All good points. It is apparent which side I'm on, since I started the other thread on ruffled feathers. (The reason I posted it there was that there was a potential for people to get a little heated, and I was reticent about that happening on a main forum. The title was designed to get people to have a look, rather than to explain what the thread was about).
A bird id made easy is one that does not stick in the memory. That is presumably why the same people keep posting pics of the same species and asking what it is all over again.
An i.d. that has been learned by the individual, whether through a gentle nudge, a demonstration of the relevant features, or a struggle through a book, will stick and make the learner a much more competent bird identifier.
I have been trying it with plants for the last three or four years and my progress is VERY poor. We have 40 species of Dragon/damselfly in the UK and I still get them wrong sometimes. When I'm in the field, I ask those who know better than me what something is, and why. Then when those "why's" are explained to me, and I can see them for myself, I will look for them next time.
So this is my summary; if you want to post a picture for id, say what you think it might be (there is no risk here; if you're wrong people on here won't laugh at you or criticise. It's a friendly place. And the fact that you have asked for an id on an "easy" species tells everyone you are a beginner, and they will make allowances). Say why you think it might be one, and how you reached the conclusion. Also, say where and when you photographed it, what it was doing, anything else you think is relevant.
THEN, when people reply, they should say what it is, and WHY it is one, so that then everyone can learn a little bit more - and maybe it will stick.
But, PLEASE don't be put off from posting and keep them coming.
Love to all
Sean