but whether off-topic posts should be censored as harshly as they have been so far

I guess I read different posts than you.

First, I can't recall a single recent posting that I would characterize as having been "censored harshly".

Second, in the quick scan of recent nodes marked "OT", I found plenty of cases of both of the categories you called out. Many from the first category included replies as described under your item "2". Many from the second category had hardly a hint of Perl involved (but they were the types of questions that people who do a lot of Perl programming are fairly likely to have some interest in).

So, just read different threads or shift which ones you have stronger recall of and the problem you perceive is already solved? Or, the problem is with the individuals who are "censoring harshly". Perhaps you should address them?

Not that I'm retracting my proposal for shifts in documentation. Just suggesting possible perceptual contributors.