It *is* a gray area; we freely acknowledge that.

We look at things like, did the OP ask for "straight talk" when posting their original query? Or were they unclear about what they were seeking, advise-wise?

If they were unclear, I tend to encourage members to err on the side of being supportive, non-judgmental, and clarifying whether they want your "straight talk" or not. Some members may be in a place where they want such talk, others may not.

I don't think it hurts to ask before offering it, since we rarely know the emotional state of the individual (unless they've shared that with us in the post).

Generallly, argumentative and inflammatory behavior is frowned upon and may be against the community guidelines, depending upon the specific context. But if no one reports the thread, then it may very well never be seen by someone on the moderation team.

Hope this helps clarify this issue somewhat...