#internet rules

[nyxshadowhawk]

One day, I'll have kids, and my kids are going to want to go on the internet. And this is what I'll tell them:

The internet is like Fairyland. It is a wondrous place, a place of many marvels and many opportunities.

It is also a dangerous place, with strange rules that often seem arbitrary — to navigate it, you have to learn its fairy-logic, and learn to speak its language.

It is a place of tests and trials — the folk can be cruel, pointlessly so, just because it amuses them. It's often not personal, even if it seems like it is. The worst are the Trolls, but they will lose power if you don't engage with them.

It is a place of illusion and lies. Everyone wears a mask, and not all the masked people are actually people. Don't believe everything you see or hear, for illusions are everywhere.

Time moves differently there. Entire days can go by, seemingly in an instant.

Do not accept anything you're offered, and be very careful to whom you tell your True Name.

[or3orambles]

Just a reminder to the people on the internet, sending anything sexual to a minor is WEIRD!!

Smut?

WEIRD!

NSFW art of your or their character(or your characters together)?

WEIRD!

Smut/nsfw of a character they like?

WEIRD!

Sex jokes towards them(even if not at them)?

WEIRD!

discussing sexual topics with them(self pleasure, your sex life, etc)?

WEIRDDDDD!!!

If you're an adult, you should know better! Don't be a creep on the internet, if you're in a space with minors, be responsible! And don't seek out minors either.

"well I didn't know!"

Don't be weird with ANYONE Online if you don't know how old they are 💜

this post is relevant because of a group I had to leave breaking these basic rules.

[amassofhumanity]

I was not aware of this rule regarding Seven for Sunday.

Apparently if I make one of these posts (highly unlikely-I’ve got no material for seven things) and I only have six items, the seventh item needs to be “butts.”

Is this a rule or just a weird coincidence (two posts ended with this today)? If it’s a rule where does it come from?

Just curious.

[sunlitsorrows]

new personal rule, when i see hate for something i love (because not arguing/engaging with it is rule number 1—but i confess to having a harder time with rule number 2 which is not stewing over it, so!) i go into the tag and reblog at least 3 things from the fandom. 1 fanart, 1 fanfic, 1 fan edit.

(🎶 i got new rules i count ‘em 🎶)

[antispopausandstuff]

i think it's gotta be talked about every now and then about 'posting anxiety' people can have as a result of being cursed at and insulted time and time again for making a statement that isn't any way harmful, but is simply the opposite of someone else's. especially if you're a child, who likely doesn't know how to handle conflict like this.

so, for anyone who's struggling with this sort of thing at the moment, here's a tried and true method that's put me at ease several times:

block them.

it may feel petty.

it may feel the opposite of helpful at first.

it may even make you feel a little angry, because you didn't say anything beforehand ( or maybe you did ).

but listen.

it is much more important to keep your mental health a priority than it is to 'not be petty'.

it is much more important to keep your mental health a priority than it is to 'win' an argument.

your mental health is much more important than anything the person trying to argue with you could say and you need to keep that above all else, especially on the internet.

nowadays, if i do respond to haters, it's usually with static phrases or emojis, nothing that could give them 'ammo' to further attack and antagonize me with.

basically, you don't always have to engage. it's not really ignoring them either, just refusing to give them any ability to hurt you further.

[nobodysprobablysimplethoughts]

i will never reblog stolen art. never. even if i like the message but this artwork has the same message when the creator posted it. you could’ve just reblogged it. and now i will find the original creator and reblog it there.

[nolongerphantom]

Rule number 58: if you like a content creator, never check their Twitter.

[mixaoc]

Have you heard about THE rules of THE internet? Not just 34, 43, 63 etc., but all of them? No? Don't bother, they are applied to the internet that is now gone. And even if not we still need at least an update. In modern 2024 internet it IS a rule that you don't DM minors and yet it isn't on the list.

PETITION FOR INTERNET RULES UPDATE!!!!🗣️🗣️🗣️💥💥💥

[pennycat83]

I really wanna make a goofy lil internet rule book/lore vinebook

[calaveraskeleton]

Internet rules missed sth

"There's an omegaverse of it. No exceptions"

[wonderweich]

Every time I see people talk about this it's kinda funny to me, because most of these internet/fandom rules simply made sense to me from a logical standpoint and I was abiding by them before I even knew they were a thing.

Which is why so much fandom discourse, especially in very new fandoms (those that appeared during and after covid), makes zero sense to me and is really annoying most of the time. If people just understood these rules, I'm sure 90% of drama and discourse in those fandoms would not exist.

[welcometomyhoneymoon]

also the ongoing series i’m just had its episode released 12 hours earlier!!! the internet is just truly doing everything possible to cheer me up after my mental breakdown… ty internet ilysm тт

[sirpseudonymphoapish]

its so funny how i see my content get reblogged by strictly 18+ accounts so frequently despite me being under 18. I dont mind it, I'm not posting explicit content so its not like im purposefully putting myself in those spaces. And its not like anyone has the patience to check the blog of every single post that comes on their feed to make sure they dont fit their DNI criteria,,,, i certainly dont. But thats the beauty of tumblr. People on tiktok would go crazy over this shit, but on tumblr its second nature. Someone reblogging your post is essentially the same thing as walking past someone on the street. No real interaction. Just an "oh, hey." and then you move on. And this is true for most facets on tumblr which I adore. Should just be a general rule of the internet. But anyways, yes, I am a highschooler. I guess my content just really resonates with the adults for some reason.

Also I like how I can just ramble on tumblr like this. I like to put my rants on tumblr. Thank you people of tumblr. Amen.

[britcision]

9. It is so fucking unsafe to give people on the internet a list of how to psychologically trigger or even just upset you

There are real people behind each screen name you want to be a dick to; some of those people are not nice people, and will hurt you intentionally because it is funny for them or they forget that you are a real person too

Do not give out personal information on the internet that you would not write on your forehead before leaving the house

Stuff kids on tumblr better relearn

1. You are responsible for your own media experience. 

2. There is such a thing as a healthy level of avoidance towards topics that make you feel unwell or even (in a real-life clinical definition of the term) trigger you - but you are the one to actively take care of what you view.

3. Avoiding does not mean policing others.

4. You have no right to tell artists to censor themselves - you may criticize what others do, you may dislike it, that’s fine - but actively asking for censorship when you could easily unfollow or block a person just makes you look incompetent in your use of the internet.

5. Do not give people on tumblr or /any/ website the responsibility for your emotional well-being. Because these people do not even know you so no, you have no right to ask them to take care of you.

[mexicanistnet]

Mexican families are losing sleep over online harassment, with 78% concerned. Setting internet rules is a challenge for 84%, up 41% from 2022. Younger kids access inappropriate content, while teens face social media risks. Parental controls are underused, and better communication is needed.

[inkskinned]

we were sitting on the floor and i was cutting out tiny pictures to make a collage for a friend's birthday. you were on your phone and you laughed about something, and i was still in love with you then, so i asked what had you giggling.

"sorry. i was just..." you took a moment and went back to texting. "i was telling someone about how you're afraid of the dark."

i'm afraid of the dark because something bad happened. "oh." i felt a little slinky of shame crawl down my throat.

you glanced up, and maybe it showed on my face, because you rolled your eyes and held the phone to the side casually so i could see the group chat. "what? was it a secret?"

i looked down to the scissors in my hand. "i just..." no, it's not a secret. it just felt like something private, something serious. saying why would you tell someone that just feels like an accusation. it's unfair. i honestly am not even ashamed of it, it's just a fact about my person that i don't usually share.

what a strange experience. is this a human thing or a generational thing? for our grandparents: did they need to worry about how quickly someone can just... share your personal information? again, i didn't even really have a true objection. what could i say? i want any person in my life to feel they can be honest with their friends. it's not like i said don't tell anyone this.

i cut out another letter to complete the rainbow happy birthday, started hunting for the exclamation mark. i heard you sigh dramatically.

"don't make a big deal about this," you said.

this entire conversation was a pattern for us, and this was when we got to my least favorite part of the pattern. i would get my feelings hurt in some oblique not-technically-terrible way, and then it would be making a big deal about something. you'd get frustrated for me for being soft, but i was born soft. you knew i was soft when you pierced me. it's one of the things that made controlling me so easy.

"i'm not," i felt my voice crack. the question came without my wanting. "why are you guys talking about me?" and why are you saying that thing? why not like - i'm telling them how you're generous and kind and pretty.

you let out this low, tragic groan. "oh my god." you tossed the phone away from your body. "there, see? i just won't talk to them if you don't like it."

the rest of the hour went the way it always went, between us: i said i don't actually mind if you talk to your friends but -, you found a way to call my minor expression of discomfort "being dramatic." you got upset that i had been offended. i ended up apologizing, even though i hadn't actually done anything.

afterwards, you picked up the phone again. after texting for a little bit, you snorted. "okay," you said, "but it is kind of funny you're afraid of the dark. i mean, when you think about it."