First off, I'd like to state that this is not a complaint thread. I don't want to bash anyone. I'd also ask that if you respond, please consider doing the same.
I have a few members on IGNORE. I won't state who they are but the ones on the list are there for a variety of reasons.
I'm not as high strung as I used to be but I still do get riled up. I find that proactive measures like the IGNORE feature can keep me from taking things too far.
It can be easy to let other members get you angry. It can be hard to see something that is so different from what you think and just let it go unanswered.
The way society has changed the past 15 years or so, we are more divided than ever. Some of us have really dug our heels in with our opinions.
It can be hard to hash out our differences when we are so far apart.
There are some members that I see engaging with others with completely opposite opinions and they often really mix it up. It took me years to understand that in most cases, arguing is pointless because the other guy is either as stubborn as I am or not willing to see the facts as they appear to me.
Some people don't use the Ignore function because they say that they don't like the idea of censoring others. While this is a noble thing, I have another take on that.
If you don't like broccoli or spinach, you just don't eat it. If a TV show is on that you don't like, you turn the channel. When a newspaper prints stuff you don't believe, you choose not to read it. That wasn't censorship, that was just avoiding what you didn't like. Those things still exist, you just don't have to experience any of it.
The IGNORE feature is like that. The people that you disagree with still are free to post whatever they want, you just don't have to see it.
In some cases, some people that I disagree with sometimes post something that makes enough sense to reconsider my position.
In other cases, the other guy seems way too far gone to give any of my time.
My point here is that using this feature may provide some relief for the members when we encounter someone that intentionally annoys us.
You'll likely never get through to that person. They may only serve to be a thorn in your side.
You might end up having a much better experience on the forum by letting them do their thing without engaging with them.