LOTR talk:Lore

Lore Definitions
The definition of Lore-4, "memorized by heart", is something that no one could achieve for works of such scale, and in any event, useful knowledge is something much more than simply storing the story in one's mind through memorization. It seems to me that this should involve such things as in-depth studies and comprehensive knowledge that goes beyond what might be obtained even from many readings. Even if someone had memorized the stories by heart, it does not mean that he knows anything about it. I know a man who has memorized large sections of the Bible but could tell you nothing whatsoever about the meaning of them in any sense whatsoever. In my case, I have not memorized anything as my mind is not really geared for that, but I have studied both the books and the movies in great detail. This has included careful studies of the History of Middle Earth by Christopher Tolkien and watching the many commentaries of the movies as well as reading much available material on the filming. To my mind, this should qualify as Lore level 4, but if memorization is required, then no amount of knowledge from study could get me there. I think progress from Lore-3 to Lore-4 should be to go beyond mere reading, however often, and move on into in-depth studies.&mdash;N3rus 08:22, 4 March 2007 (UTC)

On a technical note, could the dashes in the template be dispensed with?&mdash;N3rus 08:22, 4 March 2007 (UTC)