We can't go back, only forward. Websites and chats are what we make of them, however, for good or ill. Jury's still out on both RAFO and the Skype chats created for it and wotmania, IMHO.

You're right that it's not the same, no dispute there. It can still be quite good though, and frequently has been. Perhaps the best part is that if someone wants to be a they can and are booted or silenced (no bans yet, to my recollection) and that's that until one of the chat moderators says otherwise. You can also just start a whole new conversation and just not invite them, but there's something oddly satisfying about seeing the little pencil scribbling out a tirade and the little eraser rub it out when they hit enter (I admit to curiosity about what was said, but since I care so little it doesn't bother me much). I don't really like excluding people anyway, but then, it was a relief to me when other people started making new Skype convos when the original year old one began to lag unacceptably, because playing kindergarten cop was no longer my responsibility. Personally, I think being reduced to a spectator is more maddening to trolls than a boot or sheeping; the level of civility is generally much higher now, IMHO. Naturally, there are still occasional episodes, but they usually sort themselves out pretty quickly once people realize they won't be allowed to use chat as their personal shooting gallery, and that all the bitching and moaning in the world won't change that.

I do deeply regret the ugliness to which you were subjected when we were all at the other end of the learning curve; that it was needless makes it all the more inexcusable.