GoldDigger, about 10 years ago the Forum entertained this discussion at length. Clicking here will take you to my summary of the topic from then. That post is long, and is near the end of a thread that got into the upper-700s. The applicable NEC language has not changed from then to now, so it is still relevant. Additionally, some new Code and product developments have added support to "my theory", in my opinion.
Let me know if you, or someone else, want to explore this further in another thread and I'll come join you. I don't regularly check for new threads, so I might miss the starting of one tied to this thread.
To me, the real value of this lies in the understanding each one holds of what "Outlet" is.