[Taxacom] Apology and classification tool

[David Patterson]

Especially given the debate regarding on-line /off-line dialog, I apologize for sending out what was intended as an off-line email (to Stephen Thorpe) to everyone.

That error has prompted me to let you know that I have created a taxonomic sandbox at http://taxacom.lifedesks.org.  I am exploring how best to set up an environment where taxonomists can work collaboratively, and how to accommodate the different philosophies that we adopt rather than watch them run into conflict.  The sandbox simply takes a classification that was created for an ATOL project, places in the hands of a collective (the taxacom community).  The current classification is of protists, but you'll find within that environment tools to pull in animals (or were they metazoa or did they or did they not include sponges), plants, fungi and the non-eukaryotes.  You can also add your classificatory structures, and with a bit of inventiveness, it is possible to include classifications based on logic or those based on rationales that i can't get my head around.

Our goal here is to understand better what tools and services would need to be available to create an array of good quality classifications that meet the needs of a diverse audience.

LifeDesks are freely available software to allow anyone to put information about organisms on-line, with the option of making it available to the Encyclopedia of Life.

David Patterson