Problems With Tab Delimited Files, My first post, and I screwed up big time. A good example of how not to conduct yourself, and how little things can get blown out of proportion.
Don't take anything personally... unless it is. But it isn't. (If you're not sure whether the remark was a personal attack against you, it probably wasn't.) In the extremely rare case that someone was intentionally malicious , don't be afraid to stand up for yourself, but don't feed the trolls or start a flame-war! Take the high road, be polite, and walk away. In general, the monks are friendly and willing to help.
Don't be afraid to contribute, but make sure your posts are well informed. Read everything you can. If you're not sure about a post (if you're a newbie, you're probably not sure, even if you think you are)... post to your scratchpad first and ask for input in the chatterbox (thanks, Corion).
You will make a few mistakes and step on a few toes. As long as no harm was intended, it usually isn't a big deal around the monastery. The janitors do a great job, but try not to give them extra work, eh? Following the above suggestions will minimize this, though.