Let's say you are a skinnyish guy and your big bully relo hunts you down like he always does, leans on you, says something belittling, then punches you.
First up it is all on him and how low is his self-esteem that he does it every time. Annoying and hurtful as it is nothing he says or does means anything to you in any real sense unless you let it.
Forum thread or real life are actually similar in that regard except it is harder to ignore someone in your face.
Good to see you too Steve then walk away if you can might work
Thing about friends and family is that they are not all saints. Sometimes it helps to tell yourself that you know they have failings but they are still your friend or relo.
If they were drowning you would still throw them a line.
Unless it was somewhere isolated and you looked to see if anyone else needed saving first ..
I remember reading about a guy whose old relos used to come up to him at weddings and say you're next - until he started saying it back to them at funerals.
As someone else here said, if they cross a line that is different. For the rest, you are enough to be the better person for the short time and can see it is their poor need to do what they do and nothing about you.
If it is an old pervy relo checking out younger girls that bothers you there is always Tobasco on the rim of his glass or a discreet water pistol squirt to the crotch so it looks like he pissed himself.
Ah, the things we do on holidays for our online mates ..huge martyred sigh ..