Dealing with polarisation and outrage in an online deliberation—while not impossible—may be more difficult than in a face-to-face meeting.
Body language and facial expressions are easier to read when face-to-face and can reveal participants’ willingness to communicate and build relationships. Community division over an issue may have been present for a long time, so an online discussion will not be the most effective method for resolving the issue.
If you have to hold to a very polarised discussion online then
consider these simple approaches to get the most out of it: