The words hun, floofy/floofie, dear, dearie, etc., are all originally meant to be endearing and kind, and often light-hearted, but unfortunately it's been used in an negative way so much nowadays that some people even regard such kind words are almost exclusively sarcastic and condescending.
However, even with this said, I still use all of them when in a proper context.
In an argument, people are more likely to puff themselves up indignantly if you use these words--even when sincere--, and so I avoid using them in these cases.
However, be it in real life or meeting you in-game, chances are I'll say things like,
"Hello, luff~"
"How're you, dear? c:"
"Ahhh, that's awesome to hear, hun!"
"Whatcha up to, floofie? o:"
I don't mean it in a harsh or demeaning way. That's simply not me. Nor do I find it offensive or demeaning if someone calls me hun, floofie, dear, sweetie, or whatever the case may be. Unless it is used with clear intention to be condescending (see CloudFire's example above), then I don't see it as being rude.
It all depends on the individual, and of course, since we are usually communicating via text, it is also difficult to prevent miscommunications in regards to these words, since we don't have the non-verbal cues and vocal inflections to help discern whether someone is being kind or sassy.
I think they're words to use with care, but can be very sweet as well, despite their use and abuse as hurtful words.
(Plus, it can be said that if you're using them harshly, there's more to the argument than your choice of words. Wanna be rude? Bring me thine worst~)
