[tptacek]

Category error. Points can be valid and salient mostly online at the same time.

Though: the validity of "nobody should ever talk to the police" is highly disputable. It assumes the only objective anybody would have in a police encounter is not being prosecuted. Prosecution is unlikely, and there are other important objectives.

[boring_twenties]

No, that's not what it assumes at all. For example, another objective would be avoiding the situation described in the article the rest of us are commenting on.