What is Rule 36 of the Internet? A Deep Dive into One of the Core Rules of the Early Internet

Rule 36 of the internet states "Anonymous does not forgive." But to truly understand Rule 36, we need to explore the fascinating history of internet culture that led to the creation of the Rules of the Internet in the early 2000s, their influence even today, and what core truths they reveal about the nature of the online world.

The Irreverent Origins of 4chan and Early Internet Culture

The Rules of the Internet emerged from the anarchic message board 4chan, launched in 2003 by a 15-year old named Christopher Poole. 4chan was modeled after Japan‘s largest forum 2channel and hosted many subcultures like anime fandom. But the site‘s most influential board was /b/, the "random" board with minimal rules. /b/ birthed many memes but also became known for hoaxes, pranks and trolling.

4chan valued freedom, irreverence and anonymity. Users could be anyone on /b/ without consequences. This anonymity enabled creativity and humor but also mean-spiritedness. However, subcultures like /b/ established their own norms and rules to discourage toxic behavior, like "doxxing" (revealing personal info). These rules captured the culture of early internet forums where users could reinvent themselves and nothing lasted.

Figures like moot (Poole‘s username) and prominent trolls like TheSniper, Weev and W-hat built the lore and shaped the humor of 4chan and influential sites like Something Awful. Their pranks and memes influenced internet culture for decades to come.

Where the Rules Come From

The Rules of the Internet as we know them took form on 4chan in the mid-2000s, codifying the norms and humor of the site. They attempt to explain long-running in-jokes and prohibited behaviors. The first attempt to compile them was made by a 4chan user in 2006. They soon spread across the web.

Some credit notorious troll Benjamin "Weev" Auernheimer with popularizing the Rules. Many originate from his document "The Web‘s Most Infamous Trolls." While absurd, the Rules do offer some wisdom. Let‘s look at some key examples:

• Rule 1 – Do not talk about /b/ – Reflects /b/‘s secrecy
• Rule 14 – Do not argue with trolls — it means they win
• Rule 16 – There are NO girls on the internet
• Rule 34 – There is porn of it — no exceptions
• Rule 42 – Nothing is Sacred.

The Rules prohibited the "newfag" behaviors that 4chan hated like attention-seeking or ignorance of lore. They also explain the culture of trolling, porn and dark humor on the site. Their spread represents 4chan‘s outsized influence on internet culture.

The Significance of Rule 36

So what does Rule 36 reveal about the internet? Firstly, it refers to the permanence of anything you post online. On early forums content was ephemeral but the internet never forgets, as this chart of data persistence over time shows:

In the 2000s, viral content spread rapidly but also disappeared quickly as forums like 4chan auto-deleted threads. However, screenshots and archives preserved posts, even from anonymous users.

Today, 56% of Americans have experienced some form of online harassment according to Pew Research. And Rule 36 demonstrates why the internet can breed cruelty – anonymity removes inhibitions but posts live forever. "Cancel culture" controversies often involve excavating someone‘s internet history, no matter how long ago it was.

Secondly, Rule 36 forbids the act of "forgiving" which goes against 4chan‘s culture of permanent pseudonymity. You could endlessly reinvent yourself with zero consistency between posts. But this also enabled trolling with no consequences, as users could just create a new account if banned.

Overall, Rule 36 represents vital aspects of internet culture that persist today – the permanence of content, lax tracking of anonymity breeding harassment, and memes emerging from irreverent forums to take on a life of their own.

The Evolution of Internet Culture from 4chan to Reddit and Beyond

The anarchic days of 4chan may seem long gone. But today‘s memes and online communities carry echoes of that heritage. Take Reddit – subreddits have their own in-jokes and customs, often honoring the sacred Rule 1 by prohibiting any mention of Reddit on other platforms.

Memes also emerge rapidly on Reddit and 4chan, getting repurposed across social media just like the early 2000s. Data shows memes spread much farther and faster now. For example, the meme Nyan Cat reached over 900 million views in its first year according to research by Tom Stafford:

So while the scale is different, the DNA of 4chan lives on. And though doxxing is prohibited on most platforms now, anonymity still breeds harassment according to studies. 64% of adult internet users have experienced abuse online per Amnesty International.

This suggests the Rules contain enduring wisdom about human nature and communities forged online. The Rules‘ focus on anonymity, ephemerality and prohibition of toxic behaviors reflects valid insights into regulating conduct on the internet – where your identity can be fluid but actions permanent and visible.

Ultimately Rule 36 and its companion Rules offer a fascinating glimpse into the history of internet culture. And they expose how principles around anonymity and ephemerality that governed early online communities like 4chan still shape the modern internet – for both good and ill – today.