more english

[Thomas DiBenedetto]

Richard Jensen wrote:
 as scientists, we have the responsibility to communicate our
understanding in terms that make sense to our readers.
-----------------------------------------
I dont diagree with that, but you cant make sense to your readers if what
you are saying doesnt make sense to you. I say "mammals are...",or "Mammalia
is...". That makes sense to me. "Mammalia are..." does not make sense to me.
It is not consistent with what I envision "Mammalia" to be. Communicating to
my readers what I consider Mammalia to be is part of the reason I would
write in the first place. It is an inherent part of my message. If it doesnt
make sense to my readers, it is because they dont understand what I envision
a taxon to be. It then is incumbent upon me to explain that. And I agree
that this is very important. But I should not be asked to use a style which
distorts my meaning.

Tom DiBenedetto
tdib at dccmc.org