Ha. And here I am looking for the Like button, right

?
Well, I'll just spell it out, then... yes, overall, yo will find this a VERY friendly and welcoming group of good people.
DO go to the meet-up in Ghent. You will be surrounded by people of that same nature... just feel free to introduces yourselves, and let your new friendships begin. It's wonderful.
Yes, it appears that many other sites/forums on the Internet are as you describe, and we are unique here in that way [as well as many others]. As September approaches, begin to narrow down what you might want to say to Leonard to wish him a happy birthday. We'll have a thread for that very thing, which Leonard will read, via Jarkko, and generally [given time... so this year
might be different] will give an overall thank you to everyone. Just something in this process is very gratifying.
I hope to meet you somewhere on the road, glass

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~ Lizzy
"Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken."
~ Oscar Wilde