Re: "our contribution to the overall health of the public conversation".
"The inability to open ones mind to debate and alternative ideas is, I completely agree, a failing on their part. Unfortunately not even trying is a failing on your part I'm afraid."
I'm not sure about that. It's a cost-benefit thing. If you judge your success rate to be essentially nil, then even if the benefit is high and the cost low, you shouldn't bother. Governments have different costs and benefits, so they might bother, but for individuals, it's a far better use of their time not to even bother engaging with cranks of any form. (Nazis, flat earthers, anti-vaxxors, hollow earth theorists, any of them.)
Biting the hand that feeds IT
