Reading this, all I can think is that you are just asking for everyone to spare your feelings while insisting you shouldn't put in the effort to spare anyone else's.
Why does the GP feel they can convey their criticisms to other parties as callously as they please, but reject that anyone should respond to them negatively?
I didn't say reject people that respond to them negatively. You're more than welcome to criticize the criticizers with a counter argument. That's healthy debate. What you missed is the main thrust of my argument regarding the "Like" button you see on social media and gamification of an otherwise normal intellectual discourse. It brews mediocrity.