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In response to Vance's thought-provoking post, I have to add that I don't
think Natalie or anyone else was actually "Demanding the use of citations
and references for each statement" because we *do* know this is a discussion
group and for the most part enjoy it as such.  While I certainly wouldn't
want this to turn into an academic desert void of anything but the most
scholarly of comments, I also don't like the idea of it becoming a rumor
mill run amok with unsubstantiated claims of every bizarre and irrelevant
nature.

I think we can find a happy, healthy medium by making posts that are
identified as opinions when they are, with light attributes ("I read this in
Clan Thompson." or what have you) when helpful or as personal experiences
when that is the case.  I agree that "What ifs" can be thought-provoking and
interesting and a great exercise in critical reading, as long as they're not
cloaked as "fact"  that the uninitiated and inexperienced (and sometimes
even the initiated and experienced!) may not be able to detect as being
otherwise.

Terri


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A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to
take care of his tools. -Spanish proverb

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> Demanding the use of citations and references for each statement is
> certainly appropriate for a piece that is submitted to a scholarly or
> refereed journal. But this is a "discussion" group, and as such should have
> room for all kinds of "discussion,"...