The friend on the receiving end must be a paragon of patience! LoL! It's easy to be mad and vent on someone whom you know loves you. Deep inside you know that no matter how you goof, they will still love you. But it's best to not throw caution in the wind.
I have very few friends...like can count on one hand with fingers [plural yes!] left over. I don't exactly have a communication problem...I have a speaking problem, but I am quite adept at explaining how I feel in writing. This was once a problem for me because I had a close associate who was illiterate that I wanted to confide in.
As for the original question...well I'd say: it depends. I will take into factors like the implied insult, the circumstances, their personal character as known through past experiences, my interactions with them from the past, how much I like them, and possibly how useful they are as a human being. If it boils down to the last point, then I've stopped thinking of the individual as a friend, they are now potential networking asset.