>productive conversation is not the goal anymore
>being right is the ultimate

i suspect msg boards like this and SM platforms have allowed ppl who would normally never converse to engage in conversation. it can result in ppl who will not ever move each other or change each other's minds engaging each other in conversation.

i definitely engage in the attempt to be right vs. productive conversation - but not always. i do it when i know the person w/whom i'm conversing is a 'lost cause'. when i know that we will not ever agree on the topic at hand i can become more interested in showing them up than convincing them, let alone hearing from them. plus many times in these instances i'm posting for the lurkers and not the actual person on the other side of the conversation. i want to show up the other person to influence the lurkers who may agree w/that person. still, that's cheap and i know it - i usually only go there when i feel the conversation has hit an impasse.