SC - Reverse documentation (Was Cucumbers and the SCA)

[Jenne Heise]

In a message dated 4/6/2001 9:48:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
jenne at mail.browser.net writes:

> But doing the research
>  first does not automatically mean avoiding secondary sources.

I've looked over my last two postings and I never said that you should avoid 
secondary sources, I'll cop to saying you should view them with suspicion, 
and I'll even admit that there are some secondary sources that reference 
information that we've uncovered since.

That said, you also have to include in those secondary sources all the 
"wonderful" Victorian sources where they DID jump to wild conclusions, such 
as there were two different kinds of maile, chanimaile and banded maile. 
We've never found an example of banded maile mind you, but it was there in 
manuscript illuminations (nobody ever assumed it was a scriptorial 
shorthand). Every level you add usually increases the probability of untrue 
assumptions, like... I dunno, that cucumbers weren't period?

I still say stick to primary whenever possible, and check your other sources 
VERY carefully.

Corwyn

We need justice. We need toleration, honesty and moral courage. These are 
modern virtues without which we cannot hope to control the forces science has 
let loose among us. --I.A.R. Wylie