[Taxacom] Why Taxonomy does NOT matter

[jwhitfie at life.illinois.edu]

I agree totally at one level, but one has to agree that some of the
barcoders have a very naive view of the taxonomic enterprise. Getting on
the same team is good!  I hope we can move towards good science too,
though...

Jim

P. S.  I have gotten involved with at least some of the core barcoders,
and find that they absolutely LOVE it when we have more kinds of data to
wrap into the analysis and interpretation. I have to say SOME
traditionally based taxonomists do not have the same openness to new types
of evidence. They seem more interested in preserving their own "expert"
status.  As a traditionally based taxonomist and supposed "expert" myself,
I find this unfortunate. We can all learn from new, and real, data, but is
has to be in an integrative spirit. No? What is the alternative?


> Hi All,
>
> I think the real reason that astronomers can get huge grants and
> taxonomists can't is that taxonomists/systematists are such a fractious
> bunch they just can't help but shoot themselves in the foot by protesting
> vociferously against any emerging large initiatives. A case in point is
> barcoding. The concept has caught the public's imagination and could bring
> megabucks to taxonomy, but instead of seeing the possibilities, getting
> involved and working together to integrate and improve this fledgling
> system many taxonomists would rather fire shots from the sidelines.  Have
> you ever seen a documentary on TV where say radioastronomers slam
> gamma-ray astronomers as having no understanding of their subdiscipline?
> Of course not! They would rather work together to build the multi-billion
> dollar SKA that they can all use.
>
> Now that I'm sticking my neck out I may as well add that funding models
> which favour "innovation" over all else are partly to blame. This is why
> we have so many different initiatives digitising taxonomy (checklists,
> species pages & images, the heritage literature) with limited
> interactivity - each successive proposal must demonstrate that it is doing
> something "innovative", i.e. different from existing projects.
>
> OK, my flame guards are up so fire away!
>
> Andrew
>
> Andrew Mitchell
> Integrative Systematist
> Entomology
>
> Australian Museum
> 6 College Street Sydney NSW 2010 Australia
> t 61 2 9320 6346   f 61 2 9320 6042
> www.australianmuseum.net.au
>
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-- 
James B. Whitfield
Department of Entomology
320 Morrill Hall
505 S. Goodwin Avenue
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL 61801
http://www.life.illinois.edu/whitfield