Taxacom: Removals of offending scientific names

[Mike Sadka]

> In past discussions of this I have said I have no issue if we as a community draw a line in the sand and say no more patronyms for example, but it cannot be retroactive. Making it retroactive interferes with the primary aim of the code which is stability.


I have seen lots of debate on this, and am barely qualified to comment, but I have rarely seen anyone suggest that the best way to deal with this and defuse some of the criticism would be to explicitly accept that there have been problems in the past but promise to do something about them going forward.  For example, using more local organism names as epithets and honouring a wider range of individuals with patronyms.

It might be that many current detractors would accept this as a reasonable compromise.

And it might allow a more constructive conversation.  People with axes to grind (however legitimately) often react against other viewpoints - sometimes the best way to defuse that is to agree and enter a conversation to identify a solution that works for all (or at least most).