Child cryingCurious, if you owned a retail establishment what you would do if a customer stood up and started screaming, cussing and demeaning your company in front of your other patrons.  You'd most likely ask him to keep his voice down and usher him some place where you can find out why they carried on and what you could do for it.

Chris Brogan has a great post today on Corporate Blogs and Commenting Policies.  I wholeheartedly agree with his post - a blog isn't a place to set up a stage for rude visitors to begin yelling.  You must protect and preserve your company when blogging.  Chris goes into the following details:
  • It's not wrong to protect your living room
  • Allow for dissent and discourse
  • If you're going to moderate...
  • There are off-topic and rude comments
Just as you would treat a customer in your establishment, so should you on your blog.  Protect your business but deal with the issue quickly and quietly.  Don't allow a terrible comment to be published (always moderate) and contact the visitor personally to resolve it offline.

It's okay to protect and preserve your business!