Anyone who has gone public on the Internet – published an article, posted a blog, tweeted a thought, or perhaps just stuck a new photo on Facebook – knows what might come next: praise perhaps, some good-natured ribbing, maybe a mild put-down. That’s life on the World Wide Web. But sometimes things get worse: Racist, sexist, abusive, and all manner of transgressive comments can issue forth from the Internet’s dark side, where taunting, badgering, insulting, and threatening are considered LOL fun. 　　Feedback is a good thing. Journalists, for instance, value readers who point out mistakes, question assumptions, and make suggestions. Readers who represent causes or hold strong political views are worth listening to as well. Even if they are not persuasive, they are a reminder of the wide variety of human interests and opinions, evidence of thinking and caring and not just watching the world roll by. If some critics are a bit more personal and pointed, well, they, too, have the right to speak their piece, whether they are listened to or not.