The problem with assertions like "The American Chemical Society has a style standard, the American Psychological Association has a different one, ..." is the implicit assumption in that assertion that a) the chosen standard is the best possible for the purposes of the organisation involved; b) that everyone within the organisation agrees with the latter assertion.

I have never encountered any single organisation in which any single best practice, guideline or law was universally accepted by those within the organisation, much less those without. In every case, and I really do mean every case, that I am aware of, there are always...which makes this assertion the exception to the rule...exceptions to every rule, guideline, recommendation or law.

Yes. I know that last paragraph is a tautological nightmare, but read it slowly and think about it a while before dismissing it.

Until human intuition, compassion and judgement can be encapsulated into a piece of software, we (those of use lucky enough to live in societies that at least purport to support free democracy) will continue to rely upon the human intellect to discern right from wrong, good from bad, expedient from right. Any mechanism, process or system of law that discludes the possibility of exceptional incidence; mitigating circumstances; and the fallibility of human judgement; is dogmatic.

And dogma, is the root cause of all evil in world today. Just as it was yesterday. And will be tomorrow.