A note from me

Hi everyone,
I wanted to write a personal message about something that has been weighing on the community team for a while.
We know how much this community means to many of you. For some people it is a place to find support, share experiences, talk through difficult days and speak with others who understand.
Because we care so much about this community, we need to be honest about a challenge that has been growing.
Over recent months, we have seen more and more conflict between members. We have seen disagreements that continue across multiple discussions, reports from members who feel hurt or targeted, and situations where people are increasingly frustrated with one another.
We are not writing this to take sides. We know that people on all sides of these disagreements have genuine feelings about what has happened and have their own experiences of events.
What concerns us is that the situation is becoming entrenched. Too often now, conversations that begin about one topic end up becoming fractured down the same old lines, often about past disagreements, perceived slights or ongoing disputes between members. The atmosphere of the community is being affected and it is becoming harder for everyone else to participate.
So today we are asking something of everyone: please try to give each other a little more grace.
If you see a comment that frustrates you, consider whether you need to respond. If a discussion is becoming heated, consider stepping away. If another member is not somebody you get along with, it is okay to create space between yourselves.
You do not have to agree with one another. You do not have to become friends. But we do need members to stop carrying these conflicts from discussion to discussion and to help us create a calmer environment for everyone.
We are making this request now because we would much rather see the community work together than us have to intervene more drastically.
However, we do need to be clear that if things do not improve, changes will be made. We genuinely hope that won't be necessary.
This community is at its best when people focus on supporting one another, sharing their experiences and making space for different perspectives. We know that is something all of us value, and we hope everyone can help us get back to that.
We also want to acknowledge the very many people who have not been involved in these issues. We want to apologise that in some cases they will have been surrounded by tension that is nothing to do with them and thank them for their continued time and support with the community.