On 26/02/07, Berto 'd Sera albertoserra@ukr.net wrote:
Hi!
Just because a rule is not yet written does not mean that it is not a rule.
No, sorry. A rule is a rule when it's clearly expressed and people are aware of it. A rule that is not written is... a desire, a convention if you wish. Whatever you'll call it, but not a rule. Otherwise there cannot be any warranty for anyone. Applying unwritten rules depending on judges' mood is the ABC of dictatorial states. I acknowledge that it's done for a good cause, yet it cannot be accepted anyway.
To the extent that online communities resemble any judicial system, they tend to more resemble common law than civil law ones. I don't feel that Not Writing Every Rule Down From Day One is automatically a failure of that system, though I agree we could be doing more to emphasise what is fundamental principles and what is administrative stuff.
[You can take the common-law analogy a lot further, but I'll refrain.]