Jennifer Brown Banks is a professional, veteran freelance writer, columnist and Pro Blogger. Her work has appeared at PROBLOGGER, Technorati, Daily Blog Tips, Search Engine Journal and a host of other online and print publications. Visit her site at http://penandprosper.blogspot.com/.

Let’s face it: Blogging, by its very nature, is an interactive medium that calls for the exchange of ideas and comments both good and bad.

And I believe whether you blog professionally or recreationally, you’ll find that most readers will accept your ideas, or offer their own perspective as it relates to your posts. Either way it’s a win/win situation that enriches all involved.

In fact, the interaction is one of my favorite aspects of this popular phenomenon.

And I often learn from those I strive to teach. But, it’s not always a groovy kinda’ thing.

Be forewarned. Every now and then someone will go overboard in exercising their “freedom of speech”, and totally let their hair down. Or you’ll encounter a few “Negative Nellies,” or what the show Saturday Night live called “Debbie Downers.”

Here’s a case in point. A few months ago, I did a post on what today’s scribe can learn from the misadventures of bad-boy actor Charlie Sheen. It was intended to be a light but illuminating piece on career and reputation management.

Still, one of my readers, (for unknown reasons) took offense at the fact that I was a former fan of the popular sitcom Two-and-a-half Men. He chewed me out and said that he was surprised that a college educated woman of my intellect would even indulge in such a frivolous program. Go figure.

I shutter to think what he would have said had he known that I also dig tuning into the Three Stooges for a little comic relief from time to time. 

In any event, I thanked him for his input and simply moved on. And you should too, if you find yourself in a similar situation. From my years of blogging experience, here’s what I’ve learned:

1. If you’re gonna’ go the distance, you have to develop a thick skin. If possible, try to evaluate the merit of the comment and glean something useful if you can. If not, chalk it up to experience. Why stress out over someone who doesn’t even know you?

2. Consider it a “work-related” hazard. Much like stand-up comedians have to deal with the occasional heckler. Grin and bear it. It’s a small price to pay for the perks of blogging.

3. If the negative comment appears on your own personal blog, (as opposed to one where you’re a guest blogger), know that you have every right to remove it if it is offensive to you or your readers (i.e. profanity or name calling). Your Blog is just like your home, and you call the shots as far as dictating what goes on in your “spot“. For example, some folks don’t like smoking. Others request that guests remove their shoes before entering. To each his own.

4. In the words of a famous commercial, “Never let ‘em see you sweat!”

How about you? How do you deal with bad blog comments or bad blog behavior?

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