Trust trail
How LakesOnEarth handles sources and attribution.
Good lake pages should be beautiful, but they also need a clear trail back to maps, data, photos, and source notes. This page explains the public standard in plain language for everyday visitors.
Public source standard
Every finished page should earn trust.
These rules help separate real lake information, source-based media, visitor submissions, and honest educational guide visuals.
Source standards
Start with reliable lake information.
Lake pages should prefer official agencies, scientific institutions, maps, protected-area managers, and clearly identified local sources when available.
Image attribution
Show where visuals came from.
Photos, maps, and graphics should identify the creator, reuse status, source link, and the reason the visual belongs with that lake or topic.
Generated guide visuals
Use guide art honestly.
Generated visuals can explain a concept or fill a guide-card need, but they should not be presented as proof of a specific lake, shoreline, or place.
Corrections
Improve pages when better information appears.
Corrections should be attached to the exact lake or guide page they affect, then reviewed before public text, maps, or media are changed.
Attribution principles
Simple rules for public trust.
Source notes should help ordinary visitors understand what they are seeing and why the page can be trusted.
Keep public pages useful
Visitors should see clear source practices, plain explanations, and trustworthy links.
Separate fact claims from visual aids
A real location photo, a map, and a generated educational mini-scene are different kinds of evidence and should be treated differently.
Prefer specificity over filler
A lake profile is stronger with fewer accurate facts and honest source notes than with a long list of unsupported claims.
Protect community trust
Submitted comments and photos belong on individual lake pages so context, attribution, and moderation stay tied to the right place.
Keep exploring
Open finished public lake areas.
The recovery phase avoids sending visitors into unfinished guide pages. Continue to finished atlas areas with source-aware content.