The TVK was in a spreadsheet which was set up by SNH staff. The link was a =Hyperlink(...) function using that TVK.
If there is a failure to link correctly to non-preferred synonyms to the proper map, that is a major fault.
The hyperlink I used displays a map headed 'Grid map for Bombus (Thoracombus) ruderarius (Müller, 1776)'. This I can see
has the old misspelled subgenus which was in a previous list, but no-one I know pays any attention to subgenera when calling species. I believe that the subgenus is not an proper part of the scientific name anyway.
The hyperlink you suggest I should have used displays a map headed 'Grid map for Bombus (Thoracobombus) ruderarius (Müller, 1776)'.
Please note - there are many ways to get to taxon maps, not just ploughing through via the taxon search page. People have been creating files with hyperlinks using TVKs for a long time, long before G5 came into being. When they were created, the TVK would have worked properly. Do you expect everyone who has used these old TVKs to revise their files?
If I go to the taxon page and click on the outdated name Bombus (Thoracombus) ruderarius, I get 'redirected' to Bombus (Thoracobombus) ruderarius. Why should I not expect the same to happen when I use a link that incorporates an outdated TVK?
The link to the IMT from the first grid map points to https://data.nbn.org.uk/Taxa/NHMSYS0000 … Grid_Map#. If the 'Thoracombus' grid map has a link that points to the 'Thoracobombus' IMT, then somewhere in the software the algorithm 'knows' that the two are the same species. So why does it not 'know' that fact when dealing with the grid map? And as Charlie pointed out, the link from the 'Thoracombus' taxon page goes to the 'Thoracobombus' grid map.
If anyone thinks this situation is either sensible, or consistent, or helpful, please try to convince me.
This comes hard on the heels of another fault I reported a few days ago, relating to the non-display of dots and completely unpredictable behaviour of both the grid map and IMT in relation to 2 other taxa (Agalma elegans and Andrena ruficrus) which I accessed via the taxon search page. So there was no problem there with outdated TVKs. So far these have not had any response http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=5688 and http://forums.nbn.org.uk/viewtopic.php?id=5692. It would be nice to know that someone responsible for the site was at least vaguely interested in analysing and correcting these. I don't think I can be blamed for suspecting that the Bombus problem was another manifestation of these earlier faults.
I am really not interested in technical explanations, and being urged to take the long route to a map when what should be a perfectly legal shortcut exists. If the gateway has any reason for existence at all, it should exist to serve the users, and telling users they ought to provide their own solutions to blatant inconsistencies and shortcomings in the design of the Gateway is arrogant and completely unacceptable. We have had that before, of course, in relation to EasyMaps and the syntax of the G5 URLs being incompatible with the old G4 URLs. If there was less emphasis on digital bling, and more on utility and consistency it would be a good thing all round.
Now here's an interesting fact. In the old gateway, have a look at the maps for
http://old-data.nbn.org.uk/gridMap/grid … 0000875532 'Thoracombus' and
http://old-data.nbn.org.uk/gridMap/grid … 0020758448 'Thoracobombus' and see if you can spot any differences. These are the exact analogues of the G5 calls we have alluded to above.
Once again, we have an example of sensible and eminently useful programming which has been discontinued in the 'new improved' G5.
M.