[Taxacom] two names online published - one new species

[Stephen Thorpe]

John,

The Code wasn't written by God and handed down to us mere mortals fully formed! It was written by a bunch of people, each with their own strengths, weaknesses and agendas. Those people didn't necessarily fully agree with one another about everything. The Code is what emerged from all of this. You cannot hope to understand the Code without understanding some of the politics that went with it. Some of that politics may be somewhat "ugly" (we have seen Frank Krell, for example, claim to have pleaded for clarification on one important point, but he was ignored by the others).

Specifically relating to "date of publication". It simply wasn't thought through very well. Zootaxa specified an exact date of publication on its articles (which is, presumably, simultaneously online and print publication date), so there is nothing more to be said! If you don't do it the Zootaxa way, then you are forever in limbo - a no man's land of indeterminacy, in which there simply isn't a right or wrong answer. These are the facts. They may be somewhat unpalatable, but these are the facts.

Stephen

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On Mon, 25/1/16, John Noyes <j.noyes at nhm.ac.uk> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [Taxacom] two names online published - one new species
 To: "'Thomas Pape'" <tpape at snm.ku.dk>, "Hans Henderickx" <cavexplorer at gmail.com>, "Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu" <Taxacom at mailman.nhm.ku.edu>
 Received: Monday, 25 January, 2016, 10:36 PM
 
 I wonder about the Pohl paper. Is it
 really fully code compliant and available in the electronic
 version? I cannot find any specific date of publication
 stated on the work itself . . . unless of course you take
 the year that is published on the first page. In itself the
 stated year does not actually mean that it was published in
 that year (unless it is prefixed by "date of publication")
 and is the year alone really the date. If someone were to
 ask me the date of something that happened last year I
 probably would give the day and the month. It is
 controversial and some of us have discussed this
 before.  Personally I would apply strictly what the
 code says say that neither work is available until the
 printed versions are available but I know there will be some
 out there who disagree with me. 
 
 John
 
 John Noyes
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