[Taxacom] FW: ICZN procedure question

[Frank.Krell at dmns.org]

Oops, I seem to have sent this to dipteryx only...

-----Original Message-----
From: Frank T. Krell 
Sent: Friday, November 12, 2010 8:23 AM
To: dipteryx at freeler.nl
Subject: RE: [Taxacom] ICZN procedure question

Paul wrote:
"I do not know if electronic publishing of scientific names is
going to happen (given that the Codes are retroactive, it is
possible that it already exists, for example if a future change
of the Codes determines that all electronic publishing from
1 January 2000 onwards is accepted as effective/available.
This is unlikely, but possible!), but the more discussions
I see on the topic, the more I get the feeling that
the immediate issue before us is formulating what exact
conditions and requirements these Official Permanent Paper
Copies will have to meet."

Just to make clear: Electronic publishing of scientific names has been happening for a while and continues to happen. Whether we set requirements or not for their availability, they have been and are entering the (printed) scientific record. Since most of us, I guess, get most of their literature as pdfs, it is generally difficult to establish whether a print version of the document we read is in existence. Most non-taxonomists don't care whether a print version exists or not. So those names continue to enter the (still printed) scientific record.
The question is: Should the ICZN accomodate reality and set rules with which the reality can work, or should we try to convince/force the e-only world to change their modus operandi? I guess this would fail.
I have advocated from the very beginning of ZooBank planning that ZooBank should include an archive of archival printouts (as far as xerocopy can be archival) of papers containing nomenclatural acts. Limiting this to e-only publications could be a manageable start. This would be only one archive (meaning: one fire = complete distruction; but it can be printed again from the electronic archive).  However, better than no archive. A handfull archives around the globe would be even better, but the ICZN can only suggest that. If the world doesn't want to play safe, at least the ICZN could do so and establish such an archive itself.

Frank

Dr Frank T. Krell 
Curator of Entomology 
Commissioner, International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature
Chair, ICZN ZooBank Committee
Department of Zoology 
Denver Museum of Nature & Science 
2001 Colorado Boulevard 
Denver, CO 80205-5798 USA 
Frank.Krell at dmns.org 
Phone: (+1) (303) 370-8244 
Fax: (+1) (303) 331-6492 
http://www.dmns.org/science/curators/frank-krell