[Taxacom] FW: formation of zoological names with Mc, Mac, et

[Stephen Thorpe]

> The letter of the Code is of prime importance when it comes to formal names
Well, Paul, this returns us nicely to my point about the Code not being as tight as a perfectly consistent  logical system. If you try to follow the Code to the very letter, you will soon run into all sorts of problems. To quote commissioner Zhang (pers. comm.) in the context of a discussion about what counts as valid publication according to "the letter of the Code" [quote] there are many holes that taxonomic vandals can exploit - it doesn't make our jobs very easy [unquote]. So, what do we do? My approach is to try to find  sensible and pragmatic solutions to the problems, and try to convince others not to choose alternative solutions for purely subjective reasons. I apologise if this comes across to you as something akin to "arrogance", but there we go...
It really is of little importance if you consider author/date to be part of names or not, what matters more is whether we need to write complexities like Examplus primus A.B. Smith, jr., 1970a,  or  just Examplus primus Smith, 1970. I prefer to keep things as simple as possible in my personal universe, but perhaps you rejoice in complexities ...

Stephen

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From: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu [taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu] On Behalf Of dipteryx at freeler.nl [dipteryx at freeler.nl]
Sent: Wednesday, 2 September 2009 8:29 p.m.
To: taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] FW: formation of zoological names with Mc, Mac, et

Van: Stephen Thorpe [mailto:s.thorpe at auckland.ac.nz]
Verzonden: wo 2-9-2009 9:26

>Yes, I know the letter of the Code,

***
The letter of the Code is of prime importance when it comes to formal names.
* * *

>but what it "REALLY MEANS" is [...]

***
This "what it "REALLY MEANS" " belongs in your personal universe.
* * *

>So, Examplus primus Smith, 1970 and Examplus primus Jones, 1980 are obviously homonyms [...]

***
Not necessarily. See what comes of this "what it "REALLY MEANS" "-approach ...

Paul

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