Errors = phantom names on the Internet

[B.J.Tindall]

Sorry Paul and Chris, I just can't resist - the Bacteriological Code
pioneered the system and went "live" in 1980 (before the Internet was
invented and the computer people were still working with "mainframes").
ZooBank and MycoBank are just trying to catch up with what we already have
done ;-). Virologists have also caught on and have a similar comprehensive
system of registration/indexing. Pity that botany and zoology usually
ignores the pioneering efforts in bacteriology, which can demomstrate 25
years of a working (not planned for date 20xx) system...... Of course
registering new names doesn't solve the probelm and one will eventually
have to create a list of "protected names" (already done in bacteriology
and virology).
The other point is that if lists are to be "authoratative" one should also
consult with the experts who know their own Code and how their system works
.... sound familiar?
Brian

At 09:20 29.03.06 +0100, Paul Kirk wrote:
>Chris,
>
>'but there is to my knowedge no equivalent being considered for botany'
>
>we have MycoBank (http://www.mycobank.org/) in mycology (since mid 2005)
so things are happening in botany sensu ICBN.
>
>Paul
>
>Dr Paul M. Kirk
>Biosystematist
>CABI Bioscience
>Bakeham Lane
>Egham
>Surrey TW20 9TY
>UK
>
>tel. (+44) (0)1491 829023, fax (+44) (0)1491 829100, email p.kirk at cabi.org
>www.cabi-bioscience.org  www.indexfungorum.org
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Taxacom Discussion List [mailto:TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU]On
>Behalf Of Chris Lyal
>Sent: 29 March 2006 09:06
>To: TAXACOM at LISTSERV.NHM.KU.EDU
>Subject: Re: [TAXACOM] Errors = phantom names on the Internet [ Scanned
>for viruses ]
>
>
>I'm with Rich.  Whether we as taxonomists 'meant' the name to be out there
or not is now irrelevant.  It is known outside of Chris's database and
those that have used it; it has an independant life.  Whilst Chris (or any
one of us) could edit Wikipedia and state that the beast has no real
existence, the name is still being used in some sense.  Therefore, just as
we deal with other unavailable names by identifying them as such in
catalogues, so we should with this.  The ITIS record should be emended to
identify the name as unavailable (not published) and,when we get ZooBank up
and running, registered there also as unavailable.  We do not need to have
'loose ends' flying about in the net - cutting off the end that is tied
down is one solution, but a better one is tying down the end that is loose.
>
>This does bring up the issue of web publication again.  Despite Chris's
best efforts and clearly stated intentions, and despite the injunctions of
the current Code, de facto web publication has taken place.  Once we place
taxonomic/nomenclatural information on the web, whatever we say or beleive,
someone somewhere will take it as a 'real' publication.  Given that we are
not going to stop placing taxonomic information on the web - quite the
reverse! - we have to develop a method of dealing with the situation very
rapidly.  ZooBank should provide a means to demonstrate whether there is
Code compliance of animal names, but there is to my knowedge no equivalent
being considered for botany.  Even with ZooBank, we face a potential
disjunction between what the ICZN and taxonomists say can be used and what
web users *will* use.  To deal with this we need to have modifications of
the Codes, and be sure that the global list of names and concepts is very
easily accessible.  This list must also be easily annotated, so that
comments in a case such as this can be made public a.s.a.p., and not lost.
>
>Cheers,
>Chris
>
>Christopher H. C. Lyal,
>Beetle Diversity and Evolution Programme,
>Department of Entomology,
>The Natural History Museum,
>Cromwell Road,
>London SW7 5BD
>UK
>tel: +44 (0) 207 942 5113
>fax: +44 (0) 207 942 5661
>e-mail c.lyal at nhm.ac.uk
>URLs:
>personal page -
http://www.nhm.ac.uk//research-curation/staff-directory/entomology/cv-3569.h
tml
>electronic Biologia Centrali-Americana -
>http://www.sil.si.edu/digitalcollections/bca
>World Catalogue of Weevil Names - http://wtaxa.csic.es/
>


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