I find this site to be pretty welcoming. I haven't come across anything negative. I've exchanged PMs with people in different parts of the world about different subjects and learned some cool things that way too. Even the one time I violated the TOS - and that was because *I* didn't read it properly - myself and the mod who got in contact with me had a good laugh about it and that was that.

I've been on a lot of other sites. I've even modded on one. For the sheer size of this forum, I am continually impressed with the level of civility I find in most threads.

As an individual who has been accused of being a jerk on forums, I think a lot of it has to do with tone and how other people read posts. And learning the difference between someone who will call bs on another, or willingly and unapologetically point out husbandry errors, for example, and someone who is just being a jerk for the sake of being a jerk is a good skill to have as well.

Anyway... I'm rambling now. Sorry!