As long as it relates to the topic, it shouldn't matter. As long as it's not spam, it shouldn't matter. If someone replies to a thread entitled "Your favourite alcoholic beverage" with a comment like "I don't drink, as I don't enjoy alcohol", why penalize them for it? The poster in question is simply expressing his/her opinion on the subject. If it's really off-topic, then fair enough, but people shouldn't let little things like this annoy them.
If people became annoyed with their friends/acquaintances in the offline world for replying to a conversation in this manner, they would be labelled as being uncaring and mean. The same should apply here. People who complain about short posts which are on topic are moaning about nonsensical matters.
