ECN Unique Id "Standard"

[Peter Rauch]

Mike Ivie argues well in support of using the unique "number" label on
insect specimens. My only caveat is that the ECN motion (see below) is
less than an international(ally agreed-upon) _standard_ (like, with a
capital S). It's a good start, but needs to be taken to its
logical conclusion. What would constitute "international acceptance of
and agreement to conform to" such a Standard? Would it have to be
embraced by the ESA, by the Canadian Ent Soc, by the Australians,
which Europeans, Asians, how about the Mexicans, So Africans, ....?

Is there an international registry of, and a mechanism for registering
and arbitrating unique codens/acronyms/prefixes?

The investment in placing those labels onto specimens will be significant.
It's not too much to ask to "guarantee" that the system _will_ work,
e.g., through the apparatus of a significant, international accord?
Peter

>Date:         Mon, 31 Jul 1995 19:07:06 MDT
>From:         "MICHAEL A. IVIE" <ueymi at MSU.OSCS.MONTANA.EDU>
>Subject:      unique numbering systems

>For the entomology community, a standard for unique labeling that does
>not require more than one label already exists.  At the Entomology
>Collection Network meetings in Lafayette, (December 1993) a motion was
>passed to use a unique alphanumeric coden (or acronym) followed by a
>6 digit unique numbering system as the standard.  This "identifier"
>was to be in roman type AND Bar Code Standard 49, so as to be both
>eye and machine readable.