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

[Jim Croft]

I agree Paul, at least in part. The purpose behind what we do is communication.

By trying to express and represent taxonomy in formal, and some might
say inflexible, database terms, we are finding out that our practice,
conventions and indeed the Codes, are not as rigourous as we may have
thought them to be.

It would be nice to think that as we look at harmonizing the *codes,
the proposed Biocode and perhaps even the Phylocode, we would do it in
a way that would facilitate unambiguous representation in electronic
information management systems.

jim

On Sat, Sep 5, 2009 at 4:27 PM, <dipteryx at freeler.nl> wrote:
> Van: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu namens Stephen Thorpe
> Verzonden: za 5-9-2009 7:10
>
>> [...] This is fine, except that it does pose something of a problem
>> to the prospects of automated databases. Because of the nature of a
>> machine, it will require a single, perfectly spelled out
>> disambiguation of the Code ...
>
> ***
> Again, the reversal! The problem is not with the Code, but with
> the database. Your approach keeps reminding me of the aforism:
> "Man, the only creature intelligent enough that the purpose of
> evolution is the computer"
>
> I quite admired the post of Richard Pyle in response to Roger Ham's
> blog, emphasizing that bioinformatics should have the intent to help
> rather than to take over:
> "I think that the purpose of taxonomy is to produce a system that
> people can actually use to *communicate with each other*."
>
> Paul
> _______________________________________________
>
> Taxacom Mailing List
> Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
> http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/mailman/listinfo/taxacom
>
> The Taxacom archive going back to 1992 may be searched with either of these methods:
>
> (1) http://taxacom.markmail.org
>
> Or (2) a Google search specified as:  site:mailman.nhm.ku.edu/pipermail/taxacom  your search terms here
>



-- 
_________________
Jim Croft ~ jim.croft at gmail.com ~ +61-2-62509499 ~
http://www.google.com/profiles/jim.croft
... in pursuit of the meaning of leaf ...
... 'All is leaf' ('Alles ist Blatt') - Goethe