Yes, I’ve discovered that. I recently read an article on lurking, trying to see what it is and what people think about that. Apparently lurkers used to be viewed as resource- and content-stealers, but over time they came to be more appreciated by advertisers and by the fact that they disseminate information – sort of like bees carrying pollen from one flower to another. Also, lurking is apparently the standard way for a person to discover the community norms for communication and content.
Being totally ignorant of this, I just dive-bombed my way into discussion threads, not always trying to read the prior 157 posts before making contribution number 158. At first I was pretty much ignored, or got a Heh! or Good Point or two, which told me that people were pretty tolerant around here. Then I started to get bolder, and came up with some pretty good stuff and started to post more frequently. Very recently I have discovered my own voice and have been posting more confidently.
But I made the mistake of actually disagreeing with some of the old hands here on a particularly emotional day – the anniversary of Charlottesville. I got attacked and shamed in the most juvenile ways, which shocked me, and to which I am pretty much defenseless because I can’t stand to speak using the standard internet tropes and slang – LOL – and I am untrained in the art of verbal warfare. I rigorously stick to facts and logic, like the mathematician that I am (full professor, thank you very much!), and I just have no defense to incoming snark and I just cannot lower myself to engage in the ad hominem shiv below the ribs. It’s a little like Trump vs. Mueller – the former throws everything, the latter holds himself aloof and lets his indictments do his talking.
And so after trying to run down every attack on my reasoning, my character, and my manhood, which took an all-nighter and about 14 consecutive hours hunched over my laptop to defend my honor and my reputation, I decided that I had had enough.
But I have discovered in the last 24 hours or so that I am much happier creating a topic, writing a comment when I really have something meaningful to say and feel passionate about, and I have been pleasantly surprised that, for the most part, I have not been attacked and shamed, but have been responded to intelligently and respectfully. So perhaps I will stick to the Hive, as you seem to be suggesting.
and 
, but it’s considerably more civil than the public threads. That doesn’t mean alternate or unconventional opinions/ideas are immediately embraced, but the personal attacks are fairly infrequent.
