Many blogs and online publications (such as Slate.com, Salon.com, or national newspapers) encourage readers to comment on their postings. Use such sites to practice your skill at responding to what you read. On a news blog or another serious blog you scan regularly, locate a thought-provoking article to which some readers have already offered substantive responses (more than a line or two). First, read the article, thinking about what you might post in response. Then read through the actual postings. How does your brief response compare with what others have said? What strategies have they used that you admire? How did the best responders establish their credibility? And which responders did you take less seriously, and why?

Chances are you’ll be disappointed in much of what you read in online commentary. People may respond from prejudiced positions, focus on irrelevant points, or take personal potshots at the original author. But from such respondents, you may learn what not to do in a serious academic paper.