Flaming is universal, but different systems handle it in different ways. Both the technology and cultural norms matter. This spares the user who is sufficiently sophisticated from further flamage, but it does nothing to stop the problem at its source. Censorship would be one solution. There is a great tradition of respect for free speech on these systems, and to censor public postings or even ban a poster for annoying or offensive content is properly seen as unacceptable, in my opinion.
Some systems use cultural norms, rather than software, to deal with flame wars.
These online communities have developed practices which rely more on a shared, internalized sense of appropriate behavior than on censorship, for instance. On the WELL, individuals who get into a fight are encouraged to move the discussion out of the public conference and into e-mail. The encouragement is provided not only by the host of the conference, but also by the users. It is part of the culture, not part of the technology. WELL hosts are volunteers who facilitate the discussion of a particular subject.