ello and thanks to all that help me so gladly.

I agree that Internet is not the adequate way to publish any new species,
UNLESS the ICZN itself dedicate a site to admit (publish), centralize and,
in some manner, referee such a publication (wich, after all, may be not a
bad idea...) Also the application of ISSN to electronic publications (wich
implies "official" deposit of them) as suggested by Luis Ferreira could
help.

The aim of publication is, without any doubt, to let evidence of the
published data in a way that can be accesible for anyone permanently, and
though the web provides by far the goal of accesibility, it doesn't
accomplish this for two main reasons:
a) anyone can publish (or cheat) anything
b) nobody can guarantee the lasting of information

However, there is nothing against the use of the web as a powerful
information tool, provided the source of this information was confiable. I
could never have access to most of the new molluscs species named last
years, without the page of Vita Marina and Spirula, for example. Or hardly
could search into the type catalog of NMNH without its web site (and the
help of some people, by the way)

Is in this context where I raise my question: to be considered as a
confiable source of information (and for academic owe if not obvious
courtesy), you have to cite the source of the information you are offering,
that so becomes checkeable too. But when your source is a web site (though
reliable) I´m not sure if the citation accomplish its aim, because when you
are going to check original source, it may have vanished.

I think the best bet is that suggested by Allen Aigen: go to the really
original source, and if not possible, cite both. It´s better plenty of
information than the lack of it. But beware, this could become and endless
chain where you cite somebody who cite somebody who cite somebody... The
web is very extense...

I hope in a near future this problems can be solved in an generally
accepted way; by now, fortunately, we are not many in the molluscs world
and sooner or later we all know one another, so finally the matter of
reliability should reside in the person behind the web page.

Best regards, and sorry for the extension.

Alfonso Pina
Malaga
Spain
http://www.eumed.net/malakos