In a message dated 2/15/2008 10:40:08 A.M. Pacific Standard Time, saintonge@telus.net writes:

taken to extremes when they expect proof for "facts" that are a part of common knowledge. This is not to say that all common knowledge should go by unchallenged, but real challenges should be based on genuine doubt rather than a mere absence of documentation.>>

--------------------------------- This is already handled in-policy. We have had long discussions about exactly what sort of trivial deductions, observations, etc. we *can* make without a source. Our NOR policy page does state that. If it's not clear then perhaps it could be clarified further.

I often cite the fictitious photograph with a caption "This is a cat" in my discussion of OR. We don't need a source to say "The sun is hot and you can't walk on it." it's a trivial observation and deduction.

If you're being plagued with people needing sources for "John Lennon was a man" then you could bring the specific concern to the Talk page of the NOR policy page.

Will Johnson

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