I do not think the entire post was too long, but I do think reading the short version first was helpful. It's sort of like reading an abstract before diving into a journal article. If nothing else, it helps people who are uninterested save some time.

People who agree with you don't need to be convinced. People who disagree with you aren't going to be swayed by your arguments.

I'm not convinced this is true, but regardless, what about people who neither agree nor disagree? To a large extent, explaining why your viewpoint is right is exactly the same thing as explaining in detail what your viewpoint is.