I think it's more of an admission that internet discussions aren't analogous to in-person discussions, and have a way of dehumanizing the person you're discussing with. Combined with modern-day tribalism, it means that most online "discussions" on a particular set of topics are more about virtue signaling and displaying tribal membership than they are about convincing others. As such, it's not unreasonable shorthand for a forum to avoid such topics en masse, as when allowed, they tend to drown out everything else.
