I wonder if a private message feature could solve some of these misunderstandings. Why should you be forced to chat someone in real time.
It is sad but also interesting to watch this platform self destruct. So much finger pointing. Such a shift in moods from we are changing the world to let's get that guy over there. I imagine it happens everywhere but here it's more public.
I wish I had the answer. I have seen this happen in other places--the rallying and codeswitching. In fact, it looks a lot like civil war. As to "peaceful" community spaces where I've seen this behavior, it seems more focused and aggressive here. Of course, with the exception of abuse and being stalked, I've never received this level of focused, judgmental attention before. :(