Decades of arguing on the internet has mellowed me out some. At this point if someone is hostile without adding anything meaningful to the thread, I ignore them.

If they’re being a dick but made a point that might be seen as valid, I’ll talk to the lurker who’s reading the thread.

I feel the most useful when I can link to content that is informative, say a deep dive or a source that has academic or press chops. This is even useful if I agree with the other correspondents because then it’s no longer just the hearsay of a bunch of dudes on the internet.