I remain amused/disturbed that so many people here sincerely believe that if they wrong someone else, the wronged party owes them a back-channel discussion to r

I remain amused/disturbed that so many people here sincerely believe that if they wrong someone else, the wronged party owes them a back-channel discussion to resolve things cheaply and quietly. If you make promo material with someone's designs (after declining to pay), you should be very grateful if that person's willing to work it out without involving lawyers. A public apology and a promise to do things better is far cheaper than an attorney's billable hours. If that person is kind enough to do all this quietly, then be twice as grateful for that person's kindness. Mozilla and Aza Raskin have understood this better than their defenders - when you're in the hole, stop digging. No excuses, no defensiveness. Fix your mistake, acknowledge that you were wrong, explain your error if it was innocent, and apologize.