The pen is mightier than the sword; you're writing for the benefit of the audience.

Rebutting 'hot takes' matters.

It really does matter.

If it didn't matter they wouldn't resort to SWATting and stuff to try and shut it down.

I guess I am imagining something different when I read "Internet argument". I picture those long two-poster Reddit threads going back and forth angrily calling each other names and essentially saying "no, you're wrong".

I never imagined engaging a "hot take" with a cogent argument to have any effect in changing opinions, especially when the response is intense anger.