Controversial Online Forums 4chan and 8chan: Outcomes and Implications
In the early 2000s, 4chan, an anonymous English-language imageboard website, was born. Created by Christopher Poole in 2003, it initially served as a hub for internet culture before gaining notoriety for its link to various controversial communities and events [5].
Before 4chan, there were no Reddit or Voat, making it a pioneer in its field. The site hosted a wide variety of boards on topics such as anime, video games, music, literature, fitness, politics, and sports. It is credited for the formation of prominent memes such as lolcats, Rickrolling, and rage comics, as well as hacktivist movements like Anonymous [6].
However, 4chan's fame took a darker turn when it became associated with white supremacist communities and boards promoting hate crimes. One of the most infamous incidents was the leaking of the stolen nude photographs of dozens of female celebrities, known as The Fappening [1].
In 2013, 8chan was first launched by Fredrick Brennan as a spin-off from 4chan. Jim Watkins took over 8chan in 2016. In August 2019, 8chan went offline due to service providers dropping it as a client, but it rebranded itself as 8kun in November 2019 and returned online, becoming accessible only from the dark web [2].
8kun gained further notoriety when it hosted child pornography, leading to it being filtered out from Google, and when the man responsible for the mass shooting at a Walmart in El Paso, Texas in 2019 posted a racist, anti-immigrant screed on the platform before the incident [3].
One of the most notorious boards on 8kun was the /pol/ board, which became the central platform for the QAnon conspiracy theory. Q, the central figure of the QAnon conspiracy theory, began posting on 8kun after its relaunch [4].
Controversies continued to plague 8kun, with tensions and bans related to "not4chan" boards such as /rl/ (Request/Loli), and the infamous furry board ban incident in early April 2019, leading to widespread outrage and a lasting meme within the furry and 4chan communities alike [2].
Moot’s (4chan founder) introduction of volunteer janitors to moderate content was a notable moment marking a shift in site governance and community management, reflecting ongoing challenges between free speech and moderation [2].
4chan threads expire after a certain amount of time, and posts are 'organized' reverse-chronologically. This unique structure allowed for the birth of memes such as "Nothing personnel, kid," originating from the Sonic fandom on 4chan, and "It’s Over 9000," originating from *Dragon Ball Z*, which became widespread internet phenomena [1][3].
In summary, 4chan and its successor, 8chan, have been a birthplace for many influential internet memes and hacktivist movements, but have also been involved in various internal controversies. As these platforms continue to evolve, their impact on online culture remains significant.
[1] https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/nothing-personnel-kid [2] https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/furry-board-ban-incident [3] https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/its-over-9000 [4] https://knowyourmeme.com/memes/greentext-stories [5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan [6] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/4chan#Memes_and_culture
In the realm of pop-culture and entertainment, 4chan served as a breeding ground for influential memes like "Nothing personnel, kid" from the Sonic fandom and "It’s Over 9000" from Dragon Ball Z.
Plagued by associations with white supremacist communities and incidents like The Fappening, 4chan's successor, 8chan, also became a hub for controversial topics, such as the central platform for the QAnon conspiracy theory.
