Most of the time when I type an angry tweet, I eventually go, “Argh, alright, I’ll email them again first.” I don’t know how much it has helped my case in various instances, but I’d like to think it has upped my karmic balance.
When you take an argument public, there’s always a chance it’ll be the last one you have. Do you really want to do that for a critical piece of your business infrastructure? Or a person you see every day? Flaring up should be your last resort. First, try following up. And when that fails? Then you follow up again.
Praise in public, probe in private. You can always set the conversation—and perhaps the relationship—on fire later.