[Taxacom] FW: Wikipedia classification

Thu Jul 2 05:01:26 CDT 2009

Dear Paul,

Can you demonstrate that 'covert aggregators' are taking traffic from  
you (as opposed to being an additional source of traffic)? And, isn't  
"link love" an indication that your resource is valued? Are you  
suggesting aggregators don't link to you?

Regards

Rod

On 2 Jul 2009, at 09:16, Paul Kirk wrote:

> Just a quick point on the last paragraph ...
>
> There is nothing like a new product to attract customers - ask  
> anyone in
> the real world. And in the case of the 'covert aggregators' (e.g.
> ZipCodeZoo, amongst others), who may add a link to the source web site
> ... thanks ... but ... taking traffic from the source has a detrimetal
> effect on the profile of the source and thus the justification for
> maintaining it.
>
> Paul
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> [mailto:taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of
> dipteryx at freeler.nl
> Sent: 02 July 2009 09:07
> To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> Subject: [Taxacom] FW: Wikipedia classification
>
> Van: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu namens Bob Mesibov
> Verzonden: do 2-7-2009 8:20
>
> It sounds like there's agreement in this discussion and Rod Page's  
> blog
> that Wikipedia/Wikispecies is emerging as a very useful taxonomic
> resource, that it's getting better, and that it has structural and
> administrative problems - top among these being rigidity of format and
> variable quality of expertise.
>
> ***
> It may sound like that, but it is not the case. Wikipedia/Wikispecies
> may be moderately useful for popular groups and for newly published
> matters, but so far its problems are bigger than its merits. The
> database mentality is very strong in (English) Wikipedia and  
> ZipcodeZoo;
> accuracy and realism are rare enough (although it is a lot better once
> one gets away from the English Wikipedia, which is why there is more
> hope for Wikispecies).
>
> In the mean time professional sites are growing at a very respectable
> rate; I am always pleasantly surprised when I visit the USDA-sites,  
> and
> the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website keeps improving (almost justifying  
> the
> awe in which it is widely held on the www).
> * * *
>
> We get back to a question raised in earlier TAXACOM discussions: who
> will use which online resources, and for what purposes?
>
> I don't think this question has been asked often enough by the top- 
> down
> compilers/developers of online biodiversity resources. Many people  
> seem
> to think that information is information, and that the more you put up
> on the Web, and the more different ways the information can be shared
> and linked, the better.
>
> ***
> This often results in a database-orientation, copying data
> helter-skelter and let-the-devil-catch-the-reader (that is, copying  
> good
> data from a good database and converting it to create a flawed, or
> misleading, 'new' entry).
>
> Paul
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---------------------------------------------------------
Roderic Page
Professor of Taxonomy
DEEB, FBLS
Graham Kerr Building
University of Glasgow
Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK

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