[Tcs-lc] Human Readable - the thread formally known as 'Name ofNomenCode'

[Richard Pyle]

I don't think that readability matters at all for the long term.  But we'll
never *get* to the long term if we can't get past the short-term, and in the
short-term, I think that readability matters a *lot*.

A "Standard" is only as valuable to the extent that it is adopted by the
bulk of the practitioners.  Taxonomists, and consumers of taxonomic data are
a notoriously fickle bunch, and until there are no-brainer desktop tools to
completely hide the XML (to the extent that the vast majority of users don't
even know that data are formatted in XML), then the early adopters will be
looking at the raw files.  The more intuitive it is, the more likely they
will "get" it, and the more likely the standard will take root.

I've changed my position, and now agree with the others who opt for
"nomenclaturalcode" (instead of "nomencode") -- but I still prefer it as an
attribute, than as an element.

Aloha,
Rich

> -----Original Message-----
> From: tcs-lc-bounces at ecoinformatics.org
> [mailto:tcs-lc-bounces at ecoinformatics.org]On Behalf Of Roger Hyam
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2005 10:53 PM
> To: tcs-lc at ecoinformatics.org
> Subject: [Tcs-lc] Human Readable - the thread formally known as 'Name
> ofNomenCode'
>
>
> I am all for readability and it is something I am just sitting down to
> look at in the TCS today. This is partially inspired by trying to put
> together some instance documents over the weekend. This matter does not
> only include field names but also general structure.
>
> How important do people consider it is to be able to read/hand craft TCS
> instances - at least simple one?
>
> Roger
>
> --
>
> ==============================================
>  Roger Hyam
> ----------------------------------------------
>  Biodiversity Informatics
>  Independent Web Development
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