Just like 'beauty being in the eye of the beholder'; judging a comment to be 'overly negative', is a subjective measurement. Some people consider any criticism

Just like 'beauty being in the eye of the beholder'; judging a comment to be 'overly negative', is a subjective measurement. Some people consider any criticism (even the constructive kind) to be overly negative. Others have a very high tolerance to brutal language. Anytime you post your thoughts online; whether it be a post to your own blog or a comment within a forum like HN; you open yourself up to potential criticism. This is especially true if your comment expresses an opinion about a controversial social or political issue. The anonymous nature of many forums can allow the most vile people to spew forth their linguistic venom. Anytime I receive negative feedback online or IRL; I try to understand the motivation behind the person giving it. Some people are innately negative and respond critically to almost everything they hear or read. But even if I think the person is being unfair; I often try to see if I can glean something helpful out of their feedback. If they are just trying to tear you down and diminish your ideas; just do your best to ignore them and move on.