On internet etiquette

We could interpret a social network as a subscription service where a user can send and receive messages ("posts") to one or more users. Other users may have the option to comment ("reply") and "provide rapid feedback" ("like", "thumbs up", "upvote") on those messages. They may also subscribe to (aka "follow" or "friend") a user's messages. Other features of the service may exist but those lie beyond the scope of this article.

How to use social networks?

So, social network etiquette should follow this pattern (assuming that both the subscribed and subscriber have equal social status):

• If a user provides feedback to another user, the original user should at least subscribe to the other ("a person who likes should also follow")
• If a user subscribes to the other, the user should at least participate in the subscribed ("a person who follows should also like")
• If a user comments on a message, they should at least have provided rapid feedback ("a person who replies should also like")

The first point cultivates greater understanding between the subscriber and the subscribed. A user should try to know a message's author before giving feedback to the author's messages. Sure, a user may like another's user content but not the user. In that case, the user should defer to not providing rapid feedback ("not liking"). Many other users create content similar to that user, so try to enjoy those users!

The second point cultivates subscription maintenance. "Following" and then leaving the account alone breeds suspicion. It makes the "follower" look like an inhuman bot of the "followed". A follower should thus try to provide rapid feedback ("like") about a quarter to a half of a followed's posts. A follower should comment at least one percent (but not more than ten percent) of a followed's posts. If a follower cannot do this, the follower should unsubscribe ("unfollow").

The third point cultivates healthy interactions. If a follower cannot like a post, they should not reply to it. Sure, the post can say something completely wrong or offensive, but the best option is to leave it alone. There exist billions and billions of messages on the internet. We have to keep in mind that most of them have no meaning. If a post conveys a very bad message, then it should draw no attention. By replying, it gives attention. By replying without liking, it shows that an unhealthy interaction has existed. Why should one waste their time on unhealthy interactions? One should thus move on and gravitate towards more enjoyable content!

"Following back"

All that said, the requirement for mutual subscription ("following back") does not exist: one should follow another user purely out of genuine interest. The person subscribed/followed has no obligation to follow back!

"Removing followers and blocking (non-)followers"

However difficult for users, all social networks at this point have a way to remove followers. A user may wish to remove a follower (or block the non-follower) solely for not cultivating any of the points listed in the etiquette above.