[Taxacom] [iczn-list] GENERAL CALL TO BATTLE

[John Grehan]

I find I would be in agreement with Thomas's three point summary. I get a
bit confused (when am I not?) when discussions of nomenclatural choices get
mixed up with taxonomic decisions. I agree that it is frustrating when poor
taxonomic works are published (but then perhaps some of my own will be
judged that way), but that is life. There was reference to a majority will
overriding decisions (which may apply to formal code decisions as well as
taxonomy) but again that is sometimes just how it is. I have to contend
even in my own main group of research that I have a view about some
taxonomic categories that do not match with most other publications in
recent times. Since I am one of the more active taxonomists in this group
one might think that my opinion might carry some weight, but in this case
it isn't worth a hill of beans. All I can do is publish my critiques and
let the dice fall where they may. Perhaps the only impactful
consequence may be where a journal or editor enforces a particular
taxonomic choice. Might not be fair, but life is not fair. One just has to
deal with that the same way as anything else in publishing one's views
(i.e. find somewhere else to publish).

Cheers, John Grehan


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