"Assuming that's the case, then sinking to the same level and responding in kind isn't likely to be productive, is it?"

No it's not, but the nature of a troll is that you'll never get anything productive out of him so I'm not sure it matters either way!

Neither Hamish's nor Pete's responses amounted to a one-word response, "bollocks" issued late at night so I guess they have a long way to go before their responses have sunk to an equivalent level!

Maybe if there's any criticism to be dished out it should be directed in the first instance to the author of that, and they should actually be commended for their restraint... ;)