What makes you think 'winning' matters? What matters is that you are being entertained. Otherwise, why bother? And, if we are being honest, what is most entertaining on a message forum is getting a reaction. People would simply write in their private journal if they weren't looking for a reaction.

But that means that the content will be tuned to what the author thinks will most likely produce a reaction. Some audiences respond well to insults, others not so much.