Several points:
1. I'm not a "professional programmer" I'm a UX designer.
2. I volunteer my time to open source project, no one pays me for anything
3. I'm not a staff member for any open source project
4. I engage with lots of people without blocking them, even ones that are rude
5. But when people start to attack me personally, that crosses a line and I feel no need to "be nice to them" and to continue to engage.