Re: An Electronic Journal?

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Peter and I seem to agree on most of the issues relating to electronic
publication.  I guess I'm just more optimistic about the electronic medium.
Perhaps the reason that the problems (and there are some potential
problems) seem so insurmountable at present is that no electronic paleo.
journal of any kind exists.  It's always hard to imagine how something new
might come into being.  Once the decision to create something is made, the
problems associated with that process are either solved or the process
fails.  I don't understand why the paleo. community can't take the lead on
something like electronic publication - other than the fact that paleo.
hasn't taken the lead in this area in the past. Perhaps it all comes down
to a matter of tradition (or lack thereof) and self concept. Regardless,
paleo. has its own requirements that will demand unique solutions in any
electronic format.  What troubles me is the apparent lack of willingness to
experiment, to make mistakes, to learn from those mistakes, and go on from
there.  Waiting until all of the so-called problems (many of which might
not turn out to be so problematical) have clear and widely-agreed upon
solutions strikes me as a recipe for paralysis.  Someday soon some group is
going to create a viable electronic scientific journal.  Many other fields
are already conducting their own experiments along these lines.  Why
shouldn't paleo?  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.


Norm MacLeod



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Norman MacLeod
Senior Scientific Officer
N.MacLeod@nhm.ac.uk (Internet)
N.MacLeod@uk.ac.nhm (Janet)

Address: Dept. of Palaeontology, The Natural History Museum,
         Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD

Office Phone: 071-938-9006
Dept. FAX:  071-938-9277
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