I would never use it in this functionality because, no matter how I feel about someone, I want to be able to view their input if there is one (across the site, at least).[1] I advocate for a collapse-the-comments and turn-off-notifications approach as opposed to total invisibility. That way if you want to see it it's there, but you have to go digging for it and you realize what you're getting into. If it's a user you just absolutely can't stand/can't interact with, you don't expand the comments and go looking for a fight. There have been users I've really disliked 95% of the time here, but 1-2% of the time, I have agreed with their comments and thought they were right. I don't want to lose the ability to occasionally agree even if I mostly detest a person. [1] Yes, this may seem ironic as I've used "mute" and it removes a user from my posts - but then it's clear cut; there's nothing there not to see. In addition, it doesn't apply site-wide, but only to my posts, which I think makes a difference as with mute as it currently is I can still see interactions occurring outside of my posts.
I'm aware that I'm perhaps atypically vehement on this point of view - I refuse to delete old phone numbers, and have had a tough time removing frenemies/old flames/former friends on Facebook and other social media simply because, although I may not have a connection to these people now, I'd prefer to know what they are up to if I so choose. Except in extreme cases (a particularly poisonous former friend, a particularly painful and frequently-thought-of old lover) when I can't help myself or it's better to excise the drama, I opt for the ability to have knowledge over completely cutting someone out. Part of this is because I want to prove to myself that I am able to not interact with them (once a relationship is ended, for instance). And a large part of it is also a raving curiosity I've always possessed. I very well may be in the minority here and if it comes to that I will accept it, but for me the mute function would lose its functionality, unless in an extreme, inescapable case of personal harassment.
Yeah, I can see where you're coming from, because I probably wouldn't use "mute as comment ignore" all too much either unless it was blatant spamming. I personally wouldn't use the mute function as it currently is either because I don't want to block someone from sharing their views with other people, even if it's views I disagree with on posts that I make. Social media is hard, let's go shopping.