On Thu, 30 Oct 2003, tarquin wrote:
So can I write about the cat that was stuck up a tree in the next street from me? The local press gave in plenty of coverage!
That's the 'slippery slope' fallacious argument, and you know better than that, tarquin.
That's asserting that we can't have judgement about such things, but of course we can. If we didn't have any judgment, then it's all a slippery slope from the ability to create an article on down. We should just give up this Wikipedia project entirely if we can't.
The slippery slope argument says that if we don't have absolutes, then each time a small step further down is challenged it will be indefensible; thus, by induction, allowing the smallest step is tantamount to allowing the lot. This is generally fallacious, since peoples' resistance goes up the further the accepted policy goes from the consensus on rationality.
-Matt