The obvious experience and caliber of some of the participates can be a bit daunting. I learn a lot from this list just by reading the posts. I do post to Athena tho as I feel more comfortable there as I am a herbalist and can participate with knowledge. I am a sometime contributor of the list. I would recommend that some respondants try Platina before they consider replies to the list.
Heated debates are fun.
However I was never trained to name call or defame others because my opinion was different. I am a nurse and a home care provider who loves homeopathic remedies and has used them on self, children, and elderly. I am now a lurker because there has been so much inanely stupid discussion that isn't worth wasting my time. I found it very informative a year or two ago, but much has been character assination and nutty nit pickiness. So, I read Eileen's, occassionally Steve's and the Nat'l Center's info.