So, after a long (and depressingly lonely) summer, I have spent WAY too much time on the internet and it?s many discussion boards/forums/comments sections, which I had otherwise avoided like the plague until recently. But now, I must escape the chaos, and as such, am trying to assemble a set of ?Rules of internet sanity?, in an attempt to make sense of my time in these disturbing places.
1) Avoid any ?serious? discussions on the internet, such as politics, philosophy, or social issues. These shall always degenerate into madness, death threats and confusion, since it is too easy to forget the person you are discussing with is human when they are not in front of you.
2) Do not expect to be understood. A considerable amount of communication is performed through body language, much of what?s left through tone of voice, and the rest in actual words. Thus, somebody WILL interpret your statements in a fashion that is aberrant to your own perspective.
3) Do not take insults too seriously, or spread insults (even mild ones) yourself. Remembering rules 1 & 2, it is quite easy for the insult to be conflated, or to forget you are dealing with another human being.
4) Every affiliation has its violent extremists, including your own, but that does not invalidate these affiliations. We (as humans) like to think the best of ourselves and those things we identify with (be it by birth, by philosophy, by community, or other). However, I can guarantee that all but the newest of affiliations will have someone of the affiliation promoting violence & abuse, or will claim that the affiliation justifies violence or abuse. Do not discredit affiliations out of hand because of it, and be aware of those of your own affiliations that practice such ways. They will be used against you by others who disagree with your affiliation, or feel the extremists discredit it.
5) The internet brings out the worse in people; be aware that includes yourself. You may be perfectly civil & friendly in RL, but there is no guarantee of such behavior in the dehumanizing boards of the internet. Reflect before you post, and know when to remove yourself from the keyboard.
6) Be mindful of your own misinformation while making claims. The internet is a tremendous source of information, both true & false. Check your sources before making claims. This can be incredibly difficult, as most articles don?t cite their own sources. As such, it is incredibly easy to spread misinformation as well as be victim to it.
7) Leave the internet for RL as often as you can. It can poison you against humanity, showing people of all affiliations being awful to each other in real time. RL generally isn?t that bad, know when to leave your screen.
Well, those are my rules for maintaining some degree of sanity on ze webternets. If anybody has any additions to offer, here are a few guidelines:
-Avoid examples, or referring to specific groups/communities/movements. I want this to be applicable generally, regardless of gender, creed, ethnicity, whatever.
-Keep an inclusive tone when possible.
-Stay civil! We are all humans here, let?s stay that way!
Have a nice day folks!
1) Avoid any ?serious? discussions on the internet, such as politics, philosophy, or social issues. These shall always degenerate into madness, death threats and confusion, since it is too easy to forget the person you are discussing with is human when they are not in front of you.
2) Do not expect to be understood. A considerable amount of communication is performed through body language, much of what?s left through tone of voice, and the rest in actual words. Thus, somebody WILL interpret your statements in a fashion that is aberrant to your own perspective.
3) Do not take insults too seriously, or spread insults (even mild ones) yourself. Remembering rules 1 & 2, it is quite easy for the insult to be conflated, or to forget you are dealing with another human being.
4) Every affiliation has its violent extremists, including your own, but that does not invalidate these affiliations. We (as humans) like to think the best of ourselves and those things we identify with (be it by birth, by philosophy, by community, or other). However, I can guarantee that all but the newest of affiliations will have someone of the affiliation promoting violence & abuse, or will claim that the affiliation justifies violence or abuse. Do not discredit affiliations out of hand because of it, and be aware of those of your own affiliations that practice such ways. They will be used against you by others who disagree with your affiliation, or feel the extremists discredit it.
5) The internet brings out the worse in people; be aware that includes yourself. You may be perfectly civil & friendly in RL, but there is no guarantee of such behavior in the dehumanizing boards of the internet. Reflect before you post, and know when to remove yourself from the keyboard.
6) Be mindful of your own misinformation while making claims. The internet is a tremendous source of information, both true & false. Check your sources before making claims. This can be incredibly difficult, as most articles don?t cite their own sources. As such, it is incredibly easy to spread misinformation as well as be victim to it.
7) Leave the internet for RL as often as you can. It can poison you against humanity, showing people of all affiliations being awful to each other in real time. RL generally isn?t that bad, know when to leave your screen.
Well, those are my rules for maintaining some degree of sanity on ze webternets. If anybody has any additions to offer, here are a few guidelines:
-Avoid examples, or referring to specific groups/communities/movements. I want this to be applicable generally, regardless of gender, creed, ethnicity, whatever.
-Keep an inclusive tone when possible.
-Stay civil! We are all humans here, let?s stay that way!
Have a nice day folks!