[Taxacom] Wikipedia classification

[David Patterson]

Dean is correct.

The approach in EOL has been to use a taxonomic reference structure, and then append 'data objects' to it.  This process separates names, hierarchies, and data objects to provide very considerable flexibility in how information can be presented.

We are currently at work on building the multihierarchy component of the architecture.  It will permit cross-walks between alternative hierarchies (classifications).  It's a moderate chore to build the system; an even bigger one to populate it with classifications.  However, it  will allow our users to browse around information using a classification that they feel meets their needs.  That is, A primary intent is to move away from having to use a single point of view.  

David Patterson (EOL)



----- Original Message -----
From: "Dean Pentcheff" <pentcheff at gmail.com>
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 10:21:25 PM (GMT-0500) America/New_York
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Wikipedia classification

On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 6:55 PM, <Tony.Rees at csiro.au> wrote:
...
> Perhaps a hybrid approach is feasible - use a proper relational system to drive
> the taxonomic backbone but import relevant content from the wikiXXX world.
...

Isn't that rather what EOL (for example) is trying to do?

-Dean
-- 
Dean Pentcheff
pentcheff at gmail.com


On Tue, Jun 30, 2009 at 6:55 PM, <Tony.Rees at csiro.au> wrote:
> Dear Rod,
>
> This is really a follow-up to your comments as per the i-phylo blog http://tinyurl.com/lcxn2s - however I thought I would post it here rather than there as the issues are certainly relevant to this group.
>
> Most of the problems you encounter with the wikipedia/wikispecies type of collation are the result of (1) uncontrolled data entry (anyone can enter anything they want, also change previously entered content ad hoc), (2) lack of a relational DB back end to enable any required linkages (such as true parent and child records and re-use of content already entered at a different level of the hierarchy), and (3) - in wikispecies at least - hard wiring the species pages to a taxonomic hierarchy in the form of the URL - which is therefore not a stable identifier e.g. if you want to shift a species page or concept around in the taxonomic hierarchy in the light of new information or a changed opinion, to support multiple alternative classifications, or simply to correct an error. Without addressing these issues I believe that you will never get a decent scalable and maintainable system (which is why databases get the usage they do :)  )
>
> On the other hand I agree that (a) there is nevertheless a lot of valuable content in these community-driven sites that would be nice to be leveraged somehow, (b) many hands make light work i.e. can accomplish much more than a single individual or small group, and (c) community driven sites can be very responsive to new information as it is released.
>
> Perhaps a hybrid approach is feasible - use a proper relational system to drive the taxonomic backbone but import relevant content from the wikiXXX world. However issue (1) above does not go away - the only way to deal with that is to have a moderating process so that content does not go live until it has been reviewed by some trusted party, and also there are structural issues with the free text approach versus a greater degree of atomised content and, as appropriate, controlled terms in at least a subset of the fields. Whether wikiXXX can be morphed into such a beast remains an open question, of course - probably not very likely in my view - systems like WoRMS (e.g. see http://www.marinespecies.org/about.php) are much closer to that ideal already, and thus will always have more authoritatative, structured and relational content, as well as buy-in from relevant experts to contribute.
>
> Just some food for thought, possibly.
>
> FYI if you want to see undesirable things that can happen when arguments develop over taxonomic issues in wikiXXX space, take a look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk:Sperm_Whale#catodon . It's enough to put you off contributing really - (I did elsewhere and decided to stop when things got too annoying).
>
> - Tony
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of Roderic Page
> Sent: Tuesday, 30 June 2009 2:46 AM
> To: TAXACOM
> Subject: [Taxacom] Wikipedia classification
>
> As an exercise I attempted to recreate the Wikipedia classification of
> life by extracting information from all pages containing a "Taxobox" .
> I've posted a blog post about the results ( http://iphylo.blogspot.com/2009/06/wikipedia-taxonomy-good-bad-and-very.html
>   http://tinyurl.com/lcxn2s ). You can go directly to the very crude
> browser I knocked together to navigate the Wikipedia pages here: http://bioguid.info/demos/wikipedia/
>
> Regards
>
> Rod
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------
> Roderic Page
> Professor of Taxonomy
> DEEB, FBLS
> Graham Kerr Building
> University of Glasgow
> Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
>
> Email: r.page at bio.gla.ac.uk
> Tel: +44 141 330 4778
> Fax: +44 141 330 2792
> AIM: rodpage1962 at aim.com
> Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1112517192
> Twitter: http://twitter.com/rdmpage
> Blog: http://iphylo.blogspot.com
> Home page: http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/rod.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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