[watwut]

There is massive difference between "you are wrong" and mocking someone. Both deserve different response - when someone mocks you it is perfectly ok to mock back or ignore that person. Which is what people do. Mocking makes you asshole.

Workplaces don't need assholes. People who reasinably criticise are not assholes.

[unishark]

Bluntness is considered rude in most societies I'm familiar with. Not good either.

As another aside, I feel this is the problem with downvoting. It is a blunt criticism in a society where criticism must be delivered cautiously to avoid offense.

[watwut]

If you are talking about "pathetic inadequacy of the contributions" then the contributions better really be inadequate and pathetic. Only then it is bluntness or "telling it like it is".

And most often, those contributions were normal or even state of art when they have been made - making accusation not so much blunt. Instead, it is appeal to emotions, an attempt to leverage funy sounding expression for own goal.

And it is only fair when people respond to it in kind.