Yesterday Rebecca Watson posted some of the flack she’s been getting for the last few months since “Elevatorgate.” Not only does she get disparaging emails and comments, but there are entire blogs devoted to bashing her. What’s worse, is that these are all coming from fellow atheists and skeptics.

I never commented here on “Elevatorgate,” but it’s time to say one thing about it. I misunderstood the video, just like a lot of other people. However, I took the approach of commenting on her Skepchick post with the video and asked for clarification. Watson responded and cleared everything up for me. It’s really that easy.

Unfortunately not everybody responded like that. Many who misunderstood the video and have been blasting Watson via email, Twitter, Facebook, and their own blogs. These people obviously don’t care to learn anything from someone who was simply trying to offer a little advice.

If any blogger, vlogger, podcaster, or other internet media personality says something that doesn’t seem right then engage that person in a calm discussion about it. By doing so you just might learn something from it, at the very least if it all stemmed from a misunderstanding that can be cleared up. If instead you resort to insults and launch a vendetta against the person not only do you not learn anything, but you just reveal yourself to be an asshole.