I don't think it's inherently toxic so much as there's a need for tuning up moderation standards combined with a spate of certain drama that unfolded this past week. (But yes, some people are just assholes to be fair.)
The mod stuff is obviously within my realm of control to make a final decision on, and I think the best way to also diminish any one person's drama without having to permaban anyone (absent clear safety or legal issues etc) is to add more voices - increasing worthwhile conversation while diluting the negative stuff.
Obviously we can't bring 2005 back, but at the minimum we want this to be a place worth logging into, whether it's just a tab open in the background while at work or intense toonami discussion on Saturday nights or sports talk during the big game or thoughtfully critiquing sponge's/whomever's fanfics/writing.