In the interest of full disclosure, CMD didn’t post a blog comment last week.

I can hear some collective virtual gasps now as there are certain social media “purists” who only see a hard line when it comes to complete transparency, no matter what. But, the truth is that to blindly publish anything and everything is not necessarily best practice in all cases. And in some instances, it can be downright foolish.

Before the naysayers cry foul, make no mistake. I wholeheartedly believe that transparency and authenticity has to be at the core of all social media for it to be effective. The reason social is so powerful is due to open discourse, transparency and differences of opinion that can and do occur, giving companies extremely valuable insight into what their audiences are thinking and feeling. Yes, getting a rude comment via social media is tough to take, no doubt, but it’s the best way to learn, improve and create deeper relationships based on trust.

So why didn’t we publish the comment? For the curious, the gist of the response was basically this: “You suck and don’t know anything about anything.” Since we’re sharing anyway, why didn’t we go ahead and post? A couple of factors played into our decision: Firstly, honest public discourse is one thing, but vindictive, nasty, non-helpful comments are quite another. Had the author disagreed with our point of view, offered an opinion or insight of his or her own relevant to the topic, or been able to make his or her own compelling case that would have been one thing. But comments made out of sheer spite without any context are, again, quite another.

Secondly, although the comment was posted anonymously, anyone who operates within the digital space knows it is relatively easy to determine where the source originated. In this case, the comment was made from a competitor in town with an obvious axe to grind—certainly a social media taboo no matter what your viewpoint.

Thick skin is an absolute necessity when dealing in social media. If you can’t take the heat, it’s definitely not the kitchen for you. But it shouldn’t stop you from cooking. As potentially hurtful as negative comments can be, perhaps these suggestions will help put salve on the occasional potshots you may receive:

- Realize you’re always going to have people who don’t like you. Sad, but true. But there are people who don’t like your point of view or ideas based on solid perspective and rationale who have legitimate concerns which can give you excellent insight and an ability to respond directly. Then there are others who simply want to be vindictive and attack you, for whatever reason. Recognize the difference and have guidelines for how to handle each situation. In this case, our reaction was to not post the comment, but use it as an opportunity to explain why and shed some light on how we reached that decision for others who may face a similar situation.

- You don’t need to give your competitors a platform. If someone taped a “kick me” sign on your back, would you wear it just because someone put it there? Just because you’re using a social tool, does that mean you have to give the stage to anyone who wants to publicly humiliate you and say anything, no matter how unsubstantiated or biased the comment? No. But you do need to plan to be as open and transparent as you can be, which includes addressing and responding to constructive comments—positive or negative.

- Play fair and expect others to, too. Social media isn’t a curtain to hide behind and call out others without being held accountable or revealing your identity. Transparency isn’t a one-way street. You should not feel obligated to give a stage to others who are not forthright enough to leave a name and some other way to contact them directly. You can only do that with people who are willing to play fair.

- Recognize the dog that only wants to fight. Unfortunately, there are some who simply want to pick a fight and no matter how you respond, it only adds fuel to the fire. For these folks, it’s all about getting a reaction. Watch out, because these distractions can potentially lead you off course, cause doubts and a loss of focus. Instead, forgo the fight—let your work, fans, results and your success speak for themselves.