Well, I always listen to the tone of voice. This gives me a good indication of whether they're worth listening to or not. Usually, people speaking with a scorn

Well, I always listen to the tone of voice. This gives me a good indication of whether they're worth listening to or not. Usually, people speaking with a scornful tone of voice (or the written equivalent) are more venting than they are providing useful information. There's no need to pay too much attention to whatever they have to say, because if it's a big deal they'll say it again once they've calmed down. I've noticed that when programming computers there are very few problems that can be fixed by behaving like a dick. And those that can be fixed by behaving like a dick, can also be fixed whilst behaving in a more gentlemanly fashion. The rest can be left unsolved, politely. There's really no reason not to do this.