I too have had good luck here as I've come across many friendly and helpful people. Ya there's an occasional jerk but most of the people are just the average folks who are generally good people.
I think the important thing is to step back and try to understand that this is a discussion board and other people have different concerns and opinions. I'm personally an argumentative person so I don't mind arguments but I can understand that some people absolutely hate it. I've gotten myself involved in some of the threads on ethics, which tended to produce the most heated debates because it is the most personal, and it's even more important to be rational and consider where the other person is coming from. A lot of us are strong minded and have our own principles and opinions. If you receive a flame, is it really because the poster is rude or because you've said something that can be quite discriminating to some people? To me, it's always about intentions.
I think the important thing is to step back and try to understand that this is a discussion board and other people have different concerns and opinions. I'm personally an argumentative person so I don't mind arguments but I can understand that some people absolutely hate it. I've gotten myself involved in some of the threads on ethics, which tended to produce the most heated debates because it is the most personal, and it's even more important to be rational and consider where the other person is coming from. A lot of us are strong minded and have our own principles and opinions. If you receive a flame, is it really because the poster is rude or because you've said something that can be quite discriminating to some people? To me, it's always about intentions.