Pointers for Ignorant net users???

[Spock]

Originally Posted: 2003-07-31, 2:23 pm

Don't go here unless you are not easily offended http ://members.ams.chello.nl/jvane/welcome.htm
(Note: This site has disappeared since the original post.)

One fairly provocative post from there follows:


"1. No one, ESPECIALLY YOU, will make any law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

2. Use your brain before ever putting fingers to keys.

3. Do you want a picture of you getting done by Bill Clinton while you're performing on a cow saved to hundreds of thousands of people's hard drives? No? Then don't put your f**ng picture on the Internet. We can, will, and probably already HAVE altered it in awful ways. Expect it to show up on an equally offensive website.

4. Realize that you are never, EVER going to get that, or any other, offensive web page taken down. Those of us who run those sites LIVE to pi$$ off people like you. Those of us who don't run those sites sometimes visit them just to read the hatemail from fools like you.

5. Oh, you say you're going to a lawyer? Be prepared for us to giggle with girlish delight, and for your lawyer to laugh in your face after he explains current copyright and parody law.

6. The Web is not the Internet. Stop referring to it that way.

7. We have already received the e-mail you are about to forward to us. Shut up.

8. Don't reply to spam. You are not going to be "unsubscribed".

9. Don't ever use the term "cyberspace" (only William Gibson gets to say that, and even he hasn't really used it for two or three books now). Likewise, you prove yourself a marketing-hype victim if you ever use the term "surfing".

10. With one or two notable exceptions, chat rooms will not get you laid.

11. It's a hoax, not a virus warning.

12. The internet is made up of thousands of computers, all connected but owned by different people. Learn how to use *your* computer before attempting to connect it to someone else's.

13. The first person who offers to help you is really just trying to f**k with you for entertainment. So is the second. And the third. And me.

14. Never insult someone who's been active in any group longer than you have. You may as well paint a damn target on your back.

15. Never get comfortable and arrogant behind your supposed mask of anonymity. Don't be surprised when your name, address, and home phone number get thrown back in your smug face. Hell, some of us will snail-mail you a printed satellite photograph of your house to drive the point home. Realize that you are powerless if this happens ... it's all public information, and information is our stock and trade.

16. No one thinks you are as cool as you think you are.

17. You aren't going to win any argument that you start.

18. If you're on AOL, don't worry about anything I've said here. You're already a f**king laughing stock, and there's no hope for you.

19. If you can't take a joke, immediately sell your computer to someone who can. RIGHT NOW.

Pissed off? It's the TRUTH, not these words, that hurts your feelings. Don't ever even pretend like I've gone & hurt them.

We don't like you. We don't want you here. We never will. Save us all the trouble and go away."

[Luke]

Thats all pretty good advice. I used to play the Nationstates RPG. The forums were just full of people arguing about religion or politics or philosophy. Too many bigoted people seem to think they can change other people's point of view by being aggressive and argumentative, and that this is acceptable because its not "face-to-face" communication.