The Code and "real" science

[Una Smith]

Thomas G. Lammers <lammers at fmnh785.fmnh.org> wrote

> The unstated implication is that puttering around with the Code is
> fine for those odd ducks who can't handle "real" science.

...or graduate students with nothing better to do.  :-)

I had to laugh, reading this, because an identical opinion used to be
expressed to me frequently by "real" scientists who couldn't imagine
what e-mail was good for.  I don't think TAXACOM readers have doubts
about the value of e-mail, not once they've made an important research
contact, or collaborated with someone far away, or submitted a paper
or abstract and received an answer within hours, or found a new job,
or ...

The Code is an important tool for the standard use of scientific names
of taxa around the world.  Like TAXACOM, it is part of our community's
global research apparatus.