Amen.
If Ben is listening: If you think the level of conversation has deteriorated to a point where you just don't want to deal with it anymore, you could perhaps adopt some basic mental "filters" to, well, ignore the noise and focus on the stronger signals. Like turning the squelch knob on a CB radio (remember those?).
Just politely advise annoying folks that you do not wish to engage them in dialogue (I've done it a couple times, and a couple times I was waved off myself, oh well). You were, by far, the best poster of high quality and carefully researched material here (my regards to the others, we all know who you are).