Edges: paint or no paint?

That's the question when it comes to that little border on the sides of a completed painting. There are those who prefer the painted edge, and those that do not.I have always been one for painted sides, but in college I had one professor who was strongly opposed to this part of my practice. His argument was understandable and definitely something to think about. He believed that when the sides of a painting were painted, it was no longer about the 2-d image on the front but now about the entire canvas, which became more like an object.This was the big fear, once a painting became an object it was like a painted dresser or chair, no longer fine art. For me, painting the sides isn't an easy way out, or a transition from fine art to a craft. It is a way to extend the painting to the wall organically, becoming more alive and acquiring a larger presence. When a painting is more 3 dimensional, it allows the viewer to enter into the created space from any angle.