My outlook has worked pretty well for 27+ years - treat online forums like pubs. What you say can be heard by anybody. Can be mis-heard by anybody. You get to hear everybody else's opinion, who can beat that? That can make anybody angry, sometime unreasonably. Speak (write) as clearly as you can muster, it helps. Treat people with the respect you expect to be treated with, but remember you won't get it from everyone. Some of us can't tell jokes. Not everyone will see the humor anyway. Some of us come off as geeky, boring know it alls, even when we're not. There are guys (and gals) just looking for a fight. There are some psychotics, shut-ins, just plain mean people. The right to a broadband connection is nearly an inalienable right, even for raving space loons. Just walk away, your time in the pub isn't worth their gratification. The best thing about this pub is you never have to fight your way out, and there is no last call, most nights. You may want to keep your anonymity online, because you never know who will show up on your doorstep sobbing about some shared experience. But like any pub you can drink and drink until you're stupid drunk, maybe no one will notice, or maybe a bartender (moderator) will warn you last call. You can share your hobbies in the real world in this pub too, including drinking. But finally, be good, be respectful (sorta) to the opposite sex, because you can learn and grow up alot and sometimes get laid if that's what you're looking for, and you don't want to get tossed out of your local, not too often.