[jozo]

I think a big problem with a "harsh debate climate" is that the people who can provide real value with experience, knowledge and insight will stay away. For different reasons like personal, professional or just disinterest. That will in turn attract more people who enjoy a harsher debate, which most (if not all) of the time are less enlightened.

Or as the saying goes "Never argue with an idiot. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience."

[rue]

> I think a big problem with a "harsh debate climate" is that the people who can provide real value with experience, knowledge and insight will stay away.

An overly civil debate climate, viewed as a "circle jerk", might also keep some valuable contributors away. Whether that is a good thing or not is up for debate of some sort.

[pjscott]

That saying is only true if there are no other people listening to or reading the argument. If your goal is to convince lurkers, it's actually pretty easy to win a written argument with an idiot.

[davorak]

Which is the only valuable thing to do if you are going to debate an idiot and perhaps the only valid reason to debate an idiot.