Mmm, I don't see that one can have useful content sans questions. Maybe this is part of the problem, assuming that taonomic literature has useful data?
P. On Mar 30, 2012, at 7:59 AM, Chris Thompson wrote: > Thanks, Rod, > > for the great comment on the focus should be on "questions," not > technologies. > > BUT I would add the basic focus should FIRST be on content. The > information > that can be used to answer questions. > > In the half century, I have been in the "biodiversity" business, > what has > been the clear trend is the continued re-invention of the > "infrastructure > technologies," investing big bucks in "new and better" software, > etc., but > virtually nothing on content. The old "taxonomy is free" paradigm. > People > have questions, they want answer, so the critical component is > content, the > information necessary to answer those question. Not so new > technology to > simply re-scuffle the old information. > > We run the Systema Dipterorum (see us at www.diptera.org), an online > nomenclator and species database for more than 10% of the known > biodiversity, flies (Insecta: Diptera), which are critical as they > have one > of this highest impact on human society, as disease vectors, > pollinators, > crop pests, biological control agents, model organisms (Drosophila), > forensics indicators, etc. We provide basic information on more > than 160,000 > species and a quarter of million names, with simple obsolete software > (FileMakerPro version 6), but as we have a budget of only some 50K > per year > we focus on content, trying to keep up with the thousands of new > species > being added annually, etc. And enhancement of our basic content. > > What we need is support to improve our content, to enhance it, to > have it > "peer-reviewed," etc. No some new software to simply re-format it. > > Oh, well ... > > back to the data ... > > Sincerely, > > Chris > > see us at www.diptera.org > > -----Original Message----- > From: Roderic Page > Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 3:43 AM > To: Dave Roberts > Cc: Norman Morrison ; Peter van Tienderen ; Hannu Saarenmaa ; Alex > Hardisty > ; [email protected] ; taxacom > Subject: Re: [Taxacom] Whitepaper consultation on Biodiversity > Informatics > > Dear Dave, > > This sounds like a great opportunity. > > That said, I little part of me dies when I read "infrastructure" > documents. > The focus is invariably on technologies rather than questions, and > I don't > think people actually want "infrastructure", they want things to > help them > do the things they're trying to do (as opposed to cool things that > could be > built for them). > > I've made some comments on the topics, but rather than pollute your > own > outline with my grumpiness, I've made a copy and scribbled some > thoughts on > that. The annotated document is at > https://docs.google.com/document/d/ > 1VLvysjbm6IUhceAEgkAWSQ9yc71YK-9_48bPNZACZPo/edit > or http://bit.ly/H17nLs if that link gets mangled. > > Regards > > Rod > > > On 29 Mar 2012, at 12:31, Dave Roberts wrote: > >> Dear Colleague, >> >> we need funding to pursue biodiversity research, but funding is >> under huge >> pressure. One area for which there is potential is in biodiversity >> informatics because we are witnessing a paradigm shift in the way we >> handle data. Now it is expected that data will be openly accessible, >> presenting huge opportunities if only the data can be found when >> needed. >> >> There is a strong need for a community voice to present the >> funders with a >> set of priorities. We have successfully built a number of >> infrastructural >> components, such as INSDC, GBIF, Catalogue of Life, but we lack the >> bridges to allow users to integrate elements from these resources to >> address a simple question. >> >> With the encouragement of the European Commission, we are launching a >> consultation to write a White Paper on biodiversity informatics. >> We have >> made a list of potential chapters with a brief outline of what >> they might >> cover here: >> >> http://is.gd/WhitePaperChapters >> >> This document is a public Google doc. The approach we propose is >> to ask >> for volunteers to lead the development of each chapter. >> >> * If you can identify a new chapter, please add it to the Chapters >> list >> >> * If you are prepared to lead a chapter, put your name against the >> chapter, open a new public googledoc and past the link into the >> chapters >> list. >> >> * Please do not create chapters dedicated to specific disciplines, >> such as >> molecular biology, because there is no way to prioritise one >> discipline >> against another. >> >> * Three funded EU projects will administer the production of the >> white >> paper. agINFRA, BioVeL and ViBRANT will supply. We will edit the >> chapters >> for continuity and will produce an executive summary. >> >> * If you are able to join the editorial group, email one of the >> organisers. We expect this to work by self-nomination. >> >> The European Commission would like access to such a community view in >> forming the funding calls under Horizon2020. It is possible that >> other >> funders may pay similar attention. It makes no sense to do this >> over just >> Europe. We recognise that biodiversity is global and we need global >> priorities. >> >> Timetable >> 27 April: initial draft chapters; propose group meetings with >> dates in May >> >> 1 June: refined chapters merged by editorial group >> >> 22 June: draft executive summary and edited chapters >> >> July: public meeting >> >> 1st Sept: Publication of white paper >> >> This timetable is tight because the Horizon2020 funding calls will be >> drafted in the last quarter of 2012. To have real benefit in >> Europe, we >> need to move quickly. >> >> Organising Group: >> Alex Hardisty <hardistyAR_at_cardiff_dot_ac_dot_uk> >> Dave Roberts <dmr_at_nomencurator_dot_org> >> Hannu Saarenmaa <hannu_dot_saarenmaa_at_uef_dot_fi> >> Norman Morrison <norman_at_nmorrison_dot_info> >> Peter van Tienderen <P_dot_H_dot_vanTienderen_at_uva_dot_nl> >> -- >> Dr D.McL. Roberts, Tel: +44 (0)20 7942 5086 >> Dept. Zoology, >> The Natural History Museum, >> Cromwell Road, >> London SW7 5BD >> Great Britain Email: [email protected] >> Web page: >> http://scratchpads.eu >> http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/projects/euk-extreme/ >> -- >> "The intent of [bureaucratic] language is not to deceive, it is to >> preserve one's interpretive latitude so that if context changes a >> new more >> approporiate meaning can be attached to the language already used." >> Matthew Crawford (The case for working with your hands, Penguin 2010) >> -- >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> >> Taxacom Mailing List >> [email protected] >> http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/mailman/listinfo/taxacom >> >> The Taxacom archive going back to 1992 may be searched with either of >> these methods: >> >> (1) by visiting http://taxacom.markmail.org >> >> (2) a Google search specified as: >> site:mailman.nhm.ku.edu/pipermail/taxacom your search terms here >> > > --------------------------------------------------------- > Roderic Page > Professor of Taxonomy > Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine > College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences > Graham Kerr Building > University of Glasgow > Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK > > Email: [email protected] > Tel: +44 141 330 4778 > Fax: +44 141 330 2792 > Skype: rdmpage > AIM: [email protected] > Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1112517192 > Twitter: http://twitter.com/rdmpage > Blog: http://iphylo.blogspot.com > Home page: http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/rod.html > > _______________________________________________ > > Taxacom Mailing List > [email protected] > http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/mailman/listinfo/taxacom > > The Taxacom archive going back to 1992 may be searched with either > of these > methods: > > (1) by visiting http://taxacom.markmail.org > > (2) a Google search specified as: site:mailman.nhm.ku.edu/ > pipermail/taxacom > your search terms here > > > _______________________________________________ > > Taxacom Mailing List > [email protected] > http://mailman.nhm.ku.edu/mailman/listinfo/taxacom > > The Taxacom archive going back to 1992 may be searched with either > of these methods: > > (1) by visiting http://taxacom.markmail.org > > (2) a Google search specified as: site:mailman.nhm.ku.edu/ > pipermail/taxacom your search terms here _______________________________________________ tdwg mailing list [email protected] http://lists.tdwg.org/mailman/listinfo/tdwg
