[Taxacom] FW: ICZN procedure question

[Michael A. Ivie]

OK, it is time for a reality check. I like paper, I like books. BUT, paper
is GOING TO GO AWAY.  Can't change that.  Scientific names are going to be
used, and they will eventually be based on works without paper  REALITY.

Our choice it to either manage this transition so that there are some
controls on the process, or lose control completely, because the use of
names is going to happen either within the Code or the Code will be come
an arcane and ignored document.

Drop the idea of stopping change, get used to the idea that even today
paper publications are "the living dead," and come up with a reasonable
and useful way to manage what is coming. It does not matter that a
majority of the CURRENT taxonomic community (including me) does not like
this, it maters that we lead in such a way that the FUTURE taxonomic
community considers our actions useful enough to use.

Michael Ivie

> 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
>
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>


-- 
Michael A. Ivie, Ph.D., F.R.E.S.
Montana Entomology Collection
Marsh Labs, Room 50
1901 S. 19th Ave
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717-3020
USA

(406) 994-4610 (voice)
(406) 994-6029 (FAX)
mivie at montana.edu