DNI
D-N-I (say the letters)initialism · noun
In online profiles and posts, DNI means “do not interact”: a boundary aimed at specified people or groups.
- #internet slang
- #online boundaries
- #Tumblr memes
- #initialisms
Meaning
DNI is an initialism for “do not interact.” Online, it marks a request that specified people or groups not engage with an account, post, or community. It may appear in a profile banner or at the end of a post; the surrounding text identifies who is being asked to stay away.[1]
- 1. A boundary label in a profile, banner, or post, usually followed by the group or groups asked not to interact.
- 2. In memes and parody banners, the format can be jokingly reversed or exaggerated; read the surrounding context to tell how it is being used.
Examples
“DNI if you are here to harass people; the details are in my profile.”
“This post is DNI for people who share that harmful viewpoint.”
“The banner says DNI, but the rest of the post makes it a parody.”
Origin and spread
DNI is formed from the initial letters of “do not interact.” Know Your Meme traces the banner practice to niche-interest and mental-health support communities on Tumblr. It reports an earlier banner set using “please do not reblog if you are,” uploaded on October 22, 2016; that documents a related format, not the first use of DNI or the exact phrase “do not interact.” The same account describes warning banners circulating on Tumblr from November 2016, a banner-collecting blog launched that December, and parody and reverse “please interact” versions appearing by July 2017. A July 30, 2017 Meme Documentation post asked readers about the origins of the “___ do not interact” picture meme.[1][2]
How to use it
Treat a straightforward DNI as a boundary, not an invitation to test it. Check the text after the initialism to see who is excluded. Because the banner format also has parody and reverse versions, use the surrounding post to judge whether a particular example is earnest or joking.
A documented predecessor is not a first use
Know Your Meme reports an October 2016 banner using “please do not reblog if you are.” It distinguishes that wording from “do not interact,” whose precise origin it says is unclear; the older banner does not establish the first use of DNI.[1]
Look for the excluded group
DNI expands to “do not interact,” but the initials alone do not specify who the request applies to. Read the accompanying profile, banner, or post for the group being addressed; an example documented by Know Your Meme, for instance, ends by directing a particular character's fans not to interact.[3][1]
Questions people ask
Does DNI say who should stay away?
Not by itself. In this online usage, DNI expands to “do not interact”; the profile, banner, or post supplies the specific people or groups the request addresses.[1]
Is the 2016 banner the first use of DNI?
No such first use is established. Know Your Meme documents an October 2016 banner with the earlier wording “please do not reblog if you are,” and says the exact origin of “do not interact if you are” is unclear.[1]
Were DNI banners always meant seriously?
The format also developed parody and reverse versions, including “please interact” banners. That history means a specific example may be joking; its surrounding text helps clarify the intent.[1]
