Most forums seem to head in this direction sooner or later. The reason people join, surely, is because it's a forum where they can ask a specific question about their omega. Most answers (99.999%) are available just by reading, no need to join. Out of the 12000 odd members, very few contribute on a regular basis.
So....most people gravitate towards general discussion which, although not the primary function of the forum, is certainly the busiest. It is the only section of the forum where a personal opinion is genuinely valid. The technical parts are mostly cut-and-dried, where a specific question has (mostly) a specific answer.
Now to expect ordinary folk to respect each others point of view, without argument (not discussion) and friction, esp on such emotive subjects as welfare, politics etc., would be akin to trying to make a better world. Gen diss is what humans do and no amount of self-evaluation is going to change that. Personally, I try to take it all with a pinch of salt. There will be some very genuine people on here, but there will also be a few who are nothing like their online persona. It is emotionally dangerous to get too involved.
So, in conclusion, if you want people to stop acting like people, then you are on a hiding to nothing.