Is this forum actually that "rough"?

[Davetello]

Time and again I've seen this forum described as 'rough' or 'volatile'. I have to say that I don't see it. It isn't exactly a utopia full of people being nice to one another, but there's nothing really insane going on here. The worst offenders (other than myself when I am provoked) are generally Cure and Peanut, but they're like kittens compared to the guys on forums I have frequented.

On the other site I use I see people use terms like "f-ggot", "******", "sand n!gger", "queer" etc. German posters are referred to as Nazis and German sports stars as "posterboys for the Aryan Brotherhood". Italians are called wogs. Now most of this is in jest but I still dislike it and it makes me more uncomfortable than anything on here.

The other evening a Portuguese guy told me to jump off a bridge because of an opinion I have on sport. And he meant it too.

Generalising somewhat, I'm putting it down to Europeans being more aggressive and open than Americans. I've noticed that most North Americans online are actually quite polite, at least the ones I have encountered. I mean most people here will do anything to avoid conflict. I like that and it's good, so this forum isn't as rough as suggested, in my view.

EDIT: perhaps the lack of political and religious talk makes this place calmer. But there's not much of that on the forum I use and it is still very volatile.