Weapons as Avatars?

[nakedfrog]

It's more "complicated" than that, I am afraid.

What do you think is the impression I HAVE of a person who's first and only information they share (here in this case in the form of an avatar) is the fact that they own/have/like hand-guns? In a forum that is MAINLY tech/software etc. focused? What is the relevancy?

I am "distraught" in a sense that I am obviously well aware that people are/can be gun enthusiasts/hunters etc. (which we obviously can assume in a forum like this since it's not a "I am a gang member, YO!" forum - but it doesn't change the fact that a hand-gun, FOR ME, has more negative associations than positive associations. Even if someone, say, is a "gun-enthusiast" who proudly owns a gun for potential self-defense (a totally legit use which I don't say anything against), it isn't a "positive" association by any means. (the idea that you get robbed, burglered at home or any other situation where you'd use the gun) IN NO WAY invokes a "positive" feeling...and it makes me wonder why that person sees his gun-ownership as so essential and important that they need to show it in their avatar HERE IN THIS FORUM, which is not a sports forum, hunter forum or whatever. I am not really "offended", depends on how you interpret "strangely offended" when I wrote this...but it simply "doesn't sit right" here in this forum and in this place and it makes you look like a "weird" person, TO ME. Otherwise I could care less.

I think you've explained the root of your issue, then.
To me, a gun as an avatar is no different than a knife, or hammer. It's perceived as neutral to me, a tool, even though knives are certainly a popular option for stabbing/mugging/injuring. Hammers too, but probably less so overall.
I know plenty of folks in the nerd/geek community that are also firearms enthusiasts (I don't own one myself).

 

[Titillating]

Okay, I think this one has gone on long enough and there is little need for additional piling on. While I see OP's point, the fact of the matter is that we're not going to be able to please everybody, and from what I've seen of the responses here, banning weapons from avatars would be the equivalent of censoring a large group of people for the sake of a (relatively) smaller group. That seems like a poor choice to me.

Avatars depicting violence or the active use of weaponry will most likely be removed, but static images of a weapon are fairly harmless; they are, after all, simply inanimate objects despite whatever connotations you may associate with it.

OP, if you truly find such images that offensive, I would recommend you switch the forum theme over to the experimental "Safe For Work" theme, which removes avatar images (or is supposed to). That way, you get what you're asking for without the need to stifle others' right to express themselves.

 

[DrMrLordX]

Funny how page 2 of this thread had an NRA ad at the bottom.

 

[MongGrel]

*goes in search of a FSM carrying a railgun*

 

[Blue_Max]

I am going to have to change my avatar to a gun for OP as well. Poor thing

Ditto!