[nuclearnerd]

I'm new to CD so I don't want to speak with too much certainty, but I wonder if the occasional nastiness isn't a reflection of the (pretty old by internet standards) vBulletin template. Other online communities have been trying to grapple with similar problems (maintaining civil discussion, highlighting useful information) and they have come up with various forum features that help somewhat. These include:

1) "Likes" (Slashdot, Reddit, Metafilter, StackExchange, Facebook, Twitter and almost everyone else) - this gives posters a chance to show support or agreement without having to fill the thread with "mee too"s. It also gives readers another way to filter or sort replies.

2) "Flags" (Metafilter, Slashdot) - gives posters a chance to notify moderators of particularly good or bad posts without having to fill thread with "pile-on" criticisms

3) "Real Name Policy" (Facebook, Google+) - a bit more controversial (I'm not actually in favour of this one, even though I follow it myself). It eliminates sock puppet accounts, and gives posters a bit of pause before posting to know that their comments will be attached to their names.

4) Help forums (AskMetafilter, StackExchange) - specific places where anyone (not just CD regulars) are encouraged to find help, and regulars are encouraged (through various gamification tricks) to provide high-signal/noise responses.

There are other techniques as well (heavy / pre-moderation, signup costs, contributor rankings / best post trophies...). Not all of them will be useful here, but some of them might. A facelift wouldn't hurt either - the CD interface is pretty intimidating for someone who isn't already inclined to post online. I don't have the skills to contribute the changes myself unfortunately, but I'm sure there are some talented web designers in FRC who might be up to the challenge.