A former colleague of mine (since passed away) had a “48 hour rule.” If something moved her so much that she felt a deep need to respond immediately, she forced herself to wait 48 hours before reacting. It’s a good rule.

One final point: Some people who use handles online think it will protect them from such reputation hits. Usually that’s not the case. I figure if I am willing to say it out loud, I should be willing to put my name on it. If it turns out I said a truly stupid thing, I’m OK owning it. (I’m not disparaging the use of handles–they are fun and can help create a brand–just saying they aren’t an effective way to hide one’s identity.)

Sometimes I see celebrities who appear to be engaged in fake Internet disputes, intended to attract media attention or Internet followers. These kinds of phoney spats are pretty easy to spot, however, and don’t endear the person to book-buyers or fans in the long run.

Better to be polite and to think before you click in all circumstances.

^ So true. Especially with such things as emails and instant messages. Once you click “send”, you can never take back what you said. Even on sites/blogs. If something is deleted, it’s usually too late. People have already seen it and the damage is done.

What surprised me is that this person defended what they did and refused to take down the message. Doesn’t seem very professional (not that I’m an expert on professionalism).