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-1 in my regard for being a jerk. +2 for a sincere apology. A reminder that owning up to a mistake can make that mistake go away and then some.

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People make mistakes all the time. If it's someone you know in person then you should probably give an apology (or vice-versa, depending on the situation). Someone has to own up because if it doesn't happen, you can end up with an ill workplace/relationship/whatever.

But the internet can be a strange place. How do you apologize to strangers? With blogs? I mean, these pieces are going around being viewed by hundreds of people. Is it really helping? I'm not sure, but, at the very least, people are trying.

Email, Google+, Facebook, Twitter? There are many ways to apologize to someone without making a public spectacle of it.

There might be something like a rule of thumb that apologies should be as visible as the insult. If someone insult someone in a conversation, say sorry. If someone insult someone in front of their boss, go back and tell that you are honestly sorry. It hurts and it is why you think before you speak.

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