Konovalov has been doing hard work in the political threads, keeping the low blows in check. I think if you open the last 5 or 10 political threads you'll find Konovalov in there making Subsim a better place.
The last thread on religion was a major step forward from everything else I've seen. Next time religion starts from scratch I'm linking to that thread and saying: "no, you cannot return back down and ignore this standard we've reached. You must walk from this point onwards, even if all you can do is walk sideways." There's always hope.
Lastly, I agree with STEED. This GT is alot more civilized than any other forum I know. On the same instant I realized I had my share of blame on the locking of a thread, I've sent a Private Message to the parts involved and was glad to be able to clarify and set things straight. Such a brief conversation was sufficient to solve the issue.
I think if we give the right example, Konovalov, Gizzmoe, etc., we can create an atmosphere welcoming to civilization and hostile to barbarism. In this regard, you will be missed Ducimus.