I'm not apologizing. This is a public space, and nobody has the privilege of demanding that anyone else not respond to them. If 'kragen wants to reach out and communicate something more complicated than that thought to me, I'm all ears. I recommend email for that, in this specific case. That's all. No drama, but good to be clear about norms.
What you were specifically doing doesn't much matter, though "responding sympathetically" might be a closer fit.
From my own experience in online interactions, what I've observed is that if I've managed to antagonise someone, no response seems to be the best response, including apologies. Again, regardless of who's in the right or wrong.
(If there's some other offense against yourself, you might address that separately and directed at others.)
But what I've seen across decades, fora, and people, is that once a nerve is hot and inflamed, it's best left alone for a good long while.
