some salt in your coffee this morning or what? For a contributing editor (and quite a prolific one at that) on a site designed to HELP and ENCOURAGE amateur bug enthusiasts, you are acting awfully petty. I hope we have just caught you on an off day, because I love your pictures, and I would have just come on and said "thanks for the ID" if you hadn't already started a flame war beneath my photo.