Don't Feed the trolls

Social media killed online aliases and I have a hard time deciding if we're all worse for it.

Instinctively I still stick by that, though, as you can tell by my anonymous profile with no bio, but when I volunteer any amount of personal info these days people are often confused that I'm not sharing openly who I am or where I'm from. Every time someone does that it weirds me out because in the 90s telling (and asking) people those things would have been such a suspicious, sketchy move.

I'm a faithful follower of never using your real name in social parts of the internet. We don't need to know and we don't want to know. The only ones who would want to know are scammers or people wanting to give you a shitty time. I only use my real name online for people and places in where it's required like talking to agents from my bank, insurance .etc And very few friends know my real name through FB and the circle anyways.

Don't send nudes online to anybody. I know of some communities where people happily are flaunting it one moment then they make a post later whining about them being exploited or that they thought they were crafty hiding the nudes from someone they're married with. They delete it but they're too naive to think that what's already out there, has most likely been saved by hundreds by now, so you're fucked either way.

Another is, is that if you want to be understood, then you need to use proper spelling and grammar. I miss the days when you got kicked at because you used 'u' in replacement of 'you'. It's just two fucking extra letters you lazy asshole. These days saying stupid shit like; 'yah fr u tha fam' is somehow a complete sentence. No, I'm going to give you shit for it and if you want me to bother caring with what you have to say, fucking make some sense. I don't even get offended by insults when they're poorly spelled, it just tells me what kind of an inept moron you are.

Don't get into stranger's cars, and don't give out your real name or number or address on the internet.

Now you do most of these things when you call an uber. 😅

"Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory" was both a lie (typically invoked to defend/justify bigotry, bullying, and such) and it also served to normalize people being assholes on the internet. "Perfectly well adjusted wholesome ordinary people chant nazi slogans when they log onto the internet, for real guys! It says nothing about their character as people because for some magical reason the internet totally has no connections to lived human experiences!"

I'm glad that the so-called rule fell out of use and the excuse rings very hollow for most people now. Also, I noticed that many "ironic asshole" comedians and entertainers from the "le epic trolling" era wound up being actual assholes that hurt people outside of the act. "Million Dollar Extreme" and Justin Roiland come to mind.

you really think someone would do that? go on the internet and tell lies?

Don't feed the trolls

but then I post on lemmy.world and get so so many replies

Dont believe anyone on the internet.

Don’t pick up the phone if someone is online… I’m old

Don't feed the trolls.

Of course nowadays its nearly impossible to tell whos spouting racial slurs to get folks mad and whos doing it because they're just an asshole.

When you share something cool, link back to the original creator or where you found it from.