Oh man, some people just suck don't they?! I recently changed my Facebook profile picture to the (rather magnificent... :P) photo I posted in the face-spanner thread. The response, as in your case, was generally positive except a comment from a friend of mine from sixth form (I suppose the British equivalent to junior year in high school???). He always says negative stuff about my beard but it's just something you have to brush off and move on from I suppose. Anyways, your beard is magnificent and I think the braiding is a fun alternative that obviously draws attention, so don't let the haters keep you down!

ahh beard journey

'A man without a beard is like bread without the crust' - Lithuanian proverb