If it's any consolation, I'd find them toe curling now too. I always thought the SPD/MMW back and forth should be more of a grandstanding online pantomime than anything else, but it occasionally got out of hand and the line got crossed. I never recall any cross words in the 'real world', I don't think.
In all seriousness, what Dan has said about MMW reads like a good example in what happens when you have a plan, but have to confront a 'going pro' threshold and make a choice either way. (we chose a rather different direction/methodology, of course)