Things go in phases as well, every place has ups & downs and lulls in activity.

I do have to say that things are relative, this forum is still one of the friendliest and most drama-free forums I've ever been a member of. Sometimes people get caught up in stuff, usually due to feeling passionate about the subject matter, and need to step back a bit and think before hitting "post" but it's such a low percentage compared to anywhere else. It's also usually coming from a good place so people can agree to disagree and move on.
It's good to bring it to people's attention if it seems to be getting out of hand and the only way to rectify is to "do" and to act & respond in the way we would like to be treated and see others treated.

Act as if you're talking to the person face to face and usually there are few problems.