Telling someone to "leave" is saying that he's not contributing. I should probably leave this thread, which I think only you and I care about. That's not an insult to me. There are conversations in which I am not useful and should not enter, or should leave if I do enter them.
Implying that someone isn't an adult isn't an insult either. If someone's 5 years old, it's not an insult to call that person a child. Likewise, I call my cats, "cats", and my friends' dogs, "dogs", and no one seems to be offended.
If someone who I don't know acts like a child, I will presume that that person is a child. If someone posts "sdj;;;s;dksk;ld;sdkl;sd" I will presume that a cat walked across the keyboard. Is this offensive?
I see nothing wrong with the quotes, nor do I read that comment as snide, exactly. But you're right that the use of personal details as ammunition is not ok.
packetslave made a specific very personal attack, you responded with a general less personal attack. He started it, but two wrongs don't make a right. It's hard to respond graciously to comments that undermine your credibility, try not to let people wind you up. Walk away. I struggle with not replying in kind to rudeness too, just yesterday I was searching for "how to respond to rude strangers".
