I'm now going on four years as a proud deviant. I've earned a lot of friends here, and for the most part, people are nice. A lot of amazing art on here, and many many people with potential that I just love encouraging. <3
The deviantART staff are very busy, so be patient when submitting a question. I have seen them handle many "trolls" effectively. If some kid decides it'll be cool to steal art, everyone is on your side and they get banned almost immediately. In all honesty, these trolls are freaking hilarious, but if you have better things to do, just ignore them.
People will kindly give you critiques. On occassion you'll find an a--hole who has to argue with everybody; just ignore them and know you're the better person. You'll find trolls everywhere, not just dA.
I love the community and there are so many ways to ge discovered!