[HPforGrownups] Re: What is Canon?

[Katy Cartee]

No: HPFGUIDX 56168

Lexicon Steve wrote:

> It's important to understand why I define canon at all. I am forced 
> constantly to make decisions about what facts to include in the 
> Lexicon andd what to leave out. I try extremely hard to avoid the 
> kind of interpolations and guesses that are the heart and soul of 
> this list. I do that not to suggest that they aren't worth doing -- 
> I LOVE that sort of thing. But for the Lexicon, I need to have 
> criteria by which I decide what will be included and what won't. So 
> my definition of canon will probably not work for this list. I don't 
> have any use for "pseudo-canon"...it either fits in the Lexicon or 
> it doesn't. So I'm a little more matter of fact about it. If Rowling 
> said it, it's canon; if she didn't, it isn't. Since she wrote the 
> list of Famous Witches and Wizards for the computer games, they are 
> canon, even though they don't agree with some facts in other 
> sources. In my way of defining things, I list both. I'm sure you can 
> see where listing both wouldn't cut it for your purposes. But for 
> something like the Lexicon, it works.

As long as you cite where both came from, i see no problem in what you're doing. After looking through your lexicon a bit more, i see that you almost always reference where information originated. And i think that's wonderful. It's a very useful guide indeed. Do you plan to add JKR's interviews to your site?

So yes, i agree that the definition of canon for this list would not apply to your site. Therefore, i guess my question is to the list mods - do you think it would be helpful to have a definition of canon set for this list? Something to put in the files section or somewhere more fitting? Or do most people already know it and i'm just being ridiculous? ;)

~Katy~

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