[WikiEN-l] The boundaries of OR (contd)

Fri Dec 22 06:46:03 UTC 2006

Thomas Dalton wrote:

>>You can't make the real problem in an article go away by writing the
>>letters "OR" on a post-it note, and sticking it on.  That's being
>>simplistic.
>>    
>>
>Some problems can't be solved. If there is no published research on a
>particular matter, it can't be included in a wikipedia article,
>however much it would add to that article.
>
We can do better than depend on such tautologies.  Like other negative 
statements denying the existence of something, it is just as difficult 
to establish that adequate sources do not exist.  Sometimes the research 
needs to be pulled together from a range of sources.  If we find a 
statement to be inadequately sourced our first obligation should be to 
seek sources from one or more places.  To use NOR as a bare tool to 
excuse the omission of information is a perversion of the basis for 
having that guideline in the first place.

Ec