When I first edited Wikipedia, in 2004 (from an IP address, not an account), inline footnotes weren't possible. That meant that discussions about content were much more frequent on article talk pages, because it wasn't possible, otherwise, to figure out whether specific article text was in fact justified.
With inline footnotes, such talk page debates are much less frequent, because they're much less necessary. Today, one can argue over WP:UNDUE - that's subjective - but not whether there are sources that support George W. Bush actually drilling in Alabama as an Air Force reservist.
