Improvement there has been. Even though most has been from a more bigger standpoint of taking care of the game and how people use the game and behave in it. I cannot speak of the fun and derps that general chat held but it was not the main focus of why it got disabled.
This is not a matter of convincing, as a mod in the game you do more than just see what goes on, you also try to deal with it and do something about it, stretching far and wide in what you're capable of as a simple being. There is a block function, and there is a turning off chat option, but it clearly didn't help over the years general was there, and neither is there any sort of discussion of "screenshot and report, thanks staff for listening!" matter when general and it's problems, and horrid ability of sharing chats with everyone no matter if it's advertising for roleplays, casual talk or just help. As mentioned earlier the design is not the best.
I'd really wish to believe what has been said, but general chat truly was a strain on the game even if it was fun and handy for some. It's clear that people do not change how they portray or behave in certain chats, so putting it back in the game now would make no difference, and I hope people will understand this.