Ye shall have a thick skin

"poorly researched article that looks like it was written by an 8th grader."

I guess I touched a nerve. But at least I was hitting the ideal grade point reading level!

That little gem was a response to an article I did on Technorati by an obvious fan of the TWIT network. That's OK  everyone's entitled to their opinion.  Even if it's wrong.

I replied to the comment and actually thanked the reader for it. Kill 'em with kindness or psychological warfare, you decide. At least I know something other than a twitter bot is reading my stuff. Outside of that I really don't care.

I still watch TWIT programming on a regular basis as I'm still of the opinion that it contains some of the best technical content available on any medium. It's also an excellent way to keep up with the pulse of technology trends and attitudes toward them. I won't let that stop me from giving an honest opinion though, even if 99% of the Internet disagrees.


Consider the source as my aunt used to say. When cat videos and angry birds are consistently in the Internet top 10 you have to wonder ...

For my part, I think I've written more than enough about TWIT and unless something major happens I think I'm done with it. I don't like to assault deceased equines.

No, I'm far more interested in the reaction I quoted at the start of this post.

People who post responses like the one above either instantly attack anything that hints at a negative opinion of their favorite whatever or didn't bother to read the article at all and just like to troll comment forums. As a rule I never respond from a knee-jerk reaction be it as author or reader.

Writing is easy unless you want someone to actually read it. So I appreciate the effort it takes to put together an article that passes the muster of seemingly merciless online editors. In that vein I try to be as thoughtful in my comments as the writer was in providing the content.

A courtesy my friend there was unable to extend.

One of the primary rules I follow when I'm assembling an article is to make sure I have something worth saying.

Ok, that sounds stupid but hear me out. There's no shortage of useless prose on the Internet and I don't want to add to it.

When I sit down and try to flesh out something the intent is to offer my own perspective on topics you may or may not be familiar with.

I've got no ego about these things either. I can point to at least 3 articles on Technorati that I've published in the past 6 months that I'd love to rip down and redo. I can't even look at them without cringing. To be honest I feel that way about most of the stuff I post. I'm my own worst critic. That's why drive-by comments like the one at the top of this page don't bother me.

I guess that's my best advice to anyone who writes anything for public consumption. If you believe in your message it'll stand up to criticism and you won't be reduced to tears when someone makes an unkind remark.