data sharing

[Don McAllister]

Aa bit forgotten in this discussion, is the difference between the ideal and
real curatorial worlds.  In the ideal world every time a pertinent taxonomic
revision came out, the relevant specimens would be checked and
identifications changed, if necessary, on labels and in data bases.  Some
identifications will be changed, months or years after the revision came out
- when the curator/researcher is finished some other task.

Museum budgets cuts have meant this kind of change is simply not done. Of
course some budgets were never adequate in the first place.

This means that significant numbers of museum specimens reside under
outdated names. Many users of collection data do not understand this. They
will simply take the ids as correct.  This means distribution maps and
ranges, evaluations of endangered species, county/state check lists, and
many other uses of collection data will be based on errors.

Museum collection data is not the same as a phone book.  If you dial a wrong
number you will soon find out that the wanted person is no longer at that
number.  You can call directory assistance in that case.

don
Don McAllister