[markem]

Generally speaking, CA is a place where it is expected that people will grow both in understanding of the leaf, knowledge of our diverse culture, knowledge of themselves and in taking a ribbing. CA is also a place where we can learn about our own biases and rectify them, provided we (mostly) check our ego at the door.

It is also a place where the motto "smoke what makes you happy" is lauded - cc v. nc arguments are rare but deep discussions about why one may prefer one over the other are appreciated.

And finally, generally speaking, CA provides a nice way to get involved in a large board without having to "keep up". We don't worship the number of smoke rings, or the number of trades, or the number of visitor messages. After being here a short time, almost all are treated with equal care and respect.