I've been to other forums and found them to be more civil, but on here the average age of the members must be pretty young. It seems that nearly every thread turns into a flame fest because some kid gets offended and goes off.
I'd be willing to bet that most (not all, but most) people on here are from 15-25. Hormones are raging, tempers are flaring, and everyone's trying to exercize their opinion, no matter how misguided and/or uninformed it is. College kids especially, they're coming into the "real world" and are trying to be heard, and are making waves(which is why you see so many college age kids that are protesters, such as the anti-war protesters and WTO protesters).
Can't conversations be kept civil? Or must everyone resort to name calling?
One of the most basic rules of debating is to attack the point, not the person making it.
I encourage people to try to step back, cool off, and be civil.