Sunday, June 8, 2014

More on the Rules of the Internet

I am using my final blog post to overview some of the Rules of the Internet that I did not include an in-depth description in my final project or presentation.

18. Everything that can be labeled can be hated
19. The more you hate it the stronger it gets

These rules represent the fact that everything has the potential for dissenters and those that wish to get rid of it. Rule 18 basically says that if it has a name, then someone will find some reason to hate it. To actively go against something means that word has to be spread about it. This could be the cause of the situation referred to by Rule 19. By spreading the hate of something, you also spread the knowledge of it, making it stronger.

33. Lurk more - it's never enough

Many forums, including 4chan, expect posters to adhere to strict standards. A new poster is almost always expected to have an understanding of how the forum works and the general guidelines for posting. New users are supposed to get this knowledge by doing what is called "lurking." It is generally browsing the forums and looking at posts without actually providing input, in this case to learn about the site's etiquette. When a new poster asks what is considered an obvious question, the standard response is generally "Lurk more."

42. Nothing is Sacred
43. The more beautiful and pure a thing is - the more satisfying it is to corrupt it.

On the internet, especially in the places where the Rules originated, there is a wide variety of people. Many of those people will not share the same moral values. Many of those people, in their anonymity, will have no regard for any principles. These rules are often put alongside Rule 34, because it tends to be seen as a subset of Rule 42. A short time on the seedier places on the web, like 4chan, will likely reveal much of the corruption these rules speak of, along with the satisfaction that those people seem to get from it.


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