Re: Wiki and Irisregister

[gary white <in2iris@yahoo.com>]

Greetings,

 

I believe that when the AIS BOD approved the Wiki, implicit in that approval was the right to use descriptions from the Registrations and Introductions.  The R&I is published by the AIS, but it is for use by all irisarians worldwide.   One of the primary purposes of the R&I is to provide accurate registration and description information for all to use.  Another is to encourage registration of irises throughout the world, diminishing names and sales of unregistered irises.  We certainly want any and all information published by AIS to be correct, regardless of whether it is in the R&I, the Bulletin, Section Checklists, the website or the Wiki, etc.  It seems to me, if all the above is true, that we not only condone the use of the R&I descriptions on the Wiki, but we want it to use R&I descriptions, rather than something less and possibly inaccurate.

 

I don't believe a motion is needed.  If we go through the process of a motion approving the use of R&I information for the Wiki, doesn't that then mean that we will also need motions for EVERY other use of this information.  For instance, local affiliates often use R&I information ver batim in catalogs for their sales or auctions, and certainly commercial iris growers sometimes use R&I descriptions or parts thereof in their offerings and catalogs. What about Section Check Lists? And, what about all those people using R&I descriptions in other countries and by other iris societies?  Have we given them specific approval to use that information,and do we even know where and how it is being used?  It seems to me that the AIS, as International Cultivar Registration Authority for all non-bulbous cultivars of the genus Iris, has an obligation to provide the correct registration and description information in all its publications, whatever form that takes. 

 

I also don't believe that the Wiki takes the place of the Iris Register.  If anything, it seems that perhaps the membership of the Register may increase.

Gary White

--- On Wed, 1/20/10, Gerry Snyder <geraldcsnyder@gmail.com> wrote:

From: Gerry Snyder <geraldcsnyder@gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Wiki and Irisregister
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Date: Wednesday, January 20, 2010, 10:20 AM

Bob,

You put so much into an email that replying is difficult, but some comments need to be made.

Robert Pries wrote:
>
> ....
>
> Neither committee originates registration information.... The copyright holder is not John but the Iris registrar and both John and I have permission to use that information.
>

If you do, I apologize for bringing the issue up in the first place. I certainly remember the wiki being approved, but I do not remember the use of the R & I information in the wiki being mentioned or discussed, let alone approved. Can you substantiate your claim?
>
> ....
>
> The issue of copyright is a red herring. John does not own the Iris register. I do not own the wiki. AIS owns both. One does not sue oneself for copyright infringement.
>

Your own red herring. If it is felt by some that one part of an organization may be misusing information, a clarification should be made so that everyone has the same understanding of the situation.
>
> The issue is whether there is a risk to the Iris Register because of the Wiki. The Iris Register was a risk to the R & Is but it was approved by the board.
>

The Iris Register was approved after a thorough discussion of the situation, and the implementation of limitations to minimize the risk caused by the Iris Register. That did not happen with the wiki. It should have.
> .... If there was a concern about the way the wiki was being constructed the appropriate time to voice that concern would have been in November or shortly thereafter.

The appropriate time to bring up a concern is whenever it becomes apparent.
>  .... There is still so much work to do and to me this discussion is a distraction from what we need to be doing.

I am sorry that doing things right bothers you. It can indeed take some time and effort.

Why don't you just submit something like the following for board approval:

"I move that the AIS Board go on record as approving the inclusion of information from the Iris Check Lists and the Registrations and Introductions in the wiki without restrictions or limitations."

??

I expect that it will be rapidly approved.


Gerry

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