Orchidflower, good thread, It will be interesting to hear the different perspectives on this topic.
In the 2+ years I have been posting here, I have only put one poster on ignore- He went away shortly thereafter, so it became a moot point.
I enjoy interacting with the wide variety of personalities here on ER-org. There is a wealth of knowledge to be gleaned from the life experiences and perspectives of (nearly) everyone, even from those whose politics or positions I don't agree with. I love spirited discourse, even if I am vehemently opposed to the other point of view, and know there is no argument that will change their mind. Divergent points of view can be pretty entertaining, and shaking my head at times actually helps to clear the cobwebs...
Sometimes it's like watching sausage being made, until Porky Pig steps in and objects to the ingredients...
Churlishly putting anyone and everyone I disagree with on ignore would make for a lonely existence, knowing I was interfacing only with likeminded drones. That doesn't work in business or society and doesn't work for me here, either.
If I'm on the secret scrolls of the "Fraternal Order of Ignorance is Bliss", I'm fine with that- to each his own, a one-sided relationship isn't, anyway.
IMO, those who trumpet their use of the ignore feature are self-centered, one-dimensional personalities who cannot tolerate opposing points of view and probably don't play well with others in real life. But, maybe that's just me-YMMV.