Killing elephants with swords

[Mark]

I have re-opened this thread not due to the criticisms that attended its closing, but to try and make the point by actions, as words seem to be missing the target.

It has been said many times that the thread was not closed because of the topic being discussed, nor the nature of the discussion. It was locked because the links to very graphic photos of mutilated elephants and to advertisements for big game hunting were posted, with the expressed purpose of "stirring things up," which it did, as can be seen by posts that remain here expressing pretty unanimously that the pictures were unecessary and added nothing to the discussion. Basically, the thread was rapidly moving (a) off-topic, and (b) towards a debate that was looking more emotional than reasoned, so it was frozen before things got ugly. In the words of Andrew:

The elephant thread went "wrong" when links to some photos were posted. Since the topic had the potential to overheat quickly, and since the posting of those links needed to be discussed by staff, I closed the thread.

As so many have pointed out, discussion of weapons cannot really take place in a vacuum. The use and effect of those weapons is certainly an appropriate subject of discussion. Provided such discussion is undertaken appropriately.

I'm not able to articulate it any better than that, I'm afraid. Gratuitious gore, incivility, trolling, and "stirring things up" will be handled as it comes.

Best,
Andrew

The links and associated post have already been removed; all the remaining posts remained even while the thread was locked (something that seems to have escaped those alleging censorship); the topic continued in a very productive and civilized manner in a later thread, which was never closed.

Now, so long as people do not take this action as an invitation to begin a new debate about forum posting policy, and keep any discussion here focused on the subject and not blatently offensive, we hopefully can leave this silly hoopla behind and continue learning and feeding our "jones" for swordes (and knives).

Now here is a dha. It has nothing to do with kaskaras or elephants, or censorship, but it is nice to look at.