Re: [MDOsprey] Yellow Book Index--NOT -Reply

GEORGE JETT (JETT.GEORGE@epamail.epa.gov)
Wed, 28 Jul 1999 16:07:37 -0400 

Robert

Name another fieldguide or any scientific document that does not use an index.  The Yellow Book is an
excellent publication marred only by this defect.  Marshall and Bob should have over ruled Jim's
insistence.  It's the only useful scientific document I have ever found that does not have an index. If an
index is good enough for Lars Johnson, Bob Ridgely, Steve Howell, Ken Kaufman, etc. it's good enough
for the Yellow Book, especially since the scientist can't agree on the phylogenetic order.  Lack of an
index also turns people away from the valuable information in the book since they have to work harder to
find it.  The more people that learn the value of the Yellow Book the more useful will be the database for
the next version (which should have an index).  Enough on Jim's dumb decision to not include an index.

George

>>> "Robert (Rob) Hilton" <robert@csa.com> 07/28/99 01:45pm >>>
Jim, 

I am vote for no index in the yellow book.  I know the checklist order at
the family and (mostly) at the genus and even sometimes species level.  I
don't mind learning the exact new order by simply leafing through it
repeatedly.  

It is unfortunate that you have to start from scratch for the next version!  

Best, 

Rob Hilton
robert@csa.com
Bethesda

At 07:33 AM 07/28/1999 EDT, you wrote:
>Hi Folks!
>
>I will take the entire credit for NOT having an Index on the Yellow Book. 
>Marshall wanted one, and I believe Bob was not opposed, but I had the final 
>word and decided against it. My reasoning was simple: if there was an Index, 
>many fewer world learn the checklist order.  
>
>The order in the current Yellow Book is essentially what had been in use for 
>many years. The next edition, whenever that may appear, will have all of the 
>changes recently adopted by the American Ornithologists Union [AOU}.
Vultures 
>will be moved to storks, the ducks rearranged, vireos will be after crows
but 
>before chickadees, and the "cardinal finches" moved to after the
blackbirds.  
>If I have my way again, there will be no Index!   :-)
>
>On another note. The  computer graphics program used to create the Yellow 
>Book was developed in 1985. It does not support modern printers. It is not 
>Y2K compliant.  The 486 that I ran it on has died and my 188 does not have a 
>5.25 floppy drive. The next edition will have to be made from scratch. 
>
>Good Birding!
>
>Jim
>
>Jim Stasz
>North Beach MD
>jlstasz@aol.com
>