[Taxacom] Sorry, but you are out-of-line

[Stephen Thorpe]

both issues are problematic:

different interfaces for different purposes is fine, but I am talking 'bout 
different "here is the global biota according to us" interfaces/initiatives 
(i.e. same purpose, =duplication)

really, the two issues (duplication and incompatibility) are the two sides of 
the same coin - everyone wants their own interface 'cos they all think their 
version is "the one" ...

Stephen


 



________________________________
From: Jim Croft <jim.croft at gmail.com>
To: Stephen Thorpe <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>
Cc: TAXACOM at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
Sent: Mon, 15 November, 2010 4:10:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Sorry, but you are out-of-line

This does not worry me at all. Different interfaces to different
questions, different purposes - horses for courses, tools for the job.

The real nightmare is different (and worse incompatable) underlying
standards and the inability to get a single view of the whole lot,
with all the duplication and incompatability resolved.

Centralism is one way (the technically easy way, becasue everybody
tries it) to deal with this, but the thought of a single
taxonomic/nomenclatural/biodiversity monolithic juggernaut fills me
with abject fear and dread.

Ask any major institution - centralism is fine, as long as it does not
happen 'at that other place'... :)

jim (a distributed and replicated, belt and braces kida guy; a guy who
is not only glass half empty, but who is scared shitless because the
container is made of glass)

On Sun, Nov 14, 2010 at 12:11 PM, Stephen Thorpe
<stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz> wrote:
> ... on the other hand, the problem with biodiversity informatics projects 
(lime
> CoL, EoL, GBIF, WoRMS, etc.) is that although they share their data, they all
> want to create their own interfaces ...
-- 
_________________
Jim Croft ~ jim.croft at gmail.com ~ +61-2-62509499 ~
http://www.google.com/profiles/jim.croft
'A civilized society is one which tolerates eccentricity to the point
of doubtful sanity.'
 - Robert Frost, poet (1874-1963)

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