On 7/26/05, steve v vertigosteve@yahoo.com wrote:
For all concerned: I used the Flat Earth Society as an extreme example -- not as a kind of important precedent. The real issue is, as others have said, that NOR is a for the most part a guideline and not an absolute rule, to apply to anything which hasn't been checked over by a physicist or physician.
Whether the earth is flat or spherical is a reasonably easy argument, and cites may be found to back up the common knowledge.
But other "common knowledge" views may be quite erroneous: * Queen Elizabeth II is Queen of England. * In the biblical story Delilah cut Samson's hair, making him weak. * Trams do not run down Flinders Lane in Melbourne.
All of these are incorrect, but there would be any number of Wikipedia editors who would get upset if asked to provide sources for such "common-sense" views. Some editors get quite narky if their views are challenged. Some editors are unwilling to admit of any error.