[WikiEN-l] Re: Example vs. Original research

[Ray Saintonge]

Jimmy Wales wrote:

>Skyring wrote:
>  
>
>>The difference is that some people actively argue that the earth is
>>not a sphere, whereas those who argue that Paris is not the capital of
>>France so far have kept their activities secret.
>>
>>If a fact is contentious, then it should be backed up with a cite.
>>    
>>
>I can't agree with you that flat earthers constitute a sufficiently
>respectable or large position that we need to treat the roundness of the
>earth as the sort of fact that necessitates a citation.
>
Part of the problem is that the people raising the flat earth argument 
are not themselves falt earthers.  Hypothesizing arguments that aren't 
being made, and generating well-reasoned and documented 
counter-arguments are the essence of straw man reasoning.  Without being 
disrespectful to them we should wait until we hear from genuine 
flat-earthers before documenting the alternate view.

While we are waiting for them may I hypothesize that the edges of our 
flat earth are decorated by a fringe of trolls waiting for the unwary. :-)

Ec