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This question is on topic and has been narrowed a bit so is manageably broad:

Elves in a Modern Society

However I think it may be too opinion based and the fact that the answers start with:

I believe if

and

I think the

and

I tend to agree that

All reinforce that thought.

Do we worry about opinion-based question on this stack exchange and if so how much?

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  • $\begingroup$ It is better to avoid it but I was asking myself the same question. Dilemma $\endgroup$
    – Vincent
    Oct 9, 2014 at 22:23
  • $\begingroup$ So does anyone actually have a suggestion as to how we can make this question legitimate? Because I have already edited it quite a bit to get it this far. Otherwise, we should probably just close it. $\endgroup$
    – Danny Reagan
    Oct 10, 2014 at 11:17
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    $\begingroup$ I think we need to narrow it down in terms of population size and history of the elves. i.e. what % of world population is elves, do they have their own nations? ghettos? integrated? Are they generally respected, feared, distrusted? etc $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Oct 10, 2014 at 11:27
  • $\begingroup$ That will both narrow the scope down and clear up a lot of assumptions...and from there people will be able to make reasoned posts building on facts and evidence $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Oct 10, 2014 at 11:28
  • $\begingroup$ Alright, that sounds workable. $\endgroup$
    – Danny Reagan
    Oct 10, 2014 at 11:29
  • $\begingroup$ I just asked for the opinion of some other people in chat (chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/17213/worldbuilders-general-chat) to see what the consensus is. $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Oct 10, 2014 at 11:29
  • $\begingroup$ The logo is more fascinating. :D I have updated the question with a more complete list of assumptions, and have removed the requirement that they be exactly Tolkien's elves. $\endgroup$
    – Danny Reagan
    Oct 10, 2014 at 11:53

2 Answers 2

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I'm not against a question that results in a variety of different imaginative solutions that can be backed up. I am against a question where the answers cannot be backed up (by either references or logic).

For this particular question I do not believe that Tolkien's writing gives a sufficiently consistent description of elves' attitude to advances to allow an objective answer. I don't mean that as a criticism of his writing, but simply to say that elves were varied, as humans are. So answers may say "elves were very traditionalist based on this reference" or "elves had a thirst for knowledge of materials based on this reference" leading to highly contradictory answers that all give references to Tolkien's work.

In summary, Tolkien's elves lived in a variety of different communities with different attitudes to the world and to technology, so asking how they would react to modern society is like asking how humans would react to modern society.

If the best answer that can be posted is "they would react in a myriad different ways, no more predictable or stereotypical than humans" then I don't see it as a useful question.

I can't see a way of answering the question objectively beyond pasting in a book on human behaviour, so I recommend closing as primarily opinion based.

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    $\begingroup$ +1 for the first paragraph, sums it up for me. $\endgroup$
    – mechalynx
    Oct 9, 2014 at 22:37
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Well, darn... I just spent the last hour+ typing up a lengthy response to this question (considering historical analogues to see how societies react to culturally-distinct minorities in general), and then signed up for an account on this SE, only to refresh the page before posting, and see that this question had been put on hold.

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  • $\begingroup$ If I could, I'd vote to reopen so you can post your answer, I feel like this question is not entirely lost, especially drawing from examples throughout history (like you did) seems like a valid approach. $\endgroup$
    – overactor
    Oct 10, 2014 at 7:26
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    $\begingroup$ Sorry about that Caleb it sounds like a really good answer - and one I'd like to read! I feel bad now :( I hope you kept a copy as hopefully the original question can be refined and re-opened. If not then either you can post a more focused question and then your own answer to that question or one of us can post a question for you to put the answer onto. $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Oct 10, 2014 at 8:12
  • $\begingroup$ The question has been refined and is in the re-open queue (2 more votes needed when I last looked) so should be open soon. $\endgroup$
    – Tim B
    Oct 10, 2014 at 12:59
  • $\begingroup$ After some extensive editing, expanding, and hyperlinking, I've posted it! $\endgroup$
    – Caleb Hines
    Oct 11, 2014 at 4:41

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