My experience in discussions like this is very consistent in that gullible and non-critical folks just assume that everyone else takes what they read online equally at face value as they do and so aren't careful with their rhetoric, thinking it won't be questioned or at least considered by the readers.

It doesn't matter if you have Twitter, you're still immersed in the Internet Discourse culture and are ultimately playing the same games. It takes conscious effort to move past such petty and unproductive tactics.