You spend all of your time researching and writing a blog post. After it’s posted, you smile because it’s just as you had envisioned it. All of a sudden, someone posts some rude comment that makes you second guess what you wrote or even your credibility. If he/she disagreed with you, then you wouldn’t be so taken aback. However, he/she decides to insult you to get his/her point across. If you have ever seen “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” you will remember when they traveled all over the country to pay a nice visit to everyone who posted some not-so-nice things about them on different web forums.

When you see that comment staring you in the face, that is how you want to react. You want to turn into the Hulk and go vigilante on these hecklers. In reality, you can’t behave that way. Here are some tips to rise above the negativity:

1. Take a deep breath and step away from the computer - Your gut reaction is to say some smart remark back to the commentater. However, nothing will be accomplished except giving the impression of immaturity and unprofessionalism. When you read the comment, turn off the computer and calm down before returning to it.

2. Realize that not everyone will love you or your post – We are not pod people, so we will not all like the same things. Even if the person is overly rude, just accept that you can agree to disagree, and that not everyone will feel the same about your post.

3. If you can, send a copy of your response to a friend – Sometimes it’s better to have an outsider read your response before you hit the Submit button. When I have done that, people have seen things that I didn’t think about because I was wrapped in my emotion. It will also calm you down because you will usually take a step back.

4. Don’t feel like you have to defend yourself but to an extent – You may want to defend yourself, but usually the person will already be set in his/her ways, so anything you say will not change his/her mind. Just keep to the facts.

5. Acknowledge the commentator’s feelings and move on - Sometimes it’s better to acknowledge what they wrote without spouting any negative comment and leaving it at that. You might feel like it’s a copout, but then you will feel better because you didn’t get down to that person’s level.

It’s hard, but after awhile, you will not even be as affected with the rude comments as before.

Photo Detail: Jay and Slient Bob, originally uploaded by theleetgeeks.

Further Reading:

• Ten Things I Learned After Being a Judge That Can Improve Your Writing
• Your Comment is Awaiting Moderation…NOOO