The moderation for the most part has done a great job in my opinion. They have moved and locked many threads in the general section to prevent unnecessary derails of personal attacks. They have followed the rules set by Dash quite thoroughly. There have been minor issues here and there, but Internet moderation cannot be perfect, especially for volunteer positions.
Hellfire remains mostly unmoderated, which has positive and negative aspects. First-most it allows for a large variety of natural expression. Personal attacks are allowed alongside thoughtful posts about issues. The two are linked when one considers abstract thought, such as religion or politics, to be connected to a person's character. Personal attacks provide value as a form of entertainment, while abstract posts provide value as enlightenment. The two together make this a very colorful board, and I don't think this should be detracted from with heavier moderation. Also, I don't think the moderators have the energy to try to moderate Hellfire anymore. The negative aspects are that people's feelings can get hurt, and the distraction of the large array of posting styles.
It is almost entirely the responsibility of the posters to take others into consideration, and to be self-conscious of the effect of their writings. Warnings and bans should never come as a surprise to posters.
For example Montegue had a long history of controversial postings, which can aptly be labeled "trolling", and was fully conscious of this. He took no measures to modify his behavior. Furthermore he espoused direct attacks against the moderators. Perhaps he didn't expect a permanent ban, but it came as no surprise.