Some flaming is beginning to happen here. Some deliberately negative provocative articles have appeared. If this is happening while David is still here I think this forum could slowly, or quickly collapse when he leaves.
For those who would like the forum to continue to have its more gentle character one thing to do is not to reply to inflammatory articles. Ignore them. Soon they will have passed to a page where you don't have to look at them any more.
If somebody flames you, don't keep it going by sending a reply. Everybody can see what has happened and form their own conclusions about that person. Keep your self control and carry on talking with others as before, as though it hadn't happened.
The body walls off infections by isolating them. Maybe you can take similar action to protect the whole forum from fighting and meanness infection.
If you find you often don't like someone's posts the easiest thing in the world is to remember the name and not read their posts. If you start reading a long post you don't like, just close it and move to the next root article.
I have hopes that the forum can continue to be a good place to come if enough of us try to keep it that way. To build something is harder than to destroy it. .
Maryk in Canada