Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site sphinx.UChicago.UUCP
Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!harvard!talcott!panda!genrad!decvax!bellcore!allegra!ulysses!mhuxr!ihnp4!crsp!gargoyle!sphinx!beth
From: beth@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP (beth d. christy)
Newsgroups: net.origins
Subject: The Nature of References
Message-ID: <455@sphinx.UChicago.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 7-May-85 19:24:23 EDT
Article-I.D.: sphinx.455
Posted: Tue May  7 19:24:23 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 10-May-85 21:19:26 EDT
Organization: U. Chicago - Computation Center
Lines: 31

The objection that "references are not provided" has been raised
innumerable times in this group, most often when someone has dared
to draw her/his own conclusions from the "facts".  Yet when direct
quotes are posted they are quite often of the form "the evidence
indicates that X is true", and not of the form "these actual physical
items were discovered at these actual physical locations in three-
space".  I'm surprised at the frequency of this, because all these
quotes really us tell is "somebody else thinks so too".  [If you want
*my* references, read the entire SCIENTIFIC CASE FOR CREATIONISM.]
Even if that somebody is literate enough to publish, the bare fact
that s/he thinks so too is not really very useful information.  The
only way I think this form of reference could be useful is if the
quote included a description of exactly what evidence indicates X,
and maybe even exactly how X follows from that evidence better than
any other Y.  The quotes are *rarely* that complete, yet they keep
coming.

I'm not sure why I'm posting this.  I think I'd like to heighten
people's sensitivity to the quality (usefulness) of the information
they're posting/reading.  I think if we get a little more restrictive
as to the types of quotes we'll accept as useful references (by coming
down on the "s/he said so" proofs), we may be able to spend more time
dealing with the meat of this issue and less time picking nits.

The phone lines are open and operators are standing by (to divert
your responses).

-- 

--JB                                                  "The giant is awake."