[Zoobank-list] ZooBank as solution for electronic publications

[Weitzman, Anna]

Hi Neal,
 
Sorry for the delayed response.  I don't think there are many botanists on the Zoobank list, so I'll chime in.
 
Unfortunately, the issue with ICBN and electronic publishing is complicated by politics.  Because of those politics, I suspect at least one more edition of ICBN will have to come out before it will come up again...and there are certainly discussions behind the scenes about the hows and whens.
 
I know how I would *NOT* introduce the issue or how to suggest a mechanism *NOT* be structured to avoid some of the pitfalls that befell ICBN when this first came up.  I think most of you know them already.  But the main thing is, for Botany at least, that a single central place for registration of names is politically unfeasible--and possibly always will be.  Other issues related to electronic publication are, for now, 'tainted' by that issue.
 
Cheers,
Anna
 
Anna L. Weitzman, PhD
Botanical and Biodiversity Informatics Research
National Museum of Natural History
Smithsonian Institution
 
office: 202.633.0846
mobile: 202.415.4684
weitzman at si.edu

________________________________

From: zoobank-list-bounces at afriherp.org on behalf of Neal Evenhuis
Sent: Fri 20-Jun-08 2:41 AM
To: Zoobank Discussion List (ICZN)
Cc: TPape at snm.ku.dk; iczn-em at nhm.ac.uk; Brothers at ukzn.ac.za; dr_naseka at rambler.ru; zoobank-official-list at afriherp.org; Sven.Kullander at nrm.se; rosenberg at ansp.org; Frank.Krell at dmns.org; Zoobank-list at afriherp.org; lpapp at mail.zoo.nhmus.hu; nbogutskaya at zin.ru
Subject: Re: [Zoobank-list] ZooBank as solution for electronic publications



At 5:54 PM -0600 6/19/08, <Frank.Krell at dmns.org> wrote:
>Dear Commissioners et al.,
>
>I am sure that Thomas's "Yes, definitely" for "robust" electronic
>archiving as an alternative to durability of physical copies is NOT
>shared by everybody which is dangerous and might be fatal for the ICZN.
>If we don't accept electronic publications, we are in danger to be
>considered irrelevant not so far in the future - at least by donors and
>funding agencies. Electronic publication is or soon will be mainstream.
>At the same time, electronic publications are NOT archival independently
>(because they need a technical interface to be human-readable).

If Frank's prophesy about a lack of change to allow electronic
publication as the potential make the ICZN irrelevant is true, then
one could also project that same prophesy to the ICBN and botany.

Since the botanists change their Code much more frequently than
zoologists, yet still have not accepted electronic publication, a
query to those closely associated with their next edition might be in
order to see what they are thinking along these lines. no doubt
discussion has taken place among botanists.
Electronic publication is taxonomy is not just a zoological thing.

Not that we need to follow what the botanists are doing, but what
they are thinking along these lines could be of value in discussions
toward a new edition of the Code.

-Neal


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