I think you will find, with only a few temporary exceptions, the Members here share your viewpoint about forum community attitudes; discussions may become heated, but everyone tries to maintain a courteous attitude towards one another and opposing beliefs. This is reflected in the Forum Rules (FAQ, above).
Morevoer, our Membership reflects both professionally trained (or educated) philosophers (or students), as well as many people like you who have a serious interest in philosophical subjects and topics. It is the dialogue between (and amongst) the two groups that makes this forum so needed and so interesting.
Welcome to the Philforums!
Regards,
John

Welcome pagan see you in the oak grove by the spring of life.xris.

nice

thanks. merry meet....

Warm welcome Pagan! Thank you for the introduction and we're glad you found us.

This forum, it's moderators and administrators share much of the same sentiment about forums as yourself. Members who insult others or respond with anger during the discussions usually see the exit door fairly quickly. We rely on members to report posts and/or PMs so that the moderating staff can respond as necessary.

We have a great group of armchair philosophers and thinkers and an overall community atmosphere of openness and insightful discussion. Many members here have been here for 2 or more years with some almost 4. We hope you enjoy the forums and do make yourself at home.

thanks jgweed and justin

yes i get a good vibe from this place.

btw i havent quite got the hang of quotes and replies and thanks options, so please forgive any mistakes.

No worries if you haven't got the hang of the quotes yet. If I see any that are messed up, I go and fix them.

Don't be afraid to ask the staff if you have any questions. We are here to help!

Anyway, welcome to the forum, and I hope you enjoy your stay.

To enter into an existing discussion (thread), you need only write your comments or questions in the box immediately below the last post. When you are satisfied with what you have written, you can simply hit the Quick Reply button in the row of blue boxes in the last post.
If you want addition formatting options, then you can hit the Post Reply button BEFORE typing in your response.

The Thank You blue button at the bottom of each post, at least here, is a way of thanking the poster for his or her contribution to the conversation, and does not imply agreement with the opinion or position expressed. These thanks are accumulated for each Member and increase the Rep Power that appears across from each Name.

To quote a previous post, highlight only that part of the text you want and then copy/paste it to your text box. Then highlight it there and hit the Quote Icon; you will see formatting codes on each side of the text that will show as a box around it when you actually post your reply.

I hope that helps you, and as Theaetetus has written, never hesitate to ask questions or for help.
Regards,
John

cheers dude, i am gradually getting the hang of it. Thanks re the thanks explanation too

Thanks for the welcome and also welcome to you.