[Aavso-photometry] Observers mistakenly submitting data through WebObs as differential

[arne]

Eddy Muyllaert wrote:

> 
> When trying to enter an observation in WebObs, the system says 'observation
> successfully entered in database'. But when looking at the 'observations
> submitting to database' the observation isn't there. 
> 

Hi Eddy,
Thanks for bringing this to my attention.  Several other people are
having the same problem, and I think it is due to either a user error
when using the drop-down list to select the magnitude type,
or by a confusion as to the difference between DIF and STD.

If you read the help menu associated with that field on the WebObs form,
you will see that DIF refers to differential photometry, where all that
you are reporting is the difference in magnitude between the variable
and its comparison.  This is a relatively rare type of photometry
as far as the AAVSO is concerned.  We don't display such measures
on the light curve generator or elsewhere, since they don't look
like normal V-band estimates. We will change the input form to make
it more obvious that "STD" is the normal choice.
Arne