At 02:16 PM 1/21/1997 -0500, Denys wrote:
>In a message dated 97-01-21 03:11:05 EST, [log in to unmask] (Esko
>Lahdensivu) writes:
>
><< These "off-topic" threads is one of the reasons that keeps the reading
> of HP3000-L day after day interesting.  As said before so many times,
> the level of discussion on this list is way above the normal Internet
> level (if we count out the Mac/PC flame war which was an exception, but
> as we say in Finland: an exception confirms the rule :-).
>  >>
>Well, I surely do not know about Finland, but in French, "L'exception
>confirme la regle." means that when someone attempts to create an exception
>to bypass a rule, if the rule is good there are no exceptions, thus
>confirming the validity of the rule.  I believe it is the same in English,
>but I am uncertain about other languages.
>

The English expression is "The exception proves the rule". Howver, this does
not mean that the exception "demonstrates the correctness of" the rule, but
rather that the exception "challenges the validity of" the rule. So, it is
perfectly possible to have an exception which does not accord with the rule,
but which nonetheless causes everyone on the list to expend sufficient
mental effort to demonstrate the validity and usefulness of the rule. Sort
of like testing a piece of software.....:-)
Tony