[Taxacom] Chameleons, GBIF, and the Red List

[Paul van Rijckevorsel]

From: "Lyubomir Penev" <lyubo.penev at gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 26, 2014 9:56 AM

> [...] For example,
> annotation of the kind  "Now in different genus"  could automatically query
> a trusted taxonomy source (CoL, GNUB, etc,) and display all possible
> versions and validity status of that name and its combinations.


***
Calling CoL "a trusted taxonomy source" pretty much sets
the tone. I would not trust CoL on a taxonomy matter any 
further than I could throw an elephant. Of course it is not 
completely useless, but great caution is advisable in its use.

The IUCN Red List has regularly proved to have useful 
information to me (although I am hardly a heavy user), 
but I cannot recall visiting GBIF and coming away other
than dissatisfied. I would not want to suggest I have anything
like the grasp on these matters that Bob Mesibov has, but
as far as I can judge these things I agree with him.

The mechanism in GBIF for corrections sounds really
awkward and, indeed, bureaucratic. A method of
putting in corrections directly would be a great 
improvement, especially if no sophisticated software
would be involved (also, the less automatic connections,
the better).

Paul