Good comments. To compare with other forums that I visit, the "Sudoku Players Forum" had a "Cafe" for any type of discussion. (Sudoku is another hobby of mine, but has mostly been superseded by chess).
I'm also a member at an astronomy forum, and I believe they don't have a forum for off-topic.
(correction: actually they do and it's very popular).chess.com has
many provisions for off-topic discussion. They have both a public forum called "Off-topic", and also allow private (unmoderated) clubs to be set up. One club is "free speech" (115 members), and another is "open discussion" (837 members). I'm a member of both clubs, but only visit them occasionally. I've seen anything and everything discussed in the private clubs.
My personal preference is more options for people to communicate rather than less.
I've seldom had a conflict with anyone, and in one very rare case where I did, I challenged him to a chess game. (tension can make game-play more fun and intense). But he declined.
