[Taxacom] FW: ICZN procedure question

[Stephen Gaimari]

>This is precisely the kind of thing that makes me saddest of all; a
>perfectly reasonable, respectable person who should be on our side,
>but has so completely missed the fundamental argument that they
>resist - and in doing so, may convince *others* to resist.

Now wait just a minute Doug. You are an ICZN Commissioner and you are saying such things? Are you suggesting that your colleagues who don't agree with you are unreasonable and unrespectable? Do you really think people don't *get* the fundamental argument? Guess what? People do get the fundamental argument, and some disagree with your and others conclusions and point of view. I am disturbed that you now use such rhetoric of which "side" one is on - this to me does not bode well for any upcoming discussions among Commissioners on this issue, as there now seems to be this fractionated us-versus-them mentality. I just hope that the Commissioners are carefully considering what the majority of their constituency are saying. We are all on the "side" of zoological taxonomy - that is where our passion and our loyalty lay. Your emotional state is irrelevant to what is best for zoology. You seem to think that disagreement is somehow personal - it is the farthest thing from personal. Some people just do not see the world as you see it, and they are perfectly reasonable and respectable people.

Not quoting the section, but the whole money under the mattress versus bank analogy falls apart right away. Publishing on paper is nothing like putting money under the mattress, and e-only publication is nothing like putting money in the bank. These two things could not be farther from each other is trying to work an analogy.