Read before asking
Most communities have pinned messages, a FAQ, or a docs page for a reason: the same questions come up over and over. Reading those first saves you time and shows the people who might help that you tried.
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General internet etiquette. Short and to the point.
Think critically
Not everything you read online is true, even if it's written confidently, even if it has a lot of upvotes, even if it's repeated everywhere.
Useful questions:
- Who wrote this?
- What evidence are they showing?
- What might their bias be?
- Is there a primary source or is it people quoting each other?
Don't assume every screenshot is real
Editing a screenshot to say anything you want takes about a minute in browser dev tools. If a screenshot is the only evidence of a claim, treat the claim as unverified. Ask for the original link.
Credit people's work
If you share someone else's art, writing, code, or research, say who made it and link back to them. Reposting without credit is how people stop making things.
Search before asking common questions
Common questions have been asked and answered many times. A thirty second search often gets you a better answer than waiting for someone in chat to type one out. When you do ask, you can ask a sharper question.
Don't spread misinformation
If you share a false claim, your reputation takes the hit even if you were passing it along. When you're not sure something is true, don't share it. When you find out something you shared was wrong, correct it publicly.
Learn from being corrected
Being corrected is not an attack. It's an opportunity. "Thanks, I didn't know that" ends the exchange, updates your understanding, and makes you look mature. Defensive replies do the opposite.
Respect people's time
People are busy. Ask specific questions. Include the context someone needs to actually help you. Don't send "hi" and wait. See the no-hello article.
Don't chase internet drama
Callouts, quote tweets, subtweets, quote screenshots, and public arguments almost never end well for anyone involved. Sometimes the healthiest option is to close the tab.
Don't believe everything you read online
The internet is full of misinformation, propaganda, scams, bots, and outright lies. Not everything, but plenty. Verify before sharing. Check sources. Notice when a claim conveniently confirms exactly what you already believed.
Don't AI generate everything and call it your own
AI tools are useful. They can help you draft, summarize, and learn. But passing off AI generated work as something you wrote or made is dishonest, and AI output is often subtly (or not so subtly) wrong. If you use AI, say so, and check its work.
Don't treat random Discord messages as journalism
Discord is a chat app. Anyone can claim anything. There is no editor, no fact checker, no verification. Before believing a "leak" or "announcement" from a random server, check whether any actual news outlet, official account, or company blog is saying the same thing.