RE: Idea for an "Open Dinosaur Project"-like Wikimedia Project

[Saint Abyssal <saint_abyssal@yahoo.com>]

> From: Thomas R. Holtz, Jr. <tholtz@umd.edu>

> Actually, from the point of view of
> the character information and such: this
> is already underway in MorphoBank:
> http://www.morphobank.org/index.php?g=search&s=browse&ss=overview
> 
> Thomas R. Holtz, Jr.

Morphobank is really interesting, but not exactly what I had in mind. For one 
thing, my idea is not to create a *tool* that can be used as a medium for 
*actively doing* research, but a *reference base* to *fuel and empower* 
research being done separately. My idea would serve as a repository of results 
from research that has already completed rather than a place for workers to 
work and collaborate together on research projects *in progress*. 

Also, as far as I can tell with a quick glance, most of the data in Morphobank 
are available to members only, and with at least some of it being private to 
members in specific project groups. Only 15 matrices are publicly available out 
of the many dozens of projects. This is very different than my suggestion, 
which as a reference work would try to make data as easily accessible to as 
many people as possible.

There's definitely some overlap, but Morphobank seems to have different goals 
than I do. If Morphobank was the science lab, my project would be more like a 
library or museum. Thank you for the attention you've given the proposal (and 
for telling me about Morphobank). :D

~ Abyssal