Best Practice because + <a damned-good reason> This was a good idea in the first place, but it has been corrupted. What "Best Practice" means now is a set of assertions that allow your boss, with a self-satisfied air, to say, "we follow Best Practice". Because he wants to do this, the vendors publish "Best Practice" assertions. The term "Best Practice" closes down discussion. If I say "why do you do that?", the answer is "it's Best Practice". If I say "who says so?", the answer is "everybody knows it's best practice", with the implication being "what kind of consultant are you if you don't know that?". That's when I need <a damned-good reason>. When I was a kid, my Dad would often said "because I say so". There were usually two good reasons: urgency and danger. When I was 5 years old and we had to cross a busy road he would say "hold my hand" and if I said "why?" he would say "because I say so". That was appropriate and it worked. I never got run down by a car. And there just was not time to have a discussion about it.