If a topic has been discussed enough and then there are arguments which lead to derailment, locking the thread is the better option. But for a new topic, this is a pretty tough decision.
It's not about censorship as much as it is about pointless posts filling up threads - censorship is removing things which are said by someone's free will
on the topic/subject being discussed. If the argument/discussion is beyond the topic/point, it's actually pointless posting, and stands to be removed. A casual observer will rummage through such posts and find nothing of use to him. He has come to read about info on the subject, not deviated stuff which he either: 1) already knows, 2) doesn't want to know.
Like I said, we should have had rules on this. Makes a forum much easier to moderate.
I am a member of this forum as well :-
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/ , and it is one of the strictest forums on the Internet (in terms of moderation), with a complete set of rules and announcements to be followed. If you deviate from them, you get infractions in points. 10 points mean temporary banning of 1 month, and a 3rd temporary banning results in permanent banishment.
Check this -
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/announ...on-system.html
Horror should have set up something like this ^ for HDC as well.