[Yves S L]

I am not sure how other folk use words, so:

argument: emotionally unstable verbal fight,
disagreement: calm discussion involving a difference of opinion,

Disagreements are useful for grasping different points of view, which may give one ideas, for say, revisions of a poem, or another way of analyzing literature.

For myself, the only reason to engage in arguments is for entertainment. That is to say, one stays calm but just treats it as a form of internet sport, verbal jousting, where everyone brings their best game and their best bar, and the game is to get the other person to quit or back down. Arguments almost always involve some fight over (perceived) social status, and this is where, for example, you get some long established folk lording it over others, especially newbies to the forum

For myself, whatever you may gain from arguments is never worth it, but disagreements may be useful for sparking new thoughts.

Generally, for me, one observation about the current state of Eratosphere is that after a while, folk get comfortable not really giving critique, and so it becomes passing poems between one's friends who have already settled in the appraisals they tend to make, and how far they may be comfortable in potentially upsetting one of their mates.

Thus I always welcome fresh blood not already entangled in the conventions and relationships of the board.