Internet Etiquette

[Guest Kingpk]

Although I disagree with a few points, this is a good summation of things I've seen here (not just NHB, this whole place) which kind of irks me.

 

1. You are not cool if you use "l33t sp34k" as anything other than a joke. If not used as a joke, most people will consider you a dumbass and won't take anything you say seriously. The minute you start talking l33t we begin thinking you're an 11 year old kid off their Ritalin who figured out how to get on the Internet.

 

2. Likewise, we don't demand perfect grammar because no normal person types with a copy of Webster's dictionary off to the side and open. However, if you can't communicate by following just a few basic rules of the language of choice wherever you are visiting, why should we take you seriously? If you don't put any effort into what your message is, why should we put any value in it? The purpose of talking on-line is to communicate with others. By not effectively communicating, you are merely thrashing around and making noise. Something that many of us have grown accustomed to ignoring.

 

3. If someone doesn't reply to you in IRC or a message forum, live with it. Don't be a pest, move on to something else. Sometimes topics have been done to death or just aren't as interesting as you thought they would be. It's nothing to get your precious ego in a tizzy over.

 

4. Nothing is more annoying than people who jump in the middle of a conversation, especially on forums. Don't simply reply to a long thread just because it has a lot of replies and you want to get your two cents in. Read through it and make sure what you're about to say hasn't already been addressed. Again, if you're not going to put any effort forth, we're not going to put any value in your words. Talking about something that has been addressed exposes that you didn't bother to read all the way through and pretty much just want to participate without paying attention. If your attention span is not sufficient for you to follow along, then find a topic or discussion that is less involved or just beginning.

 

5. Complaining about a long post on a message forum is like holding up a sign that says "I'm off my Ritalin again"

 

6. If you start out as a troublemaker in a chatroom or forum, don't act surprised when people dismiss you when you try to participate civilly. Some people forgive easily, but there will always be a few of us smart enough to be wary. Not many people like it when people screw around with the place they hang out with.

 

7. What's old to you may be new to someone else. Granted, somethings do get run into the ground. However, that does not mean you've been appointed as the Guardian of Discussion Content to demean every topic that contains a reference to something that's been on the Web for awhile or has been posted or discussed within the last year. Even those of us who have seen it before may want to see it again. You are not superior because you've "seen it before"

 

8. It's ok to post a dissenting opinion. It is not ok to actively seek out threads to post your dissenting opinion in. Hounding fanboys can be fun to an extent, but you probably don't like people getting in your face about your interests either.

 

9. In reference to the use of the terms "gay" or "ghey", see rule #1

 

10. Every forum and chatroom has a method of logging IP addresses. Each of these will have varying levels of access, from the top-level administrator and possibly all the way down to public users. Furthermore, even if a public user does not have access, that does not make it a crime when a moderator or op decides to publically post your IP. Your IP address is public domain and can be shared freely. Furthermore, that information can be used to find out many things about you. People have had their parents called and been sent satellite photos of their house. No, I'm not making this stuff up. You are not as anonymous as you think you are. All you have to do is tick off the wrong person to find this out.

 

11. Unless you are a regular to medical or science chats, anything you say is of no consequence. Don't get ticked off because you were kicked from a chat for being a rude little snot and don't get all uppity because your post was deleted from the forum. Deal with it. Most long-time members have eventually had to face the wrath of a mod or op at some point and lived to tell the tale. The reason they are not banned is because they didn't go on a temper tantrum after it happened. Consider if you're membership within the group is more important than your "Freedom of Speech" before you go on a tirade.

 

12. Speaking of Freedom of Speech. If you live in the US, you are a fortunate individual indeed. You have the ability to say whatever stupid crap pops into your head and hide behind a document that was intended for far nobler purposes than defending your jackass behavior. However, your Freedom of Speech means you have the right to go to a different forum or chatroom and post your filth where its acceptable. You are not being oppressed because what you have to say falls outside content guidelines. There are plenty of places for people of your ilk, go share your "Freedom" with them rather than those who would rather not have you around.

 

13. Women make up 50% to 54% of the population at any given time. The reason they don't seem to be that represented on- line is because of nosy little stalker perverts who go crazy everytime they discover someone is female. Don't be one of those nosy little stalker perverts.

 

14. Don't brag about having cybersex. You didn't have sex with someone else, you masturbated while reading text on a screen typed by someone else. Furthermore, someone else was probably a 40 year old 300 pound man whose screen name is "Ivana_Screw69".

 

15. Speaking of sex, most of us assume that the more you talk about your sex life, the less sex you are actually getting. Surveys show that married people still have sex more often than single people, yet you rarely see married people bragging about their sex lives. Also, people who claim to be women but constantly talk about sex will quickly convince some people they are actually a guy pretending to be a woman. If you really want to talk about sex all the time, there are forums and chatrooms just for that purpose.

 

16. Your personal life isn't as interesting to everyone else as it is to you.

 

17. It's ok to share things that are bothering you. Some of us are sympathetic bitches who readily fall for any sob story we see. It's not ok to paint a depressing picture just to attention whore though. That just removes more and more of us from the sympathetic bitch pool.

 

18. Don't try to impress us with your accomplishments, intelligence, influence, etc. This is the Web, where you are judged solely on what you have to say. If you're smart, we'll figure that out when we interact with you. Same goes for any other traits you think you have. Quite often deceptions are always exposed because many of us do pay attention and will spot a weakness in your story rather easily. You are never the smartest person in the room and you will not fool everyone forever.

 

19. Respect is a two-way street.

 

20. If you're new to a community, never ever pick a fight with someone who is a long-time member. Obviously people are willing to put up with them and have been doing so for awhile. Picking a fight with them is a sure-fire way to have a short membership in the community.

 

21. Stop means stop. If you consistently annoy people and they tell you about it, then knock it off. It's not worth getting banned over.

 

22. No one cares about your signature quotes or picture. Making it the size of a small novel is just annoying and large pictures are downright discourteous to dial-up users. There is a special place in Hell for people whose signatures are routinely larger than what they post.

 

23. Few gimmick posters are endearing. Mostly because very few people have the talent to pull it off consistently.

 

24. Likewise, gimmick text is downright annoying. Nice little things like italics, bold, different colors, and various sizes are offered by forums and some chatrooms as a way for users to accent something in their text. They were not intended so that you can post everything in red italics everytime. It doesn't make anything you say more important, effective, or profound. It does scream "I'm an attention whore!"

 

25. POSTING IN ALL CAPS WILL MAKE ME USE ANOTHER RITALIN REFERENCE (current count: 3)

 

26. Some forums have user ranks and post counts. These mean absolutely nothing and anyone who seeks after either needs a hobby and/or a life.

 

27. There is nothing wrong with anyone who met their significant other on the Web. The Internet is quickly taking the place of "Pen pals". Long distance relationships have always existed, and people have been falling in love with people they've never seen since the written word was carried by letter.

 

28. Never take a picture on your Webcam that you will want to bury later. Somebody DOES have it saved on their harddrive.

 

29. It's ok, and sometimes healthy, to take a break from a community. It is not ok to threaten to leave as some sort of protest. You will probably garner little support and eat crow later when you do eventually return (if you even leave at all)

 

30. We're not required to care, nor give a dick about anything you say. Some of us will, some of us won't. Again, deal with it.

 

31. If you want respect for your belief system, political affiliation, gender, etc. then you'd better show a little respect to everyone elses. No one wants to read your umpteenth "Christians are all evil weak-minded fools" rant and even your fellow atheists are telling you to shut up. Think about it.

 

32. Being an atheist does not automatically convey some sort of intellectual superiority over those with a religious affiliation. Despite what Hollywood would have you believe, many scientists and REAL intellectuals can and often are people of strong faith in a higher power. Also, atheism, by its simplest definition is the belief there is no higher power. Atheism is NOT defined as "someone who is anti-Christian". Proper atheists do not like those kinds of people because it gives them a very bad image.

 

33. Being a Christian, or any other religion for that matter, does not automatically make you a morally superior person. We all know people who lie, cheat, and steal six days a week and go to Church every Sunday. You are a moral person because you possess integrity and convictions. Acting immorally and claiming to be moral based on your religious affiliation fools no one.

 

34. Being Wiccan does not make you cool or give you a license to whine about persecution. Wicca is the pop religion in style right now and nothing more. In a few years the REAL Wiccans are going to laugh at the expense of those who joined up just to look "edgy" or "daring".

 

35. Religious beliefs are a lousy basis for an arguement. Saying you don't believe in abortion because "God says it's bad" isn't a logical arguement and means nothing to those who don't share your beliefs. Likewise, saying orgies aren't immoral because [insert pagan diety/satan/whatever] says it's ok doesn't really work either. Having a religious belief does not excuse you from using logic like everyone else.

 

36. Bigotry has no place on the Web. Neither does Political Correctness. These are both extremes that are outdated and were unacceptable from their inception. There ARE poor uneducated black criminals in the US despite what political correctness tells you. Not all blacks are poor uneducated criminals despite what bigots tell you. A lot of us are actually grounded in reality, and have no qualms about debunking either of these myths, or any others that people might try and surface.

 

37. You are not an open-minded, tolerant, and unbiased person if you continually mock other people's beliefs, nation, ethnicity, gender, etc. I know certain groups don't get political correctness protection, and so it's seen as "OK" to attack and take constant jabs at them. Just because you're picking on a group that is popular to pick on doesn't mean you're not a bigot.

 

38. The formal rules for a debate do not apply in an on-line discussion. However, some rules do apply. You are responsible for proving any assertion you might make. If you cannot prove your assertion, then you are asking us to take it on face value. Consider your reputation in the community before you decide to base your claims solely on how much we trust you. Chances are, that won't be good enough.

 

39. You are in the presence of geeks. This is our domain. It is considered cool to be a geek here. We can tell wannabes from the real thing rather easily. Being made to look uncool by geeks is the epitomy of pathetic. Just be yourself, true geekdom will follow through prolonged exposure.

 

40. There are four lights.

 

41. Pop culture references are acceptable and expected. On the other hand, they do not make you cool.

 

42. Anime, Star Trek, Star Wars, Fantasy, and Science Fiction will always be popular topics of conversation and are universal anywhere on the Internet. If you unable to interact with people on these subjects, please unplug your modem now. These topics are not going to stop popping up anytime soon.

 

43. IRC and message forums are radically different in operation. You may find you like one more than the other, but that doesn't mean there is anything wrong with the people who do not share your particular preference.

 

44. Why bother having a debate if you're not going to listen to the other side? You don't have to agree with anything they say, but you do have to respect their viewpoint and acknowledge their points and respond appropriately.

 

45. Don't debate to change a person's mind, it won't happen. Debate to present your point of view and make sure it's understood. Anything beyond that is futile.

 

46. What you say is sometimes not as important as how you say it. No one is going to care if you prepare a lengthy diatribe illustrating your points if you then proceed to profanely insult the group you are addressing. It doesn't matter how eloquent or profound you were before that. The insult will be remembered and all else forgotten. This can be the difference between having a good discussion or getting banned.

 

47. A person who does not agree with your opinion is not the same as them lacking intelligence. It could very well be you who is holding an opinion based on very little information.

 

48. If you hate how a chatroom or forum is run, you are free to go start your own. You will likely discover one of two things. Either that it's harder than hell to get people to actually visit often enough to have a real discussion, or that it's harder than hell to keep control once you do get traffic. Good luck!

[Guest Big Poppa Popick]

some mod pin this please

[Guest Flyboy]

Someone stole from WDI.

[Guest godthedog]

good points, but that REALLY needs to be shortened.

 

i know that goes against number 5, but you can't really expect everyone in NHB to read something with 48 points to it.

[Guest evenflowDDT]

YOU DON'T REALLY EXPECT ME TO READ ALL THAT ARE YOU? DATZ WAAAAAAAY 2 LONG AND I'M WAY 2 733T B/C I GOT CYBAH-PUSSAY LAST NIGHT UNLIEK U U FUCKING GEEK why don't you go EAT SOME FISH LOL THAT'S A CLEVER REFERENCE ME SO COOL ME SO HORNEY OMG ANOTHER ONE I'M SO MORE AWESOME DEN U U GOOFY WHITE GUY WHOZ SOOOOO GHEY HEZ GAY N SHOULD MEET SOME OTHER GHEY FAT SMARK GEEK ON INTERNET DATING HOTORNOT (despite being totally NOT LoLZ~!@)~!

 

OK, I really didn't read the whole thing to see how many more rules I could break with one gibberish nonsense post. And I own you because I have more posts.

[Guest BRUCE]

To many contridictions. You can't have your cake and eat it too. This shouldn't be pinned.

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

Rules for the internet? Since when is this how EVERYONE feels one should act? This is for fun. Why can't people just have a good time? Banky wipes his ass with cyber etiquette. If people actually follow this garbage, I suggest they work on being more of a leader than a follower. Its called independence. Be your own person, not the typical mold of fucking lame-o criterea created by some uptight, anal son-of-a-gun.

 

Besides, Banky breaks every single rule there. And he is damned proud. Uh oh, there goes my rep.

 

Fuck you all.

[Guest Kingpk]

To many contridictions. You can't have your cake and eat it too. This shouldn't be pinned.

38. The formal rules for a debate do not apply in an on-line discussion. However, some rules do apply. You are responsible for proving any assertion you might make. If you cannot prove your assertion, then you are asking us to take it on face value. Consider your reputation in the community before you decide to base your claims solely on how much we trust you. Chances are, that won't be good enough.

 

What are those contradictions?

 

Yes, I know trying to have an actual debate in NHB is like giving a Lite Brite to a blind man and telling him "make a house, I'll be back in an hour".

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

Yes, I know trying to have an actual debate in NHB is like giving a Lite Brite to a blind man and telling him "make a house, I'll be back in an hour".

Why post it, then? Huh? Why didn't you use your noodle before posting this garbage? How typical of the people.....

[Guest Kingpk]

Just trying to raise the level of NHB past "cesspool." Can't have 'em all, I suppose. In fact, this will be my last word on the matter.

 

Ah, for the days of the Smarks Flaming folder (you know, before the Italian gang warz and Keith going BONZO GONZO)

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

Just trying to raise the level of NHB past "cesspool." Can't have 'em all, I suppose. In fact, this will be my last word on the matter.

 

Ah, for the days of the Smarks Flaming folder (you know, before the Italian gang warz and Keith going BONZO GONZO)

Banky is MauriazoC.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Fu(|< U j0,0 su>< A bIg 1, fag.

 

2 l0ng didn reed

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

Fu(|< U j0,0 su>< A bIg 1, fag.

 

2 l0ng didn reed

Post whore.

[Guest Jobber of the Week]

Fu(|< U j0,0 su>< A bIg 1, fag.

 

2 l0ng didn reed

Post whore.

Magic Wand, make my postcount grow!

 

 

I can understand the thinking behind making tirades against current net grammar, but the author of this almost talks down to the reader. It's like he tells you that you're no better than anybody else and to stop thinking such by talking down to you like he's better than you.

 

Or something like that. You get the point. Saying "Don't be rude and show some manners you damn asshole!" is stupid.

[Guest hardyz1]

42. Anime, Star Trek, Star Wars, Fantasy, and Science Fiction will always be popular topics of conversation and are universal anywhere on the Internet. If you unable to interact with people on these subjects, please unplug your modem now. These topics are not going to stop popping up anytime soon.

 

LOLZ!!!!!!11 BUT THEYR S0 GHEY!!!!!!!!!!11 IF U DISAGRE WIF ME U R DUM!!! DIS WUZ WA 2 LNG!!! LOLZ I R0X0RZ!!

 

But, seriously, what do you mean "There are four lights"?

[Guest Spicy McHaggis]

To many contridictions.  You can't have your cake and eat it too.  This shouldn't be pinned.

38. The formal rules for a debate do not apply in an on-line discussion. However, some rules do apply. You are responsible for proving any assertion you might make. If you cannot prove your assertion, then you are asking us to take it on face value. Consider your reputation in the community before you decide to base your claims solely on how much we trust you. Chances are, that won't be good enough.

 

What are those contradictions?

 

Yes, I know trying to have an actual debate in NHB is like giving a Lite Brite to a blind man and telling him "make a house, I'll be back in an hour".

#38 says the rules for a debate do not apply... however some do apply.

 

That's a contradiction.

[Guest DrTom]

But, seriously, what do you mean "There are four lights"?

I think it's a reference to an ST:TNG episode wherein Captain Picard is being tortured.

[Guest The Flying Dutchman]

Mmhmm. A Cardassian has him look at 4 lights and then asks how many lights Picard sees and tells him there are 5. When he answers "4" instead of "5", they zap him. It's basically a rule that means "define your own reality, uninfluenced by others".

[Guest hardyz1]

Ahh, I see.

 

Something I forgot to put in my last post:

 

+1!

[Guest Kingpk]

#38 says the rules for a debate do not apply... however some do apply.

 

That's a contradiction.

The formal rules don't apply (opening statements, etc.), nut the rule that you have to back up anything you say and don't base things on assumptions definitely does.

[Guest WhenDanSaysJump]

Mmhmm.  A Cardassian has him look at 4 lights and then asks how many lights Picard sees and tells him there are 5.  When he answers "4" instead of "5", they zap him.  It's basically a rule that means "define your own reality, uninfluenced by others".

And damn, is it ever funny to hear.

 

"THERE! ARE! FOUR! LIGHTS!"

 

[Tiffani Malibu 0]

Number 13 is a true statement. I enjoy spending time online, but it seems that once a guy meets a girl online, whether it is in a chat, on a website like this, or something similar, it turns into some sort of electronic puppy love. Like a girl is going to be impressed by some guy touting "accomplishments" over a computer monitor.

 

-Tiff

[Guest SP-1]

I forget that bastard Cardassian's name, but Picard fixed his ass in the book Ship of the Line.

 

Damn Cardies.

[Guest Memphis]

42. Anime, Star Trek, Star Wars, Fantasy, and Science Fiction will always be popular topics of conversation and are universal anywhere on the Internet. If you unable to interact with people on these subjects, please unplug your modem now. These topics are not going to stop popping up anytime soon.

 

LOLZ!!!!!!11 BUT THEYR S0 GHEY!!!!!!!!!!11 IF U DISAGRE WIF ME U R DUM!!! DIS WUZ WA 2 LNG!!! LOLZ I R0X0RZ!!

 

Ahh, yeah alright. That joke has been done about 4 times too many in this thread as it is.

 

Shut the fuck up, cocksucker.

 

M

[Guest The Flying Dutchman]

Bloody Cardies ...

[Guest SP-1]

I'll admit. When they switched sides at the end of the war I marked out. Just a little.

[Guest The Flying Dutchman]

I marked out for the episode where Worf joins the crew in general and then marked out HUGE when the station defeated the 40 ship Klingon fleet after unleashing its full aresenal for the first time. That was fucking terrifying, especially after so many years of DS9 being underpowered and underarmed.

 

I also marked out when the Romulans uncloaked out of nowhere and attacked the Dominion fleet that was going up against DS9, the Federation and the Klingons. I can't remember what episode that was though, but it was insanely awesome.

 

And I mark out anytime I see the Defiant. Period.

[Guest SP-1]

Agreed. DS9 busting out the big guns was sweet

[Rendclaw 0]

Damn, Poet, now I have to go and buy Ship of the Line, just so I can see Picard get his vengance..

[Guest hardyz1]

Ahh, yeah alright. That joke has been done about 4 times too many in this thread as it is.

 

Shut the fuck up, cocksucker.

 

M

Actually I was the third one to do it.

 

And I broke 5 or 6 of the rules at once.

 

So, la dee da.