I've actually found the IRC channel to be a very friendly, funny, and often times action packed place to hang out.

I went for DAILY, just to be the odd one :-]
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Nah, really, really friendly forum and people over here.

I truly do not recall anything remotely approaching rudeness at DC. There might be an occasional misunderstanding or quick reply, but the level of respect shown others is exemplary. In my experience, tech forums are generally civil when the members are knowledgeable in the matters at hand. For incivility, try Usenet. alt.comp.freeware has good information, but it frequently nearly buried in the personal attacks of some of the posters (As you may well recall, Mouser)
DC is a haven and an invaluable resource. I don't remember how I stumbled across it, but I've a cheerful supporter/user ever since.
my 2 pennies
OEF