How To Stay Safe On The Internet

UnpaidIntern

A lot of people on this forum are in great need of this type of guide for some reason, so, in order of most importance:

Do not give any personal information to anyone you do not know in real life. This includes but is not limited to:

Your phone number, people can get your full name and address from a phone number do NOT give it away. Also if a phone number is asked for, it's an almost stereotypical sign of creepiness.
Your last or first name
Obviously your address
A photo of yourself or your surroundings (geoguesser exists, just don't share photos of public places or identifiable photos of private places trust me on this).

Do not engage in spaces where s*xual topics are casually discussed (including through weird asf memes), this includes private 1-on-1 dms, group chats, and especially any discord, leave immediately if you see behavior like this. Avoid individuals who casually discuss explicit topics as well. References to explicit content, subtle, non-subtle, or straight up cropped images or quotes from explicit content apply as well.
(EXAMPLE: lowkey want to mention someone here but I also don't want to as well ... although I will anyway (without a username obviously) wtf is that one guy's signature "notices buldge, "OwO what is this"" dude why did you put that as your signature that's just straight up a quote pls change it).
Do not online date under the age of 18 (when you don't know the other person irl). People can easily lie about their age, even if you ask for a face reveals. Face reveals can be faked by using photos of random people or children (they may also source unsearchable photos from others they may be messaging).
Do not engage in overly toxic spaces such as twitter, random badly moderated discords, etc. People who are overly aggressive, bullying, or attempt to isolate others are HUGE red flags.
Be cautious around people who try to manipulate you with tactics such as:

Threatening you with the end of whatever validation, praise, or friendship that they usually force onto you ("whats up bestie!!!!!", or "You are genuinely the best person i've ever met!" when you literally just met them) in order to try to force you to do anything.
Just threatening you in general tbh
Validation and praise being utilized as weapons
Forcing you to do things you explicitly don't want to do
Pressuring you into doing anything (as an example, look up "force-femming: g*ooming through memes" on youtube it can get really subtly obvious).
I just realized that the first bullet point lowkey covered all of the manipulation tactics people use, also rule 5 applies in real life as well.
Memes and jokes can also be manipulative and can easily stop being jokes.

Entire groups of people may also use these tactics to hurt people, as explained in rule 6.

Try to avoid peer pressure, don't follow trends or join groups to feel validated by randos on the internet. Example: that one weird face reveal trend where people are face revealing for the literal reason of "because everyone else is doing it". Also still especially avoid people who intentionally pressure you into doing things.

Most predatory online groups are joined for only the purpose of receiving their promised social validation, which they then use to pressure their victims into adopting whatever "normal" the group has. Basically, avoid groups like spawnism.

Don't try to make friends with creeps because you "need" friends.
Don't try to join a group with creeps because you "need" a group.
Even if you trust someone online you don't know irl for any reason, always apply these rules to interactions with them.
If you did not follow any of these rules and are NOT safe on the internet. If any crimes have been committed, contact law enforcement instead of "ExPoSiNg" or "cAnCeLLing" them. It has no real effect on them, they can just make alt accounts and continue to harass you or others unless they go to prison. If you cannot contact law enforcement or if the law is just garbage, then your only option is to go public with it (which just sucks for many reasons and may not even be a option if you were doxxed, since any added attention is very dangerous) and I am very sorry that you are in this situation.

StarryPeach

this was lowkey helpful <:0 tyyyyyyy lowkey i keep giving my first name out TwT

UnpaidIntern

@StarryPeach i'm glad it helped!

NeverLetMeDown

Top 10 things that I do frequently

w1ckedsticky1983

@NeverLetMeDown rory feet reaction pics

NeverLetMeDown

Hey guys please dont pull my location from my foot images

w1ckedsticky1983

@NeverLetMeDown tracking down ur exact location by the hue of the paint on ur walls

NeverLetMeDown

Noooo haha nooo please dont track me down haha

Yanderemenhera

they gonna track the roach speces on my walls

UnpaidIntern

@Yanderemenhera someone's going to be like: that species of roach is only found in Canada, Mapletown or something lmao

(wait is mapletown a real place in canada?)

Yanderemenhera

@UnpaidIntern I don't share photos of easily recigiziable public places, only my room

UnpaidIntern

(not the rapper)

NeverLetMeDown

No but there is a place called Mapleton

macncheese.

someone should pin this permanently on the frontpage

SweetLikeTarmac

@macncheese. pretty sure wolfie made a post like this on their old acc

Yanderemenhera

@NeverLetMeDown (DMs you foot pics but i'm missing toenails and you are able to dox me just by the lack of toenails)

ShuriKitty

@Yanderemenhera This one's going in the BDNS history books

Yanderemenhera

@ShuriKitty how many toenails do you think I have?

UnpaidIntern

@ShuriKitty THERE'S THE GUY, GET EM

SweetLikeTarmac