pantryslut

I think the hidden assumption here is that most people go to a panel to hear what the panelists think, not what the audience thinks. So, audience members asking questions is trying to draw out panelists' thoughts on a particular topic, and hence OK; audience members making a statement undermines the panel for most other members of the audience.

I don't know how accurate that assumption is, but I can see where they're coming from. (Of course, when I go to cons, I rarely attend panels at all, but that's me.)