Thursday, January 9, 2014

28 Guidelines for Not Being an Internet Noob


1. The first thing you need to do is understand that people will block you if you use your internet powers to be a dweeb.  That’s life.

2. If there is a chance people will say “oh, gross!  No one needs to know that!” don’t post.

3. If you must complain about someone, make sure they can’t see it.  Your boss won’t think your post about her mustache is funny.
4. Before you post ask yourself “would an idiot post this?” If the answer is yes, don’t post.

5. Would you be ok if your grandma knew this about you?  Grandma might not have The Twitter but your cousin might rat you out.   “Hey, Memaw.  Did you know that Cousin Jerry won the Coney Island Whiskey Drinking Contest?”

6. The same thing goes for parents, pastors, employers, potential lovers . . . if it’s on the internet; it can come out to bite you.

7. The internet can be a happy place!  Instead of posting about how much you hate puppies, post about how much you love tarantulas.

8. Vague statements of woe are right out.  No more “I’m just so tired of being hurt.  People can be so cruel.”  The goal here is to get sympathy and inquiries to your sad story.  If you must air your grievances, be specific. “My boyfriend set fire to my car.” No fuss, no mess.

9. No more duck face.  No more shark face.  Let’s stick to person face.

10. If you do something illegal, film it and put it on the internet.  That way the police can bring you to justice much faster.

11. One-up parenting is the living worst.  If someone posts “Greta started crawling today!  So proud!” don’t reply with “Really?  Mason is walking.  Aren’t they the same age?”

12. The internet is not all about you.  If someone posts “I finally graduated with my Masters of Organic Chemistry!” it is not ok to comment with “Cool!  I thought about studying chemistry, but I decided to join the Peace Corps instead.”

13. And ladies, can we raise the bar a bit for “best husband ever?” Really, any schmuck with a debit card can buy flowers.

14. The internet is cool, but it isn’t for everything.  If you can tweet “OMG my kitchen’s on fire!” then you can call 911.

15. Correct: “I’m moving from downtown Chicago to Winnetka this Saturday morning at 10.  There will be donuts and hot chocolate!  Who’s in?”  Incorrect: “Who has a truck I can borrow? I need to move something.”

16. Moms: pregnancy does not make it suddenly ok to post nude photos of yourself.  Facebook is for faces.

17. Some things are not meant to be public.  Marital stress, estranged parents, oozing boils . . . some things should be dealt with in private.

18. The comments section on YouTube is not a venue for political tirades.  Even if Katy Perry is sending subliminal messages about foreign policy . . . no, she’s definitely not.  Take it somewhere else.

19. Speaking of which, do your research before you rage online about politics.  Chances are pretty slim that the House just passed a bill to take children out of schools and send them to the copper mines.

20. There, their, they’re.  Too, two, to.  Your, you’re.  Where, were, we’re.  Learn them.

21. When it comes to pictures, less is more.  We don’t need all 219 pictures of your bouquet toss.

22. Speaking of which, one album per event.  No more albums called “Graduation part 7!”

23. Ours is the first generation to crowd-source the rearing of their children.  For hundreds of years parents taught their kids and took care of problems.  I’m sure we can figure things out without asking our 679 closest friends “my four-year-old won’t stop pooping in the fridge.  What should I do?”

24. Be careful when you post pictures of your children.  Those pictures can end up in anybody’s hands.

25. Things come and go but the internet is forever.  So if you ever plan on running for office, don’t post pictures of you and your pals stealing a stop sign.

26. Social networking is a powerful thing, but it probably won’t help you find a part-time job that has benefits and will pay you at least $22 an hour to watch Netflix.

27. If you’re using social media as your personal log, stop it.  You walked the dog, went grocery shopping, read a book, and snuggled down with your sweetie to watch a movie all in one day?!? How do you do it!??!

28. Be kind.  And if you must be unkind, be clever. 

2 comments:

  1. Today.... Today what did I do... I woke up and could only open one eye, so I spent a good 15 minutes trying to get the other one open. I then ate a bowl of life cereal, I filled the bowl all the way today and was able to finish it! I shaved my face, cleaned my body (whilst wearing undergarments; nudity is obscene!). I received a ride from my wife to work, gave her a little kiss of affection, walk to the front door and... it was locked :(

    I then proceeded to knock on the door until someone opened up for me, from there I logged onto my computer, took calls from angry customers, laughed and cried with them about their woes, and ate lunch. To make a long story short, I did all this and more in one day... one day people! Imagine what can be done in a week, a month, a year... even a millennium!

    W/love, you're bro, cause eye luve U!

    ReplyDelete