No, not because it is 'so darn handy', because sometimes it is right. See the link I posted under my first response; I trust mine more than yours since it is derived from sci.math FAQs.
Ok, having read to quickly through your posted link, I discovered the statement made in the last sentence: <quote>... Consensus has recently been built around setting the value of 0^0 = 1...</quote>.
So, this statement would annihilate my earlier arguments... I'm convinced: 0**0 = 1.
-- JaWi
"A chicken is an egg's way of producing more eggs."