I'm grateful to the Mudcat for the opportunity to observe, practice and refine the fine art of public debate.

Precisely. We can still get that here in a way that is very hard to find in other settings, either on the Internet or out in the big world - if we choose to do so.

And I think it likely that for people who do choose to use the Mudcat that way, the effect is likely to affect, for the good, their ability to negotiate controversial discussions in other settings.