[Taxacom] globalnames?

[David Remsen (GBIF)]

Parser output aside (I suspect the 'epitheton' component is a problem  
with the output XML and inadvertant) blaming globalnames.org for the  
orthography of the names is a bit like shooting the messenger.    
Unless the input has been scrambled,  the names in the index are  
actually tied to specimens, observations, data records and  
publications that are published and indexed via the site.   As Tony  
alluded,  many of these records are published through GBIF's network  
and represent values that curators of specimen and observation  
databases have stored in their systems.  The site provides a very  
simple means to publicise a particular data record tied to a taxon  
name.  This makes it easy to obtain links to that record and gives us  
a chance to evaluate the scope of orthography actually in use.

If this reveals there is a serious mess with something as  
straightforward as correctly recording a name it might give some  
rationale for putting resources into authoritative nomenclatural  
systems like ZooBank and Index Fungorum and building tools for linking  
to them.

David Remsen



On Sep 15, 2009, at 8:59 AM, <dipteryx at freeler.nl>  
<dipteryx at freeler.nl> wrote:

> Van: taxacom-bounces at mailman.nhm.ku.edu namens Wolfgang Lorenz
> Verzonden: zo 13-9-2009 22:47
>
>> [...] not
>> deterred but rather attracted by warnings like "The primary users  
>> of this
>> site are not people, but other machines, so please don't complain  
>> because
>> the site is boring".
>> So, shouldn't we also risk a look? Maybe some more sensations  
>> hiding there?
>
> ***
> There is also the novelty of having a "genus epitheton" for every  
> name.
> These must be some very strange machines that are doing the  
> reading ...
>
> Paul
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