[Zoobank-list] Re: names Re: Zoobank-list Digest, Vol 9, Issue 6

[Adorian Ardelean]

Hi Geoff,

>>     *I would argue that a taxonomist NEEDS those names that are*
>>     *passionately called here "rubbish names."  Otherwise you may discard*
>>     *important information.*

*>I appreciate the point of view, but am unconvinced they are directly a *
*>taxonomist's problem (my prime point). I'm sure they can be *

Then, who's problem is this? What taxonomist does not deal with old
literature, museum specimens, or inventories?
Can we discard papers because a misspelling was there or not look at a
specimen because some curator made a mistake?
Do we live in an ideal world?  In my opinion we have to use rules
(ICZN, ICBN...) to decide on a correct name,
 but this cannot go beyond and influence the selection of a source of
information for a taxonomist.

>auto-filtered into categories

I did not mention auto-filtered methods. IT is not equivalent to
automatic methods.
These can aid, but the veto is given by a person or a group of people.
I did mention indeed about a stable-perpetual INSTITUTIONAL place in
which this data is stored and from where the registry is served to the
whole community. And by serving I mean really serving the data through
webservices not only presenting information in a pretty website that
has some search functionalities.

 >by the ever-more clever computer
>techniques of David Patterson and others (perhaps yourself).

I hope the discussion is really about ideas and concepts and not
people.  I came here with open hearth willing to help.
I also consider that a system should not be built with limitations in
mind. It should be open & flexible.
The limitations should/could come only from our lack of thought. That
is why things have to be settled and discussed carefully considering
who will be the users and how this Project may benefit them. I am
highly confident in the importance of a registry of names for the
future.

>The horror
>comes if taxonomists are then expected to work through and validate and
>apportion this low grade stuff (especially 'stuff' not arising in
>taxonomic works), just to have a database of names that works.

Taxonomists do it anyway; over and over again, duplicating work: In
published papers, in synonym lists, in databases, in digitization
processes.
It is a mandatory step if we want to progress and make connection
between past and future and between the taxonomist and the "outer"
world.
Taxonomist are not working for their realm alone. Do we?
But returning to the idea: it would be a miraculous advancement and of
help for all of us if at least (let say ONLY) the variations from
taxonomic papers will be stored and served from somewhere.
Let disregard "rubbish names" from outside taxonomy and deal with so
inappropriately called "rubbish names" from inside taxonomic papers.

>One of my least favourites is 'novaezelandiae' where there is a strong
>inclination to put in the middle missing 'a' or an extra 'e' or take an
>'e' out. Yes, there are many such variants in the original epithets.

voila :-)

Best Regards,
Adorian


 Dr. Adorian Ardelean

 proiectul myNature
str. Rascoala din 1907 nr 12
Timisoara 300325
Romania

 http://mybiosis.org/nature/portal.php?pagename=firstpage [a Romanian
biodiversity-database]
http://mybiosis.org/nature/portal.php?pagename=adorian
<http://mynature.net/adorian.php>[CV]
http://mybiosis.org/romanianorchids/ [Romanian Orchids]
http://greendorf.com [botanical illustration]
http://planktonnet.awi.de/portal.php?pagetitle=index
 http://www.ubio.org
 http://portal.ubio.org
http://microscope.mbl.edu
 http://starcentral.mbl.edu/biopedia
 http://starcentral.mbl.edu/custar

 Yahoo messenger: transylvaniasan
coordinator of myNature project

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Si cei de azi cu pasii grei
Nu ne-or vedea, nu ne-or simti,
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*Radu Gyr

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 AquaEcology
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