Difference between revisions of "4chan"
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[[File:4chan-b.jpg|300px|thumb|right| A proclamation by a frequent user of /b/ in the 4chan image boards defining /b/. This definition has been held to much scrutiny within 4chan while also being held in high regard by both outsiders and insiders alike.]] | [[File:4chan-b.jpg|300px|thumb|right| A proclamation by a frequent user of /b/ in the 4chan image boards defining /b/. This definition has been held to much scrutiny within 4chan while also being held in high regard by both outsiders and insiders alike.]] | ||
− | It is known for having very lax and permissive rules. It has no restrictions on what may be posted aside from content that explicitly violates US federal law, spam, and a few types of content with dedicated boards <ref name="4chanrules_b">http://www.4chan.org/rules#b</ | + | It is known for having very lax and permissive rules. It has no restrictions on what may be posted aside from content that explicitly violates US federal law, spam, and a few types of content with dedicated boards <ref name="4chanrules_b">http://www.4chan.org/rules#b</ref> |
This is also the board where a large portion of internet '''memes''' originate. '''Memes''' are images, videos, etc. that are passed electronically from one Internet user to another. | This is also the board where a large portion of internet '''memes''' originate. '''Memes''' are images, videos, etc. that are passed electronically from one Internet user to another. |
Revision as of 22:00, 6 December 2012
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Contents
Background
4chan launched on October 1, 2003 as a place to discuss and post pictures of anime and manga, as an English-language version of the popular Japanese imageboard 2chan, created in 2001[3]. It was founded by moot, a member of the Something Awful forums. Contributors to 4chan do not have to be identifiable, having the notorious ability to post anonymously. The format for this online community is a series of image boards where users can post text with an attached image. Although there are many sub-categories of image boards, the random board called "/b/" is 4chan's most popular board. Its popularity is mostly due to its low regard for rules and creation of popular internet memes such as rickrolling, pedobear, and lolcats. After creating /b/, moot made a topic at Something Awful about the website, which was received very well. In 2004 two discussion boards were added, /amh/ and /bbs/, which moot used to ask for donations because of the high cost of running the website[4]. His users quickly responded by sending donations, which were able to keep the site running. In 2012, the site is still popular and expanding.
![](/images/1/1c/Moot.jpg)
"Anonymous"
4chan's boards thrive on the ability of users to post anonymously. The term "anonymous", or "anon", is a widely used, self descriptive term and username on 4chan due to a perceived sense of community created by sharing an identity. Although membership of Anonymous originated in the imageboard 4chan, Anonymous has spread into the realm of the real world, collaborating on many events such as picketing and hacking important government databases. A study examined and discovered that 90% of all posts on the board were from anonymous users.
There are, however, methods in place that grant a user temporary identity on the site. See also Shortcuts.
A reoccurring message regarding anonymity, on /b/, dating from October 28 2010:"You have just entered the very heart, soul and life force of the Internet. This is a place beyond sanity; wild and untamed. There is nothing new here. 'New' content on 4chan is not found; it is created from old material. Every interesting, offensive, shocking or debate-inspiring topic you've seen elsewhere has been posted here, ad infinitum. We are the reason for "not safe for work". We are the Anonymous Army. Cross us and you will fail. Anonymous is everywhere. You depend on us every day. We bag your groceries, we fix your computers. Anonymous sees you before you see him. Sitting at desks around the world right now is a nameless, faceless, unforgiving mafia composed of the best of the best, the worst of the worst and most people in between. We are 4channers. The people devoid of any type of soul or conscience; we are products of cynicism and apathy, and we spread those very sentiments daily. Anonymous is the hardened war veteran of the Internet. He does not forgive, nor forget. We have seen things that defy explanations. We have heard stories that would make any God-fearing, law-abiding citizen empty their stomach where they stand. We have experienced them multiple times and eagerly await their return. 4chan is a place of sheer genius and utter stupidity, and there is often a thin line dividing the two." -- Anonymous
4chan activities
4chan users have been the source of numerous controversial internet and real world attacks, as well as the occasional "do-good" intervention. They are known for pulling off some of the highest profile collective actions and attacks, since the history of the internet.
Habbo Hotel
One of the first attacks, which was done strictly as a joke ("the lulz" as it was stated on the site), was a mass log-on to the social networking site Habbo Hotel and the organization of a mass blockade of swimming pools in the game, spamming the chat with internet sayings, and forming into the shape of swastikas.
Hal Turner
- Between December 2006 and January 2007, 4chan collectively attacked white supremacist Hal Turner's website and prank called his radio show. This caused Hal Turner's website to go down, resulting in thousands of dollars worth of damage. Hal Turner has since been convicted of making threats to the government and is serving 33 months in jail. His website has been maintained by supporters who update about Turner's case and promote his right of freedom of speech.[5].
Jessi Slaughter
- In July 2010, 4chan users found the myspace site and video of eleven year old Jessi Slaughter proudly and openly talking of her promiscuous history as well as using extreme profanity and making verbal threats to her ‘haters’. For example, she claimed that she would "stick a glock in your mouth and make a brain slushie." 4chan users immediately retaliated by finding her personal information and proceeded to harass her personally through phone calls and emails. Not being able to withstand the harassment any longer, Slaughter posted a response video asking 4chan users to stop. Slaughter’s father made an appearance in the video, appearing extremely upset as he yelled at the harassers; from this incident originated popular catchphrases such as “backtraced”, “cyberpolice,” and “You done goofed.” Slaughter later made an appearance on Good Morning America [5] to talk about being victim of cyberbullying. Slaughter eventually ended up in foster care before her father died of a heart attack in August 2011. [6].
Project Chanology
- In 2008, a church of Scientology video that featured Tom Cruise was leaked onto Youtube. The church ordered that the video be removed on the basis of copyright infringement. This action raised the ire of Anonymous. One member created a video that was a call to action for members of Anonymous to protest outside the church of Scientology locations around the world. Members began protesting many of the practices of the church of Scientology, such as the fact that members of the church were required to pay large sums of money to climb the ranks of the church. Protesters began wearing Guy Fawkes masks to protect their identity due to the church's history of harassing people that spoke out against it. At its peak, there were protests in most large cities in many countries across the globe.
Sarah Palin email hacking
- In 2008, Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin was the target of an attack by 4chan user David Kernell, son of Democratic Tennessee State Representative Mike Kernell. Kernell gained access to Palin's private Yahoo Mail account by enabling password recovery and answered her security questions using Wikipedia and a little research. [7] He then proceeded to read her email, hoping to find something incriminating that could derail her campaign. Once Kernell realized there were no emails of the sort, he started a thread on 4chan's /b/ board where he eventually posted the account's password. David Kernell was sentenced to 1 year and 1 day in custody and 3 additional years of probation for his crimes. [8]
Steve Jobs' heart attack
- In October of 2008, a hoax story was submitted to iReport.com, claiming that the CEO of Apple Inc (Steve Jobs) had suffered a heart attack resulting in a significant drop in stock price of Apple Inc.
Justin Bieber
- Justin Bieber has been a target of several attacks by 4chan's /b/ board. Many of the attacks are hoax stories about Bieber's death.[9] More recently, /b/ started the rumor that Justin contracted syphilis after he was photographed with Kim Kardashian [10] This rumor was spread simply though searching the phrase "justin bieber syphilis" on Google to push it up to the top of Google Trends. It was further spread through the use of youtube videos, Twitter and blogs. The search phrase made it to #1 on Google trends and remained there until 2:00 am. [9]
TIME Magazine Person of the Year Poll Hacking
- In 2012, Kim Jong Un led the polls in TIME Magazine's online Person of the Year poll. As of December 5, 2012, the North Korean dictator led the poll with just over 3.7 million votes. The next highest candidate was Jon Stewart with approximately 434,000 votes. The poll is scheduled to close at 11:59pm on December 12, 2012.
TIME 100 Poll Hacking
- In 2009, moot was the winner of TIME magazine's 3rd annual TIME 100 online poll. He won with 16,794,368 votes and an average influence rating of 90 (out of a possible 100). TIME noted that everyone who moot beat actually held a job to emphasize the magnitude of this victory. [11] While TIME technical staff detected some hacking attempts and tried to extinguish them, they were unsuccessful. Not only did moot win with an abnormally high influence rating (runner-up Anwar Ibrahim only had 47 out of 100), the hackers manipulated the winners so the first 21 names spelled out "marblecake also the game." Marblecake refers to Anonymous's IRC channel, and The Game is a popular meme.
William Lashua's Birthday
- A user on /b/ posted a picture of a poster on September 1, 2010 that read "Wanted: People for Birthday Party," advertising for the 90th birthday party of William Lashua. The poster included the time and location of the party, along with an image of Lashua. For some reason, /b/tards found their hearts softened by the man and his plea, and decided to "throw him the best birthday party ever." [12] The situation is often used by /b/ to claim that Anonymous does not always do harm; in fact, they sometimes do good.
/b/ - Random
The most popular board on the site, /b/, is what people are most commonly referring to when they speak about 4chan. The board can be depicted as the garbage dump of the internet or as Mattahias Schwartz of the The New York Times put it, “the inside of a high-school bathroom stall, or an obscene telephone party line.” It is, essentially, used for misdoing.[13]
It is known for having very lax and permissive rules. It has no restrictions on what may be posted aside from content that explicitly violates US federal law, spam, and a few types of content with dedicated boards [14]
This is also the board where a large portion of internet memes originate. Memes are images, videos, etc. that are passed electronically from one Internet user to another.
Common Terms and Shortcuts
Common Terms
- alpha
- The opposite of beta. A male who is assertive in nature and is good with the opposite sex.
- /b/
- The "random" board on 4chan. It is the site's most popular board.
- /b/tard
- A person who participates on /b/.
- banhammer
- A term used to describe when a moderator bans a user for violating one of the rules; occasionally, a user is banned simply "for the lulz." Bans can be temporary or permanent.
- beta
- pertaining to a person who is meek or shy in nature, or a social introvert. Usually associated with those who are socially awkward.
- bump (verb)
- To post in a thread, so that it is floated to the top of the board.
- creepypasta
- Reposts that are written to be scary or unsettling.
- CP
- Short for child pornography.
- deliver
- To provide material or content that one promised to provide.
- femanon
- Hypothetical female anonymous user.
- get (noun)
- A term used to describe the achievement of a user creating a post with a notable post number. For example, many users compete for gets such as the 300,000,000th, as the post which achieves a notable get will be remembered and referred to.
- lulz
- A bastardization of the internet acronym “lol,” meaning to laugh out loud.
- lurker
- A person who reads threads, but does not contribute to them.
- meme
- A concept or idea that spreads through the Internet
- mfw
- Short for "my face when" - usually an image is included of a person's expression, illustrating the user's reaction to a post or image.
- moralfag
- A person who goes against the norms of 4chan and tries to prevent harm to others.
- newfag
- A person who is new to 4chan and unaccustomed to its culture and behaviors.
- oldfag
- A veteran of 4chan who knows about old memes, customs, and threads.
- OP
- Short for Original Poster; the person who starts a thread.
- rolling
- The verb used to describe when a user posts to try to achieve a specific post number or a post number ending in a specific number. For example, the OP of a thread might promise to deliver some content if a user rolls and achieves a post ending in "111."
- sage
- A term included in the email box of a post, so that the post does not bump the thread.
- sauce (noun)
- A term that is used to request more or the origin of some content.
- sticky
- A post that is specifically designated by a moderator to by "glued" to the top of a board, guaranteeing that it will be the top post whenever a user views the page. A stickied page will have a tack icon next to the post, and are typically warnings to users of the board. For example, moderators will often sticky a post where a user broke a rule and was subsequently banned.
- tripfag
- A term used to describe a user who is using a tripcode. See also: Shortcuts.
- trips
- A term to describe getting the same first three digits of the post number.
- troll
- A person who deliberately acts naive in order to incite others.
- whiteknight
- A user who comes to the defense of others, usually "damsels in distress."
Shortcuts
- noko
- A user can insert the string "noko" into the email field of a post, and after the post is submitted, the user will automatically be redirected back to the URL of the thread.
- [spoiler]
- A user can put the tags "[spoiler] <insert text here> [/spoiler]" around something that they wish to conceal unless the text is moused over (not all boards support this).
- quotes
- A user can use a '>' character to quote a passage of text. The text of a quote is automatically turned green and thus is often called "greentexting". It should be noted that a quote does not necessarily have to have been said in the thread, or even on the board to be displayed as a quote. Additionally, a user can use double pointers ('>>') to quote a whole post; this method also creates a link to the quoted post. If the post quoted does not exist, an error will be displayed when the link is clicked upon. Finally, a user can use triple pointers ('>>>') to quote a post on another 4chan board.
- tripcodes
- Tripcodes are a method in place which allow a user to temporarily be granted identity. When a user employs a tripcode, their name will display a unique hash which can help others identify the user. To use a tripcode, a user must include a '#' character in the name field, followed by a string that the server uses to associate the tripcode with the user. [15]
Ethics and controversy
4chan is the source of many ethical controversies and is in the news at least once every few months. Of primary concern is the site's staple of full anonymity which has lead to the rise of the Anonymous persona. Under this anonymous disguise, participants on 4chan will target any person or organization they have a disagreement with. The targets range from random, and otherwise unknown, people off the internet to groups like the Church of Scientology or to companies like Google.[16]
Innocent Humor
While some users of the 4chan use the "anonymous" characteristic of the site for harmful reasons, others use it to have some innocent fun. An example of this is a prank pulled by the creator of the website himself, moot. As an April Fools' Day prank in 2004, moot posted pictures of a man in a graduation uniform shortly after getting his diploma from Standford University. He later posted another picture of this man on April 4, showing him next to a statue in Mexico. moot claimed that the man pictured was himself, and that his name was Robert Bopkins. This was believed by the majority of 4chan users for quite some time, until moot appeared in the flesh at the 2005 Otakon Panel[17]. Seeing moot's teenage-like un-nerdy appearance surprised many 4chan users, and moot was able to get a good laugh about the prank he had pulled, deceiving his users for over a year.
When 4chan is used to pull a prank such as the one pulled by moot, no real harm is done. For those users who knew that "Robert Bopkins" was not really moot, it was quite an entertaining scheme. Those users who believed moot was telling the truth might have been frustrated, but they also might have found it funny to see that moot is actually a young, normal guy. However, it may have been seen as unethical to deceive thousands of users for over a year. All in all, no one was harmed or greatly offended. Having innocent fun is a great way to use the 4chan site in a safe manner.
Attempting to ruin lives
While some have innocent fun, other users find harmful uses of 4chan that ruin people's lives. One strategy of attack is to manipulate victims to reveal private or embarrassing information and then spread this cryptic information to the victim's friends and family. For instance, a 4chan user might go onto the site Omegle and pretend to be an underage girl. The 4chan user will then get the victim to make sexually explicit advances, by offering nude pictures for instance. The 4chan user will then ask for the victim's email or Facebook, so the pictures can be sent. Once this information is given, it becomes extremely easy to find the victim's family and friends. Using fake Facebook accounts, the 4chan user may then send screenshots of the conversation to these people with notes condemning the victim's actions.[18]
This kind of behavior is ripe for discussions on ethics. First, it demonstrates that one can never know and, therefore, should never trust a person who is anonymous. The consequences of this trust were previously made evident. Second, this is an example of one's online actions spilling over into the real-world, meaning that the boundaries between cyberspace and the real-world can be extremely porous. As such, one should be careful and mindful of the amount of their personal information being exposed online. Third, the 4chan user's actions are illegal in most jurisdictions, yet the user continues to break the law. This can be attributed to the user's high level of anonymity. It is highly unlikely that the person would ever be caught.
Dusty the cat
On February 15th, 2009, two YouTube videos were posted from the account glennspam1 in which an adolescent called "Timmy" punched and threw his cat against the wall for several minutes [19]. Users of 4chan were upset by the videos and formed an IRC channel, called #catraid, in order to organize an effort to discover the identity of the attacker and deliver "græt justice". Within 48 hours, local police arrested Kenny Glenn, the perpetrator of the crime, and his brother, and charged them with animal abuse. Dusty the Cat and another cat were taken from the home and placed in a safe place.
Kenny Glenn will forever be known as the abuser of Dusty the cat due to the actions of /b/ members of 4chan. A large ethical concern of this case has to do with the "physical interaction" that occurred between members of /b/ and Kenny Glenn and his family. Kenny's reputation is permanently damaged and although this damage is a result of his actions, it can be questioned whether or not his punishment was appropriate for his crime.
Child pornography
Because /b/ has no set topic, users post a variety of images, ranging from highly disturbing gore, to sexually explicit images, and child pornography. Child Porn, commonly referred to as "CP", is joked about by posting pictures of Chris Hansen from the TV show To Catch a Predator and Pedobear. [20] Since users do get banned for posting actual child porn[21], they skirt the line by posting suggestive pictures of children, and explicit images of young boys and girls of questionable ages. This is done as a way of fostering simultaneous acceptance and rejection of the topic - so as to comply with the US government's age of consent law.
Although users are anonymous to each other, logs and other records of activity are kept by Christopher Poole. It is possible, therefore, for governments to obtain the IP logs of users for the site. These IP addresses, and the associated logs, can then be used as corroborating evidence in a trial.[22]
In one case, a 15-year-old California boy who uploaded child pornography to the site had a federal investigation launched against him. His house was raided by Homeland Security and his computers seized. It is unclear what criminal charges the boy may face.[23]
Collin Campbell, a U.S. Navy Machinist’s Mate, was arrested in February 2011 after a fellow seaman found child pornography on his iPhone that he downloaded entirely from 4chan. [24]
On 17 February 2012, Thaddeus McMichael was arrested by the FBI for child pornography charges, after posting comments on Facebook claiming that he possessed child pornography.[141] According to the official criminal complaint filed against Thaddeus, he admitted to obtaining child pornography from the /b/ board on 4chan [25]
Desensitization
Since /b/ has virtually no filter for material, other than child pornography. As a result, 4chan users may become desensitized to content and images in real life that they would otherwise have found offensive, had they not seen them on 4chan. Material such as gore, dead bodies, and hardcore pornography will assault the unsuspecting user that enters the 4chan board for the first time. Specific types of shocking content may be posted in dedicated threads, such as "gore threads". Such content is also used by users to flood threads they dislike. Because of the prevalence of this content on /b/, some argue that /b/ is decreasing the sensitivity to offensive material of people in the real world.
Tripcodes
By using tripcodes on 4chan, one can create an identity for themselves amongst the anonymous population. However, this is typically looked down upon by most users. Even if a tripcode user posts good content and contributes to discussions, he or she is commonly met with disdain. This is due to the culture of 4chan and the view that if someone attempts to create a consistent identity they are usually trying to "attention whore" -- trying to seek attention. Some users take this view to the extreme and use 4chan browser add-ons to automatically ignore and block all posts by users using tripcodes. Because of the disruption that using a tripcode continuously may bring, many hold the view that people should never use a tripcode unless it is necessary. Such an instance would be needing to identify yourself as the OP of a thread. But at the same time, users should be free to do what they want and should not be unfairly ignored for simply using tripcodes, especially if they are good contributors.
Media Attention
According to the Washington Post, "the site's users have managed to pull off some of the highest profile collective actions in the history of the internet." [26]
In late 2008, the private Yahoo! Mail account of Sarah Palin was hacked by a 4chan user. This followed criticism of Palin and other politicians supposedly using private email accounts for government work. The hacker posted the password on /b/, and screenshots to wikileaks. [27]
See Also
References
- ↑ An Analysis of Anonymity and Ephemerality in a Large Online Community [1]
- ↑ Millen, D. R., and Patterson, J. F. 2003. Identity disclosure and the creation of social capital. In Proc. of CHI, 720–721.
- ↑ 4chan FAQ www.4chan.org/faq
- ↑ 4chan. History Timeline
- ↑ Turner Radio Network
- ↑ Slaughter, Jessi [2]
- ↑ Zetter, Kim. Palin E-Mail Hacker Says It Was Easy. Wired. 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ↑ Zetter, Kim. Sarah Palin E-mail Hacker Sentenced to 1 Year in Custody. Wired. 2011-11-10. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Justin Bieber Death Hoax. Snopes. Retreieved 2011-12-17.
- ↑ O'Connor, Maureen. How Justin Bieber Caught a Contagious Syphilis Rumor. '"Gawker. 2010-06-14. Retrieved 2011-12-17.
- ↑ TIME staff. The World's Most Influential Person Is... TIME. 2009-04-27. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ↑ Lashua's Birthday on KnowYourMeme.com
- ↑ Schwartz, Mattathias. The Trolls Among Us. The New York Times. 2008-08-03. Retrieved 2011-11-11.
- ↑ http://www.4chan.org/rules#b
- ↑ 4chan Site 4chan - FAQ. Retrieved 2011-12-16.
- ↑ Barkham, Patrick. Hackers declare war on Scientologists amid claims of heavy-handed Cruise control The Guardian. 2008-02-03. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ 4chan, History
- ↑ Ultimate Omegle Trolling. 4chanarchive - /b/. 2010-12-10. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ Kenny Glenn Oh Internet. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ Chris Hansen, [3]
- ↑ Encyclopedia Dramatica, 4chan bans
- ↑ Saint, Nick. Here Is 4Chan Founder Moot's Full Testimony From The Palin Email Trial. Business Insider. 2010-08-10. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ Feds Raid Boy's Home Over 4chan Child Porn Post. The Smoking Gun. 2011-6-29. Retrieved 2011-12-07.
- ↑ Thesmokinggun.com. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
- ↑ [4]The Court document.
- ↑ Washington Post "The Washington Post." Retrieved 2011-12-15.
- ↑ Palin's email gets hacked