[Sca-cooks] Crocodile was Magpies

Terry Decker t.d.decker at worldnet.att.net
Tue Mar 4 17:38:43 PST 2008


>  I know I am new to the list only posting a few times, but I have been
> watching conversations and a few things have come to my attention,
> specifically with this conversation. Just because someone can not whip out 
> a
> reference does not make their opinion a flight of fancy as someone stated.

When you are making an opinion about points of fact, then you should be able 
to lay out the basis for your opinion.

> No more then my opinion of fresh tomato being icky is a flight of fancy or
> that khli *a fermented meat dish of Morocco* is just ewww.
>

Your opinions here are about a matter of personal taste, in which you are 
the final authority

>  An opinion is not the same thing as saying something is a fact. It is to
> quote m-w.com 1 a*:* a view, judgment, or appraisal formed in the mind 
> about
> a particular matter 2 a*:* belief stronger than impression and less strong
> than positive knowledge.
>

Opinions about historical fact are presumed to be judgements based on one's 
knowledge.  They may not be provable, but they should conform to what is 
known.  Such opinions are disputable and asking for clarification about 
documentation, sources and logic are quite permissible.  That is the nature 
of scholarly opinion and debate.

>
> I rarely post to this group as I am afraid of getting my head bitten off 
> for
> being wrong or having the wrong opinion. I can see having documentation if
> someone wanted to present something as a fact. But getting on someone for 
> an
> opinion? Now I will probably get flamed and told how wrong I am but meh I
> don't like watching someone get flamed for an opinion.
>
>
> Anne

This list seldom rips into someone for being wrong or having the wrong 
opinion or speculating.  We do try to define what we are doing and provide 
such evidence or references as we can.  Most of us are ready to document and 
defend our positions, and we expect other posters to be ready to do the 
same.  That is far different from flaming.

Bear





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