If this growing tension is visible, even to those that are not yet a part of the community, then it does not seem like much of a stretch to believe that this may be dissuading a fair amount of potential users from joining us.
How do you make that leap? Why should we automatically assume that site drama dissuades people from joining? A counterexample: drama causes people to give movie theaters their money.
There is a difference between viewing drama on a screen and becoming a part of it yourself.
You have to signup to be a part of it. :)
Exactly.