The Ten Commandments for the Web
1. Thou shalt have faith in thyself.
2. Thou shalt overcome hypocrisy.
3. Thou shalt wisely apply thy time and attention.
4. Thou shalt honor the rules of each online community.
5. Thou shalt killfile or ignore, not flame or harass.
6. Thou shalt respect the rights and dignity of all netizens.
7. Thou shalt give what's due.
8. Thou shalt share only the truth, as thou observeth it to be.
9. Thou shalt overcome envy.
10. Thou shalt overcome greed.
The First Commandment
Thou shalt have faith in thyself.
What good is any idea or belief if you can't have faith in the mind that conceives it? Spend whatever time and effort is required to become comfortable with yourself and your own judgement skills. Otherwise, you'll be a hapless windsock for whatever breeze happens to be prevailing at the time.
Now, faith in oneself isn't the same thing as belief in one's own infallibility. Always be open to new approaches and new ways of thinking, and that means also being ready to accept that your old ways weren't as correct as you thought they were. And for the Web's sake, have a sense of humor about yourself and the world in general, it's the only way to stay sane.
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The Second Commandment
Thou shalt overcome hypocrisy.
It's been said that all religions or other codified belief systems are inherently hypocritical. Through a dedication to humor, self-awareness and other methods, we hope to not only overcome this tendency in oursleves, but also to overcome the hypocrisy of others. Sometimes this can be done simply by setting a better example, and other times through exposing the ugly underbellies of obliviousness and lies that seep through hypocritical structures. Through all our efforts, however, we must take great care not to fall into the same traps we observe others falling prey to.
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The Third Commandment
Thou shalt wisely apply thy time and attention.
To be perfectly honest, we're not always going to make the right choices, especially when it comes to how we spend our time or mental efforts. However, we can still do our best to turn our time and attention toward issues and ideas that are worthy of them, helping speed their progress as well as our own.
On the flipside, there are many sites and activities in the internet that are counterproductive or worse. While there may be effective ways to subvert their influence, there comes a point where further attention on them is simply a destructive waste of time. At this point, the Fifth Commandment should be observed.
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The Fourth Commandment
Thou shalt honor the rules of each online community.
The communities of the Web are not dependent on geography, and it's quite easy to seek out the right ones for you. If you have chosen to spend your time and attention on a particular site, you must honor that choice by observing their rules and guidelines. You can certainly work to improve the community if necessary, but you must do so within the framework of what's already there. If you can't do that, then it's time to seek out a better place that more closely suits you. Don't waste your energies on a place that's not right for you, and don't waste the Web's precious resources by trying to force the issue.
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The Fifth Commandment
Thou shalt killfile or ignore, not flame or harrass.
While newer netizens may not have heard of the time-honored tradition of the killfile, everyone knows how to ignore somebody or something that really gets under the skin. When a netizen offendeth thee, do not feed their negavibes by responding in kind, or you will only give them greater power and a stronger Weblife. Instead, withhold your time and attention from them by pretending they don't exist. On the Web, our existence is defined solely by the energies we send out and the energies others send us in kind; therefore, the only way to kill a thing is to withhold all energy from it.
As for flaming and harrassment, there are very few activities that have done as much harm to the Hyperspace. Debate and activism are worthy causes, but flinging insults with intent to defame or harm are not. When you engage in such useless activities, you aren't only sullying yourself, you're wasting precious time and bandwidth, and damaging the Web as a whole. We don't need this. You don't need this. The efficacy of the Web needs you not to do this. Behave.
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The Sixth Commandment
Thou shalt respect the rights and dignity of all netizens.
The Web is made up of all those who contribute to and benefit from it, and that makes each and every netizen an integral part of Hyperspace. Even if their activities and ideas seem to throw away all sense of dignity as you perceive it, nothing can diminish the fact that they are an integral part of the Web, and that must always be respected. You don't have to agree with or even appreciate everything someone does or says, but no matter how terribly they behave, you owe it to all the Web not to sink to their level. If you have difficulty recognizing or honoring that fact, observe the Third and Fifth Commandments and simply turn your attentions elsewhere.
While there may be some disagreement as to what each netizen's rights are, one of the most integral rights is the right to privacy. Unfortunately, this has become a threatened and controversial issue, one that the Nexus is likely to pursue as we grow.
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The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt give what's due.
Of all the commandments, the Seventh is likely to be deemed the most nebulous in its application. The primary intent is that credit should be given where due, along with gratitude, donations/compensation of time and money, and so forth.
Another issue this touches on is the issue of piracy, or otherwise making use of information and resources without paying what's legally required. This is a highly controversial issue, but it does raise a particularly compelling question: If a company or individual has produced something for which you are unwilling to pay what's due, are they really a source you want to be connected with?
There are always other artists, other software, other resources available, many of them offering their creations for cheap or free and usually with far better quality. Support them by making use of and promoting the spread of their creations as a superior alternative. This way, the more beneficial product and paradigm will become more popular, and more widespread.
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The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt share only the truth, as thou observeth it to be.
With very rare exceptions for the greater good of the Web, don't lie. Don't spread lies. Don't allow lies to be spread without being challenged by the truth. The Web is a source of information, and often disinformation; it's only through the greater propogation of truth that the Information Age will truly become the Wisdom Age. In the Wisdom Age, we can then work together to explore and create greater truths, bringing forth the Age of Transcendance the Web has the potential to help us attain.
May the best meme win.
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The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt overcome envy.
No matter how big, how great, or how beautiful something is, there's always something or someone else out there who can be said to have done it bigger, better, or for more money. Judgements like that are all an illusion based on subjective opinion, and it's a waste of time and energy to covet them. Focus instead on your own immediate goals and how to pursue them, and leave comparative judgements to those who have nothing better to do with their time and attention.
Unfortunately, those who have nothing better to do may also become envious of you and your accomplishments, giving you something else to overcome. Don't let yourself get dragged down into the nastiness that comes from jealousy, because no good can come of it. Bitterness needs company, and while they may become even more upset when you refuse to join them in it, staying away from bitterness and envy is the only way to win.
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The Tenth Commandment
Thou shalt overcome greed.
To the greedy, there is never Enough. More is always just another call for More and More and More, and soon no price is too great to pay for just a chance for even More. We can't fall into that trap.
As with envy and hypocrisy, the greed of others is also something we will have to strive to overcome. The Web is under assault from those who seek to profit from it, or to abuse it to increase or protect profits they're already making. In these greedy and destructive efforts, the continued health and accessibility of Hyperspace is endangered. It's up to us to protect it, and the ways and means to do so will be developed as we grow.
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