I recently read a post by a colleague that a reader took great offense to and blasted her for it. While I understood where the reader was coming from and he laid out his reasons why he was disappointed in the post, what struck me was the calm, one-line apology from the blogger that she was sorry he was disappointed in the post. It validated his feelings without compromising her own.

There is a certain feel of anonymity to the internet even when people put their names on comments. I am constantly amazed how some respond.I figure I have enough of my own issues without taking on the insecurities of others.

Thanks for another great post, Brandi.

I think it’s also important to differentiate between constructive and purely negative criticism. If an editor, for example, thinks my text is too wordy then I’m more apt to consider changing it. If on the other hand, people are upset about an opinion I have or the topic of an article I wrote, I might listen, but then take it with a grain of salt. Obviously you can’t please everybody and that applies particularly with the internet. Thanks for your comment!