Problem with CD ROM for publishing taxon descriptions

[Gregor Hagedorn]

> I see no functional difference between a published book and a CD-ROM.  Once

One difference we should be aware of is that a CD ROM most likely
cannot be read in 20 years, whereas a book can be used as reference
after 100 years. This is true not because the CD itself has
deteriorated (which will happen much later), but because most likely
very few functioning CD ROM drives can still be found, and if so, no
software and operating system under which the programs on the CD will
run.

Just try to use a program that has been designed for Windows 3.0 and
will not run under a later version... I still have Windows 3.1 disks
stored somewhere, and I may be able to find an old computer on which
it could still be installed, but 3.0? And that was 10 years ago...

A CD is a wonderful medium, but if new descriptions of taxa are
published on it, we will be getting a problem.

Gregor

Gregor Hagedorn
Inst. f. Mikrobiologie, BBA     Net: G.Hagedorn at bba.de
Koenigin-Luise-Str. 19          Tel: +49-30-8304-2220 or -2221
14195 Berlin, Germany           Fax: +49-30-8304-2203

Often wrong but never in doubt!