If you are going to be afk you need to either a) not care about dying, because the possibility is strong that you may die, or b) log out until you are back at the keyboard. AFK deaths aren’t anyone’s fault but your own. Blaming others for it as indecent is unrealistic for your own part. I posit that leaving your char logged in to eat an afk death is the more indecent action.

The gear stuff? Maybe it’s not sporting, but take it as a compliment. They don’t want to fight you when you have item X, so that means other than afk you aren’t incompetent.