[Taxacom] two names online published - one new species

Stephen Thorpe stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz
Fri Jan 22 15:26:33 CST 2016


>You seem to be confused about the role of "Secretary General".<

Not really. I used the vague term "head of" to indicate a singular senior role within the ICZN. It still seems appropriate enough.

Stephen

--------------------------------------------
On Sat, 23/1/16, Richard Pyle <deepreef at bishopmuseum.org> wrote:

 Subject: RE: [Taxacom] two names online published - one new species
 To: "'Stephen Thorpe'" <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>, taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu, "'engel'" <msengel at ku.edu>, "'Doug Yanega'" <dyanega at ucr.edu>
 Received: Saturday, 23 January, 2016, 10:15 AM
 
 Hi Stephen,
 
 You seem to be confused about the role of "Secretary
 General".
 
 Aloha,
 Rich
 
 > -----Original Message-----
 > From: Stephen Thorpe [mailto:stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz]
 > Sent: Friday, January 22, 2016 11:03 AM
 > To: 'Stephen Thorpe'; taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu;
 'engel'; 'Doug
 > Yanega'; deepreef at bishopmuseum.org
 > Subject: RE: [Taxacom] two names online published - one
 new species
 > 
 > Rich,
 > 
 > I'm going to have to reply to some of your comments
 individually. Firstly:
 > 
 > >Finally, can you elaborate on what you mean by this
 statement:
 > >"BTW, congrats to Z.-Q. Zhang on his recent
 appointment as head of the
 > ICZN"
 > >?
 > 
 > This is what I mean:
 > http://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/about/news/snippets/researcher-in-nz-
 > first
 > 
 > Looks like I do know something that you don't! :)
 > 
 > Stephen
 > 
 > --------------------------------------------
 > On Sat, 23/1/16, Richard Pyle <deepreef at bishopmuseum.org>
 wrote:
 > 
 >  Subject: RE: [Taxacom] two names online published
 - one new species
 >  To: "'Stephen Thorpe'" <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>,
 > taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu,
 "'engel'" <msengel at ku.edu>,
 "'Doug
 > Yanega'" <dyanega at ucr.edu>
 >  Received: Saturday, 23 January, 2016, 9:55 AM
 > 
 >  Hi Stephen,
 > 
 >  Let me clarify... I scale the
 >  magnitude of the issue using a baseline of
 paper-based  publications and/or
 > the situation as it existed prior to the 
 amendment for electronic
 > publication.  I often see lots of  frantic
 arm-waving and other forms of virtual
 > panic about  one crisis or another related to
 electronic publication.  To be
 > sure, there are some new problems that have been 
 introduced with the
 > Amendment, and CERTAINLY the Amendment  did not
 solve all of the
 > problems that existed before it  (nor could it
 have).  As Doug has already
 > alluded to, the  Amendment represents a compromise
 between many
 > different  possible approaches, and ultimately
 reflects the best  consensus of
 > the community at the time.
 > 
 >  One thing the Amendment has done is shine a 
 spotlight on problems that
 > have existed for a long time, but  which people
 scarcely noticed before.  That
 > they went  unnoticed before doesn't mean that they
 were any less  serious
 > before; only that many of us were blissfully 
 ignorant.  One might argue that
 > an "ignorance is  bliss" approach is warranted,
 but it seems incompatible  to
 > basic scientific principles that we taxonomists
 would  generally like to adhere
 > to.
 > 
 >  So, here are some examples of things that are
 >  helpful:
 >  - Specific observations about how
 >  the existing rules fail in particular
 circumstances
 >  - Constructive suggestions on how the next 
 edition of the Code can be
 > improved to minimize such  failures
 > 
 >  And here are some
 >  examples of things that are not helpful:
 >  -
 >  Frantic arm-waving and hyperbolic exclamations
 about how the
 > nomenclatural sky is falling.
 >  -
 >  Misrepresentation of problems with the Code that
 have been  illuminated by
 > the Amendment for electronic publication as 
 though they were *caused* by
 > the Amendment (when in most  cases they were, in
 fact, extant prior to the
 > Amendment, and  in many cases at least mitigated
 to some extent by the
 > Amendment).
 >  - Representing personal
 >  interpretations about how the Code "should"
 be,  with what is actually
 > written in the Code.
 >  -
 >  Utterly bogus (and, frankly,  childish)
 accusations that  the Amendment was
 > somehow nefariously influenced by the 
 needs/demands of the for-profit
 > publishing community.
 > 
 >  Note: Stephen, I am not
 >  necessarily accusing you of all these things; but
 I've  seen examples of them
 > fly through Taxacom and other venues  on a regular
 basis.
 > 
 >  In
 >  answer to some of your specific questions: every
 edit to  every record in
 > ZooBank is logged with information on what  field
 was changed, what the
 > previous and new values are, who  changed them,
 and exactly (to the nearest
 > millisecond, UTC
 >  time) when the change was made. So, for example,
 if you  edited archive
 > info into the Zoobank record for Systematic 
 Entomology, there would be a
 > record of the fact that you  edited it, and
 exactly when you edited it. Not all
 > of this  information is visible on the ZooBank
 website, but as soon  as we
 > receive the next round of ZooBank development
 funding,  much of it will be
 > added. In the meantime, I am happy to  retrieve
 and provide this information
 > for any field of any  record.
 > 
 >  Finally, can you
 >  elaborate on what you mean by this statement:
 >  "BTW, congrats to Z.-Q. Zhang on his
 >  recent appointment as head of the ICZN"
 >  ?
 > 
 >  Either you
 >  know something that I don't, or this serves as
 one more  example reflecting
 > the reliability of your insights on the  ICZN and
 its functions.
 > 
 >  Thanks, and Aloha,
 >  Rich
 > 
 > 
 >  Richard L.
 >  Pyle, PhD
 >  Database Coordinator for Natural
 >  Sciences | Associate Zoologist in Ichthyology |
 Dive Safety  Officer
 > Department of Natural Sciences,  Bishop Museum,
 1525 Bernice St.,
 > Honolulu, HI 96817
 >  Ph: (808)848-4115, Fax: (808)847-8252 email: deepreef at bishopmuseum.org
 > http://hbs.bishopmuseum.org/staff/pylerichard.html
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > 
 > 
 >  > -----Original
 >  Message-----
 >  > From: Stephen Thorpe
 >  [mailto:stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz]
 >  > Sent: Friday, January 22, 2016 10:29
 AM  > To:
 > taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu; 
 'engel'; 'Doug Yanega';  >
 > deepreef at bishopmuseum.org 
 > Subject: RE: [Taxacom] two names online
 > published - one new species  >  > The
 issue may not be "huge", but  I think it is
 > probably bigger than you  >  indicate.
 There can be problems in determining
 > "the  earliest date on which all  > of
 the  requirements have been met".
 > Adding to this problem is  the fact that 
 > many publishers are  publishing
 > print editions online ahead of actual print  >
 (sometimes by months). We
 > have already  seen Frank Krell suggest,
 quite  >  erroneously in my view, that
 > "March 2016" must be  a mistake on the  >
 Cretaceous Research  website. In
 > fact, it is no mistake! They have published  >
 their March 2016 print edition
 > online  already, but it presumably won't be 
 >  actually printed until March!
 > One, I suppose only fairly  minor problem, 
 > concerns the nominal  year of
 > publication for taxon names, which is  >
 frequently widely appended to the
 > names  (i.e., Aus bus Author, YEAR). It is 
 > now  very hard to choose between
 > one year and the next (if online  versions 
 > are published in one year, but  the
 > print version isn't actually printed until the 
 > following year). Another
 > problem is that  many people have wasted a 
 > significant  amount of time
 > doing preregistrations on ZooBank that were 
 in  > fact pointless. They
 > thought that  they were validly publishing online
 first!
 >  > There are also issues relating to how
 easy  it might be to make apparently
 > >  retroactive edits on ZooBank, which cannot
 be (at least not
 >  publicly)
 >  > datestamped (for example,
 >  what would happen if I now edited archive
 info  > into the Zoobank record
 > for Systematic
 >  Entomology?) Regrettably, I think
 >  > that
 >  in the rush to push through a Zootaxa optimised
 electronic  amendment,  >
 > the ICZN has created rather  a confusing mess for
 many authors and  >
 > publishers to try to deal with. BTW, congrats to Z.-Q.
 Zhang  on his recent  >
 > appointment as head of  the ICZN (I would have
 thought that there was  >
 > rather a big COI involved there, but  apparently
 not...)  >  > Stephen  >  >
 >  --------------------------------------------
 >  > On Fri, 22/1/16, Richard Pyle <deepreef at bishopmuseum.org>
 >  wrote:
 >  >
 >  >  Subject:
 >  RE: [Taxacom] two names online published - one
 new  species  >  To:
 > "'Stephen  Thorpe'" <stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz>, 
 >
 > taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu, 
 "'engel'" <msengel at ku.edu>, 
 "'Doug  >
 > Yanega'"
 >  <dyanega at ucr.edu>
 >  >  Received: Friday, 22 January, 2016,
 6:45  PM  >  >  Well,  it's
 neither
 > >  new, nor huge*.  But it is a problem,
 and it was a problem  that was  >
 > recognized prior to the publication of  the 
 Amendment, and one which the  >
 > Commissioners have discussed  several times.
 >  >
 >  >  The
 >  >  fundamental question that we do not
 have  a definitive answer  for yet
 > (even  >  though we have an over-abundance
 of opinions),  is how to
 > establish the  > date of publication for 
 purposes of  priority, when the
 > following dates are  > non-identical:
 >  >
 >  >  1) The date on which the
 >  >  publication was registered in
 >  ZooBank.
 >  >  2)
 >  >
 >  The date of publication as stated in the ZooBank
 record.
 >  >  3) The date of publication as stated
 in  the  work itself.
 >  >  4) The date on
 >  which the first
 >  >  electronic edition of
 >  the work was obtainable.
 >  >  5) The date
 >  on which the ISSN or ISBN was added  to the
 ZooBank  record.
 >  >  6) The date on which
 >  >  the Intended archive was added to
 the  ZooBank record.
 >  >  7) The date on which
 >  a revised version of the  electronic edition
 of the work  > was obtainable
 > (e.g.,  containing  evidence of
 registration).
 >  >  8) The
 >  >  date on which paper copies were
 >  obtainable.
 >  >
 >  >
 >  There are other dates as well
 >  >  (e.g.,
 >  the date of publication as stated in the
 paper  edition of  the work,  > etc.),
 > but I hope you get the  point  that it's not
 a simple issue, because there  > are
 > many  possible dates associated with  a given
 work.
 >  >
 >  >
 >  So... which is the date of
 >  >
 >  publication for purposes of priority? 
 Certainly, most  would agree that it  >
 > cannot be prior to
 >  #4 (assuming the  above list is in
 chronological  > sequence).  Certainly,
 > not  after #8  (provided the paper edition
 meets all  >  other  criteria of the
 > code for paper-based  publications). 
 Most  > Commissioners I  have
 > discussed this with agree that the  logical
 answer  is,  > generally "the earliest
 > date  on  which all of the requirements have
 been  > met".   As #2 has no
 > bearing on any article  in the Code, we can
 probably  > ignore that one.  But
 > all the  others  are in potential play. 
 One could argue  > (pretty  effectively, in
 > fact), that  while the Code requires 
 electronic works to  > include the date of
 > publication to be  stated within the work itself,
 there is no  > requirement
 > that  it be the *correct*  date of
 publication.  Indeed, if such a  > requirement
 > was, in fact, part of the Code  (or how the
 Code  is interpreted),  >  stability
 > would most likely suffer.
 >  >
 >  >  Until there is clarity on this
 >  >  issue, either by Declaration,
 Amendment,  formal statement,  or ratified
 > 5th  >  Edition by the Commission, it
 seems to me  (and most others  I've
 > discussed it  > with), that the  trusty
 "the earliest date on which all of the
 > requirements  > have been met"
 >  approach seems the most  logical to use as a
 guideline.
 >  >
 >  >  Aloha,
 >  >  Rich
 >  >
 >  >  *The reason it's not a
 >  "huge"
 >  >  issue is that it
 >  ultimately affects date of publication for 
 purposes of  priority;  > and while
 > there may be a few  cases  where potentially
 competing names  > both fall
 > within the  "grey  zone", there certainly
 aren't many.
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >  > -----Original
 >  >  Message-----
 >  >  >
 >  From: Stephen Thorpe
 >  >  [mailto:stephen_thorpe at yahoo.co.nz]
 >  >  > Sent: Thursday, January 21, 2016
 >  11:53  AM  > To:
 >  > taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu;
 >  engel; Doug Yanega  > Cc:
 >  > deepreef at bishopmuseum.org
 >  > Subject: Re: [Taxacom] two names
 online  > published - one new
 > species  >  >  Doug (CC
 Rich),  >  > I think we may have  >
 just stumbled upon
 > a  huge problem:
 >  "the ZooBank  >  registration state
 both  > the name of an electronic archive
 > intended to  > preserve the work and 
 ..."
 >  >  >
 >  >  > I
 >  have
 >  >  always assumed that the
 >  publisher does this, once for each 
 journal?
 >  >  > Certainly Magnolia Press does
 >  >  it for Zootaxa (not surprisingly,
 >  perhaps, since  > the whole electronic
 >  > amendment is arguably  optimised for
 >  Zootaxa). How  > many  authors
 think
 >  > to worry about the archive when
 >  registering  articles on  > ZooBank?
 Bugger  > all!
 >  >  Looking at
 >  some random records on ZooBank, I'm now 
 > worried  that a  > large
 > number of them fail  this  requirement! I
 think we need  > some  >
 > clarification here (Rich?)  >  > 
 Stephen  >  >  >
 >  --------------------------------------------
 >  >  > On Fri, 22/1/16, Doug Yanega
 <dyanega at ucr.edu> 
 >  wrote:
 >  >  >
 >  >  >  Subject:
 >  >
 >  Re: [Taxacom] two names online published - one
 new  species  >  To:
 >  > taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu,
 >  "engel" <msengel at ku.edu>
 >  >  Received:
 >  > Friday, 22 January,
 >  2016,
 >  >  10:17 AM
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >  >  On
 >  >
 >  1/21/16 1:03 PM,
 >  >  >  Stephen
 >  Thorpe
 >  >  wrote:
 >  >
 >  >  > It is worth
 >  >  >  noting
 >  that Michael Engel did
 >  >  preregister
 >  his article (twice
 >  >  >
 >  >  actually!) on ZooBank:
 >  >  >  >
 >  >
 >  >  > 18 October 2015 http://zoobank.org/References/A6A94078-42E5-48B8-
 >  >  > B602-49DA7D0523F6
 >  >  >
 >  >  [Record not
 >  publicly viewable]
 >  >  >  >
 >  >  13
 >  >  >
 >  November 2015 http://zoobank.org/References/ADFE8605-38F3-45C6-
 >  >  > B686-5094367C9695
 >  >  >
 >  >  >
 >  >  >  > It would therefore
 >  >  >  appear to be the fault of
 the
 >  journal  (Cretaceous Research) 
 editorial  > team  >  that no ZooBank
 > registration  was indicated in  the 
 publication, and  > very  > unfortunate
 > in  this case  since it  the same taxon
 was apparently  > validly  > described as
 > new by  Pohl  & Beutel shortly after!
 >  >
 >  >  >
 >  >  >  It is not just
 >  this one thing that
 >  >  causes the  name
 >  to be unavailable.
 >  >  >
 >  >  There are *three*
 >  >
 >  >  requirements under
 >  >  the present
 >  ICZN, and the Engel et  al. online
 paper  > failed to  comply with  >
 *two*
 > of  them, not  just  one. Note  the
 following  > (from  >
 > >  http://iczn.org/content/electronic-publication-made-available-
 >  > amendment-
 >  >  >
 >  code):
 >  >  >
 >  >
 >  >  " The requirements for
 >  >
 >  >  electronic publications are that
 the  work be  registered in ZooBank before
 > > it  >  is published,  that the
 work itself  state  the date of  publication
 and  >
 > contain  > evidence  that registration
 has  occurred,  and that the ZooBank  >
 > registration  > state  both the name 
 of an  electronic  archive intended to  >
 > preserve the work  > and the ISSN or 
 ISBN  >  >  associated  with the
 work."
 >  >  >
 >  >  >  The
 >  online version of this
 >  >  >  work
 >  fulfills the first of these
 >  >
 >  criteria,  but neither of the latter two.
 >  >  >
 >  >  >
 >  Sincerely,
 >  >  >
 >  >  >  --
 >  >  >
 >  Doug Yanega      Dept.
 >  >  >  of
 >  Entomology
 >  >     Entomology
 >  Research  Museum  Univ. of 
 California,  > Riverside,  CA  >
 >  92521-0314
 >     skype:
 >  >  dyanega
 >  >  >  phone: (951) 827-4315
 >  >  (disclaimer: opinions are  mine,
 not
 >  UCR's)
 >  > >
 >  http://cache.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html
 >  >  >     "There
 are
 >  some
 >  >  enterprises
 >  >  >  in which a careful
 >  >  disorderliness
 >  >
 >  >
 >  >  >
 >  >
 >     is the true method" - Herman
 Melville,  Moby Dick, Chap. 82  > 
 >  >
 > _______________________________________________
 >  >  >  Taxacom Mailing List
 >  >  >  Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu
 >  >  >  http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/taxacom
 >  >  >  The Taxacom Archive back to
 1992
 >  may  be  searched at:
 >  >  > http://taxacom.markmail.org
 >  >  >
 >  >  >
 >  Celebrating 29
 >  >  years of
 >  >  >  Taxacom in 2016.



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