I would suggest that the most people would have a decent chance of having non-combative discussion; however, the construction of the spaces tends to throw out those folks along with the more toxic and dedicated trolls and harassers.<p>Moreover, even attempts at polite discussion are often dismissed as sealioning or whatnot--and thus, by being hypersensitive and assuming a victim stance, truly productive and civil discourse is prevented.<p>Additionally, these spaces do not facilitate a &quot;productive&quot; exchange: we can wager that few really new ideas are being exchanged. Politely, it&#x27;s a chance to reaffirm values and provide a sense of belonging and comfort. Impolitely, it&#x27;s a circlejerk.<p>If people need a place to find comfort, that&#x27;s great! To claim anything other than that, especially that it somehow is some setting for honest and fair discourse, is a misrepresentation.