[Zoobank-list] Re: [iczn-list] Syntypes in modern nomencltature

[Richard Pyle]

Neal Evenhuis wrote:

> I would argue that there may well be folks in these "less advanced
> areas of zoology or developing countries" that may feel differently
> about mandatory registration. How can they be heard if we keep using
> the an internet list to speak to ourselves (zoological taxonomists)
> but not them? Certainly our intention is not to exclude them.

This is indeed a conundrum -- one that was pointed out whenever the topic of
Registration came up on Taxacom.  Email list subscribers, as a population,
are heavily baised toward those people who are comfortable using computers
and the internet, and thus are not representative of the taxonomic community
as a whole (especially for something as computer- and internet-oriented as
mandatory registration).

It seems obvious to me that the campaign for mandatory registration will
require other modes of communication beyond email lists, to truly involve
the broader practicing taxonomic community.  This is part of the reason why
advocates of mandatory registration generally acknowledge that several years
will be required to allow adequate participation, prior to implementation.

But as I have already stated, I don't think it would be wise to proactively
solicit input from the broader (non-digital) taxonomic community until a
functioning prototype is already working, and the group of people who have
spent the most time thinking about registration and its implications have
come to some terms about what the outstanding issues are (not necessarily
resolving those issues).

Rich