[Taxacom] globalnames?

[Paul Kirk]

You conveniently didn't answer the question - which was - would you
support (promote) the use of 'Smith' for all 120 Smith's rather than an
unambiguous abbreviation?

Paul

-----Original Message-----
From: Geoffrey Read [mailto:gread at actrix.gen.nz] 
Sent: 19 September 2009 23:55
To: Paul Kirk
Cc: Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Subject: RE: [Taxacom] globalnames?

The abbreviation 'Sm.' for Smith is astoundingly silly. You don't really
do that do you? Oh dear.

On not showing authors in a species page - depends on who the end user
will be, but if hidden for simplicity for those you think would have
little interest in them they should be there in the background to  be
conjured up instantly for the many who do require them to make sense of
the name.

Cheers,

Geoff

On Fri, September 18, 2009 10:44 pm, Paul Kirk wrote:
> Author abbreviations: punctuation (and diacriticals) in author 
> abbreviations is ignored in determining an appropriate form to avoid 
> ambiguity thus any author named Bull would have initials added to 
> distinguish them. However, to follow your 'logic' forward ... Bulliard

> is indeed unique and easily recognized even for the untutored user but

> am I correct in assuming you would support the use of Smith rather 
> than the unambiguous Sm., A.H.Sm., J.Sm. etc, etc, for all 120 Smiths 
> who are plant name authors? And Smith is not now the most common 
> surname/family name!
>
> Incidentally, I am against including author citations anywhere except 
> in hard core nomenclature and taxonomy - most users, untutored or 
> otherwise, should not see them - that they continue to be used (often 
> copied from one incorrect source to another) outside the areas 
> mentioned is indeed a "relic of ancient times".


Find out about CABI's global summit on 'Food security in a climate of change' at www.cabiglobalsummit.com 
19 - 21 October 2009, London, UK.

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