[Taxacom] Wikispecies is not a database: part 2

[Paul Kirk]

these 'ink on paper' products should be derived from databases ... it's not rocket science 'cause I can do it - those who still use a word processor to produce taxonomic products should move out of the 20th century into the 21st ... ;-)

In the real world (outside taxonomy) what are the primary tools used by publishers, governments, banks, insurance companies, the retail trade etc etc etc to store and manage content - it aint Wikis its databases/datawarehouses ... I think there is a message there ... ;-)

Cheers,

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Stephen Thorpe
Sent: 07 August 2009 11:27
To: Tony.Rees at csiro.au; taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Wikispecies is not a database: part 2

... part of the "bigger picture" involves what I call funding going to "soft options", the proliferation of databases being one such example.  
If Wikispecies isn't as useful as a database, then it is still one heck of a lot better than a straight catalogue, and these are still being produced from money that ought to be going to real taxonomy.  
Some recent (and pending) local examples:

Larivière, M.-C.; Larochelle, A. 2004: Heteroptera (Insecta:  
Hemiptera): catalogue. Fauna of New Zealand, (50) 330 pages

Larivière, M.-C.; Fletcher, M.J.; Larochelle, A. (submitted, June
2009): Auchenorrhyncha (Insecta: Hemiptera). Fauna of New Zealand

Larochelle, A.; Larivière, M.-C. 2001: Carabidae (Insecta:  
Coleoptera): catalogue. Fauna of New Zealand, (43) 285 pages

Larochelle, A.; Larivière, M.-C. 2007: Carabidae (Insecta:  
Coleoptera): synopsis of supraspecific taxa. Fauna of New Zealand,
(60) 188 pages

All funded by the "defining N.Z.'s land biota"" (IO2) OBI, public money via FRST (Foundation for Research, Science and Technology).  
Meanwhile, since 31 Dec 2007, there has only actually been a single new N.Z. species described by the above authors...

All 3 of the above catalogues could have been handled better by Wikispecies, and the "synopsis" contribution could have been blended with the catalogue with only a minor increase in size of the latter once all the "padding" was taken out of both.

So, once again, let's just use Wikispecies to full advantage.

Data quality is paramount. The local "big" database initiative (NZOR) is planning to use Species2000 as a data-provider for the Insecta.  
Although some parts of it are sound, there are huge chunks which are under the control of people who lack the necessary skills and knowledge. The danger is that we might well end up with flash databases full of crap information. I think that my approach on Wikispecies (giving full referencing and making everything explicit) goes some way to achieving data quality.

Rod, in his blog, says that although he isn't dismissing Wikis, they need to get better. I don't know about Wikipedia, but Wikispecies does not need to get better. It does what it does very well - it just doesn't give you EVERYTHING you might want on a plate. But it might just give you good data quality, if you take the time to obtain it. In a perfect world, we would want a quality answer in an instant, but we do not live in a perfect world! Pros and cons ... Use everything to its full advantage ...

Stephen

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