Fyreside Newsletter - 10/20/25

Hey Reader,

Some housekeeping up front:

I forgot to change the date on last week's newsletter. Apologies for any confusion.
Yes, the headers are a different color! Glad you noticed. Do you like them?

With that out of the way, today's newsletter is an important reminder:

Social Media is a game and we're all just players.

In most games, the rules are preestablished and widely known. When rules in a game change, there's typically a great deal of discussion and publicity. Sure, your weird uncle that brags about getting concussed in high school may not understand the NFL's 2025 Dynamic Kickoff rule, but the NFL published an entire webpage about it.

Also, in most games, when rules are changed, they aren't rolled back. They may be altered or updated overtime, but it's rare for a rule change to be unilaterally undone. The NHL changed the 2-Line Pass rule back in 2005. While some leagues have argued for it's reinstatement, the rule remains the same.

Lastly, in most games, when rules are changed, it's for the benefit of the players. Famously complicated card game Magic the Gathering is one of the most rule-dense hobbies a person can have. In 2009, the rules were changed to remove something called "Mana Burn" was removed. Magic dropped Mana Burn largely because it wasn't used often and largely only punished new players.

That's not the kind of game that Social Media is.

Social Media is the type of game that has a "Game Master." Common examples of this game type would be Dungeons & Dragons or other, similar Tabletop Roleplaying Games. In these games, you have players, but you also have a person who is responsible for facilitating the game. This person isn't a player, and they didn't necessarily make the rules, but they're responsible for interpreting the rules. Sometimes they interpret the rules "as written," but sometimes they bend or change the rules to adapt to the situation.

Many modern video games also fit into this category. Live Service games like Overwatch, World of Warcraft, and Fortnite have regular updates made to their rules. These changes are made to keep the game interesting and fresh for players, but they have downsides. Typically, these changes are cataloged in what are called "patch notes," (here's an example of Overwatch patch notes) but anyone who plays one of these games regularly will tell you that patch notes rarely have all the information. It's also incredibly common for a change in one patch to be undone by a change in another. Oh, and these changes are rarely made for the benefit of players. They're usually made for the benefits of the game.

That's the Social Media game.

The rules on social change every day. These changes are rarely, if ever, communicated by the outlet. These changes are rarely, if ever, permanent or long lasting. These changes are rarely, if ever, made for the benefit of users. Despite all that, users are bound by these rules.

Your role as a player in this game requires you to stay on top of these rule changes. That's incredibly difficult if you're not living online, and only slightly less difficult if you are. That's why I'm here. I keep up with the rules of social media professionally and I'm very good at it. This newsletter and my website are always available as resources for you! And if you have a specific question, please don't hesitate to reach out.

Currently, I'm working with an adult model who received a number of strikes on her account, seemingly out of nowhere. If you're not aware, social outlets have terms of service that make advertising sex work incredibly difficult. Already today we've discovered two changes to TikTok's apparent content rules that aren't listed anywhere beyond her specific account. Did you know TikTok can ban your account for private videos you never make public? They left that out of the latest patch notes...

-MC

p.s.

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