<HTML><BODY style="word-wrap: break-word; -khtml-nbsp-mode: space; -khtml-line-break: after-white-space; ">Rod,<DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>I know we disagree on this one, and I certainly don't want to force the issue against everyone else's better judgment but I think the critical issue is that we need to get moving with trying something seriously and for real. Switching technology later should not be too painful once we get the basic principles right (and the basic principles are the same quite independent of technology).</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>Some quick points.</DIV><DIV><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV>1. In answer to your latest question, the (non-technical, more social) issues I mentioned in my previous message are the key reasons I would give for choosing something other than HTTP URIs. We are dealing with a wider community than just IT professionals and need to make a clear separation between assigning an identifier and putting up a web page.</DIV><DIV>2. LSIDs occupy a space (in my thinking) somewhere between the open, easy, hard-to-control world of HTTP URIs, and the potentially over-centralised administratively heavy world of Handles and DOIs.</DIV><DIV>3. If we go with LSIDs and subsequently decide we should just use HTTP URIs, we can do so immediately and easily using a proxy like the one TDWG has set up.</DIV><DIV>4. If we go with HTTP URIs and subsequently decide we should use something like LSIDs, it is likely to be significantly harder to clean up the mess.</DIV><DIV><DIV><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 0px 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: auto; -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -apple-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Right now we are in a position where a good number of projects has converged on giving LSIDs a serious try. I honestly believe we should build on this and start learning how to use GUIDs in the real world. We can all debate options forever (and go around in circles: "LSIDs are better than URIs because..." - "Handles are better than LSIDs because..." - "URIs are better than Handles because..."), but we must get down to providing some working solutions.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Thanks as ever,</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><BR class="khtml-block-placeholder"></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Donald</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">------------------------------------------------------------</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">Donald Hobern (</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><A href="mailto:dhobern@gbif.org"><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#0020E4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 32, 228); -khtml-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; ">dhobern@gbif.org</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></A><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">)</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">Deputy Director for Informatics </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">Global Biodiversity Information Facility Secretariat </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">Universitetsparken 15, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">Tel: +45-35321483 </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">Mobile: +45-28751483 </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "> </SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">Fax: +45-35321480</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><FONT class="Apple-style-span" color="#001DD4"><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); "><SPAN class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 29, 212); ">------------------------------------------------------------</SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN> </DIV><BR><DIV><DIV>On Jun 6, 2007, at 3:22 PM, Roderic Page wrote:</DIV><BR class="Apple-interchange-newline"><BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">This all begs the question, is there anything LSIDs give us that HTTP URIs don't?</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">If we go to all this trouble to make LSIDs behave as if they were HTTP URIs, isn't this tell us something...?</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Regards</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Rod</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">On 6 Jun 2007, at 14:13, Ricardo Pereira wrote:</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Roderic Page wrote:</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Ricardo,</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I think your arguments pretty much apply to LSIDs as well. By themselves, they don't play ball with the WWW or the Semantic Web.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">For LSIDs we need a proxy that understands SOAP, can talk to the DNS, read WSDL files, and then do an HTTP look-up. You only get LSIDs to play ball by using a proxy that plays ball.</DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I agree. That's why we are putting forward the LSID HTTP proxy recommendations (<A href="http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/GUID/LsidHttpProxyUsageRecommendation">http://wiki.tdwg.org/twiki/bin/view/GUID/LsidHttpProxyUsageRecommendation</A>). And there will be at least one LSID proxy (that at <A href="http://lsid.tdwg.org">http://lsid.tdwg.org</A>/) that will play ball pretty soon. That proxy all that you said, just doesn't perform the content-negotiation bit yet. But I'm currently working on that.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">In principle we can do the same sort of thing for Handles (there is code for a proxy servlet at <A href="http://www.handle.net/proxy_servlet.html">http://www.handle.net/proxy_servlet.html</A>).</DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Only if handle types fully matched the standard WWW content types. They could match if we defined handle types for our own community, but they won't ever match with the types defined by other communities like DOI and others using Handles.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">On the other hand, LSID spec allows us to implement standard content negotiation seamlessly because the semantics of the argument *accepted_formats* in the LSID getMetadata call is appropriate for that purpose.</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE type="cite"><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I'm not necessarily defending Handles, but I think our choice needs to be well-informed. I still don't think the case for LSIDs has really been made (or, at least, some of the arguments advanced in favour of LSIDs apply equally well, if not better, to other technologies).</DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">I agree with you on this. The case for LSIDs wasn't strong enough because the original proposal doesn't integrate well with HTTP. That is exactly why we are putting forward the LSID HTTP proxy proposal. It was the missing point in the LSID case.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">In any case, I suppose we will talk more about this in the near future.</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Cheers,</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Ricardo</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_______________________________________________</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">tdwg-guid mailing list</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="mailto:tdwg-guid@lists.tdwg.org">tdwg-guid@lists.tdwg.org</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://lists.tdwg.org/mailman/listinfo/tdwg-guid">http://lists.tdwg.org/mailman/listinfo/tdwg-guid</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Professor Roderic D. M. Page</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Editor, Systematic Biology</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">DEEB, IBLS</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Graham Kerr Building</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">University of Glasgow</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Glasgow G12 8QP</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">United Kingdom</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Phone:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>+44 141 330 4778</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Fax:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN>+44 141 330 2792</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">email:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><A href="mailto:r.page@bio.gla.ac.uk">r.page@bio.gla.ac.uk</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">web:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><A href="http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/rod.html">http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/rod.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">iChat:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><A href="aim://rodpage1962">aim://rodpage1962</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">reprints: <A href="http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/pubs.html">http://taxonomy.zoology.gla.ac.uk/rod/pubs.html</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Subscribe to Systematic Biology through the Society of Systematic</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Biologists Website:<SPAN class="Apple-converted-space"> </SPAN><A href="http://systematicbiology.org">http://systematicbiology.org</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Search for taxon names: <A href="http://darwin.zoology.gla.ac.uk/~rpage/portal/">http://darwin.zoology.gla.ac.uk/~rpage/portal/</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Find out what we know about a species: <A href="http://ispecies.org">http://ispecies.org</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Rod's rants on phyloinformatics: <A href="http://iphylo.blogspot.com">http://iphylo.blogspot.com</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">Rod's rants on ants: <A href="http://semant.blogspot.com">http://semant.blogspot.com</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">_______________________________________________</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">tdwg-guid mailing list</DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="mailto:tdwg-guid@lists.tdwg.org">tdwg-guid@lists.tdwg.org</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; "><A href="http://lists.tdwg.org/mailman/listinfo/tdwg-guid">http://lists.tdwg.org/mailman/listinfo/tdwg-guid</A></DIV><DIV style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><BR></DIV> </BLOCKQUOTE></DIV><BR></DIV></BODY></HTML>