I was told it's a good idea to get a UV Filter [one of the clear ones] to protect your lens from scratches etc.
Also, I was told lens' hoods are useful in protecting it aswell as taking some glare off your lens.

So is it something I should get or no?

I believe it's a good idea. Most use filters like that to protect the lens. As well as a lens hood I have both!

I've never used a hood but I can definitely can say yes to the Uv filter. Not even 30 min of taking my camera out of the box (on the very first day I bought my camera too) my big golden retriever came up and licked the front of my lense! luckily I had the UV filter on, because it was a wet one I've had my camera for not even one month and there has been over a dozen times where I've been thankful it's been on the front of my lens.

I was told that there are many coats of special stuff on the front of your lens that make it preform the way it does, and so if you were to keep cleaning your lens (which you WILL have to do at some point) some of those coatings may degrade.

I'd rather clean my UV filter that rub my shiny lens anyday!

Lmao! What are the chances of THAT happening? Haha that's funny. Funny that dogs lick everything! Even if they sniff it, they leave stuff all over haha.

I think you are right about the coatings, they will degrade. It's better that they degrade from the filter rather than the lens itself

Try this topic, it shows what people use and a bit about why they use them

http://forums.d2jsp.org/index.php?showtopic=29556060

rofl - good thing i dont have big golden retriever ;-)

still i'm using filters too