[Taxacom] Pop article on taxonomy's decline

[dipteryx at freeler.nl]

Van: Donat Agosti [mailto:agosti at amnh.org]
Verzonden: vr 28-1-2011 12:32

> This thread begun with a wired article on the decline of 
> taxonomists. And we discuss now names.

> This is one of the major contributor to make taxonomy obsolete, 
> that we fight about names instead of providing a system that 
> allows us to communicate inside, but even more, people from 
> outside have access to what we do.

> Most of this discussion is a discussion about our past, and does 
> not look forwards where we do not have to carry along the huge 
> backpack of idiosyncrasies. We need to look forwards making use 
> of the IT infrastructure - and that's why it is important.

***
Making use of IT infrastructure is indeed very important, and this is indeed done, by the bottom-up initiatives, by BHL, etc. These are invaluable.

However, there is a lot of near-empty IT infrastructure out there
on the web that just clutters things up. The difference lies in what 
the purpose is. There are those who believe that just having a 
glorious IT infrastructure will solve everything: the content will 
migrate in spontaneously. The bottom-up initiatives have actual 
content and adopt a suitable infrastructure, which is made to serve 
the content.

Paul