Rules of the Internet is a list of protocols and conventions, originally written to serve as a guide for those who identified themselves with the Internet group
Anonymous. The list serves as a summation of popular catchphrases and axioms commonly associated with
4chan. Since there are numerous drafts and editions in circulation, the rules fluctuate in number and the validity of each rule remains debatable. Despite this, several of the rules including
Rule 34 and
Rule 63 are agreed upon across internet communities.
The idea of making a set of rules, similar to
Netiquette for
4chan users, was initially talked about on Anonymous-related IRC channels before an entry was submitted to E
ncyclopedia Dramatica sometime in late 2006 and archived on January 10th, 2007. The entry was highly debated on its discussion page as well as the site’s forums. At the time of the archival, there were 18 rules in the entry, despite it mentioning that 48 existed.
