Oxidation number

The logic behind the oxidation number formalism for molecular
compounds, I thought, was to assign the more electronegative element
both electron pairs in a given bond. This works well for many
compounds, but with nitrogen triiodide, for example, shouldn't
nitrogen have oxidation number -3 (5 - 8), since nitrogen (3.04) on
the Pauling scale is more electronegative than iodine (2.66)?

Cheers,
Roald.

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