I've been mostly lurking but occasionally posting on GN for about 10 years. I think there has been a change of sorts which echoes changes 'out there'. We are now living in a deeply divided, politically unled country with a depressing future ahead of us unless you're a Pollyanna who doesn't read beyond the headlines in your favourite newspaper.
Social media has encouraged argument and enabled anonymity, is it any wonder that GN has followed the trend. I never look at the games threads but I imagine they are a haven of sanity. The estrangement threads are full of unhappy, misunderstood, often angry people who want support more than anything else and one person's truth may well be seen as an attack by the recipient and who is to say who is right, or indeed, if there is a right answer! Best to just read what you're interested in and ignore the rest.
Brussels police ordered to attend a right wing conference attended by Braverman and Farage