Avoid or engage? There's something to be said for both approaches to hate speech on the internet. If you avoid, the subject may wither from lack of feeding. OTOH, stating your disapproval lets others know that hate is not acceptable in your particular corner of the internet. There are, unfortunately, many places on the internet where one can indulge one's personal bigotry with the full approval of like-minded scum. At least while such haters are spewing in their corners, they aren't out inflicting themselves on people face to face.

But the internet isn't entirely safe for haters or their associates. A recent internet based theist-atheist kerfuffle led to some theists emailing death threats to a prominent atheist. One emailed threat was traced to a company whose employees often worked from home on company computers. The company was informed, the employee was fired for misuse of the company computer , (even though it turned out another family member had actually sent the threat from her work computer).