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I would not lump 4chan into this discussion. I'll concede that some boards on the site are more polemical than others and promote alt-right ideologies without a

by moab 7y ago

I would not lump 4chan into this discussion. I'll concede that some boards on the site are more polemical than others and promote alt-right ideologies without a doubt, but there are many other interesting boards and people on 4chan that are not captured by the broad strokes you're outlining. I know people that browse /fit/, /lit/, /mu/ and /out/ just to name some boards that are perfectly reasonable individuals that don't lionize shooters or hold other alienated views.

meruru 7y ago
I'm most familiar with /a/ and can tell you there's a broad distaste for /pol/ on /a/.
andrepd 7y ago
That's a concern leveled elsewhere in this thread: that you go to 4chan to discuss music or retro video games, and are one click away from an absolute hive of poisonous extremists.
- meruru 7y ago
  On the other hand, the extremists are one click away from the people who will call them out on their bs. I'm not sure if that's worse or better than deplatforming them only to have they retreat to even more extremist echo-chambers.
  - rpmisms 7y ago
    It's good. Know thine enemy, and keep them close.
- moab 7y ago
  The "bad" boards frequently leak, and you do see highly political or racist posts from time-to-time on the regular boards. A sign that the community is functioning properly is regulars on /out/, /lit/, etc. calling out (read mocking) ethno-nationalist threads, or race-baiting for what they are.
  - zanny 7y ago
    > unfortunately no one has the answer. The answer is structuring society, socialization, and culture in a way that doesn't disenfranchise people or leave them feeling helpless enough to turn to extremism, hate, and violence. But that requires empathy and effort, things often in short supply. People only go down the dark paths that lead to 8chan et al when the avenues to belonging they were presented with by their parents and by default failed them.
Notorious_BLT 7y ago
Just to add on my own experiences, Since starting to collect toys and also make my own, I've been entirely unable to find a better community for both of these than /toy/. Every other community is brimming with an endless barrage of superhero stuff and zero interest in niche/art toy lines. /pol/-esque posting is always mocked, reported, and subsequently purged by janitors there.
jachee 7y ago
Can we please stop using the "alt-right" euphemism for racist, backwards, literal Nazis? Edit: seems we have some Nazi-sympathizer downvoters on HN. Go figure.
- JulianMorrison 7y ago
  There is an important difference, in approach if not in ultimate intent: the alt right tries to look suave, intellectual, and hipsterish. (This is also why "debate" is exactly the wrong way to approach them as it plays to their charade. Antifa is entirely correct to respond to them with suppressive violence.)
- rpmisms 7y ago
  Literal Nazis are German White Nationalist Socialists. That's not what the alt-right is. The alt-right is a blanket term used to describe anyone right of Bill Clinton who is currently not a media darling. Fascists or Ethno-Centrists are both better terms, and cover the ideologies that most people attribute to the alt right.
ibejoeb 7y ago
>promote alt-right ideologies Why are invoking alt-right? One of the two shooters was radically left, and he posted his threats on Twitter.
- moab 7y ago
  Because that's the radicalized ideology that pops up most often on 4chan. If you know of a board with a contingent of alt-left/identity-politics I would be interested to know. As you said yourself, the case of the second shooter seems to be related to Twitter, not the chans.
  - _carl_jung 7y ago
    > If you know of a board with a contingent of alt-left/identity-politics This bubble is so large it no longer appears to be a bubble.
- krainboltgreene 7y ago
  He had "leftist" in his bio so that makes him a "radical left". Is that what passes as reasoned thinking these days?
  - ibejoeb 7y ago
    No. Come on, are we gonna do it like this? Actually take a look at this guy. I call him radical because he actually was. He posted overt, politically charged threats on Twitter, for example: "I want socialism, and i’ll not wait for the idiots to finally come round to understanding."
- deleted 7y ago
  [deleted]
syrrim 7y ago
There are good boards on 8ch too. Probably more, considering anyone can make a board.

by moab 7y ago

meruru 7y ago

I'm most familiar with /a/ and can tell you there's a broad distaste for /pol/ on /a/.

andrepd 7y ago

That's a concern leveled elsewhere in this thread: that you go to 4chan to discuss music or retro video games, and are one click away from an absolute hive of poisonous extremists.

meruru 7y ago
On the other hand, the extremists are one click away from the people who will call them out on their bs. I'm not sure if that's worse or better than deplatforming them only to have they retreat to even more extremist echo-chambers.
- rpmisms 7y ago
  It's good. Know thine enemy, and keep them close.
moab 7y ago
The "bad" boards frequently leak, and you do see highly political or racist posts from time-to-time on the regular boards. A sign that the community is functioning properly is regulars on /out/, /lit/, etc. calling out (read mocking) ethno-nationalist threads, or race-baiting for what they are.
- zanny 7y ago
  > unfortunately no one has the answer. The answer is structuring society, socialization, and culture in a way that doesn't disenfranchise people or leave them feeling helpless enough to turn to extremism, hate, and violence. But that requires empathy and effort, things often in short supply. People only go down the dark paths that lead to 8chan et al when the avenues to belonging they were presented with by their parents and by default failed them.

Notorious_BLT 7y ago

Just to add on my own experiences, Since starting to collect toys and also make my own, I've been entirely unable to find a better community for both of these than /toy/. Every other community is brimming with an endless barrage of superhero stuff and zero interest in niche/art toy lines. /pol/-esque posting is always mocked, reported, and subsequently purged by janitors there.

jachee 7y ago

Can we please stop using the "alt-right" euphemism for racist, backwards, literal Nazis? Edit: seems we have some Nazi-sympathizer downvoters on HN. Go figure.

JulianMorrison 7y ago
There is an important difference, in approach if not in ultimate intent: the alt right tries to look suave, intellectual, and hipsterish. (This is also why "debate" is exactly the wrong way to approach them as it plays to their charade. Antifa is entirely correct to respond to them with suppressive violence.)
rpmisms 7y ago
Literal Nazis are German White Nationalist Socialists. That's not what the alt-right is. The alt-right is a blanket term used to describe anyone right of Bill Clinton who is currently not a media darling. Fascists or Ethno-Centrists are both better terms, and cover the ideologies that most people attribute to the alt right.

ibejoeb 7y ago

>promote alt-right ideologies Why are invoking alt-right? One of the two shooters was radically left, and he posted his threats on Twitter.

moab 7y ago
Because that's the radicalized ideology that pops up most often on 4chan. If you know of a board with a contingent of alt-left/identity-politics I would be interested to know. As you said yourself, the case of the second shooter seems to be related to Twitter, not the chans.
- _carl_jung 7y ago
  > If you know of a board with a contingent of alt-left/identity-politics This bubble is so large it no longer appears to be a bubble.
krainboltgreene 7y ago
He had "leftist" in his bio so that makes him a "radical left". Is that what passes as reasoned thinking these days?
- ibejoeb 7y ago
  No. Come on, are we gonna do it like this? Actually take a look at this guy. I call him radical because he actually was. He posted overt, politically charged threats on Twitter, for example: "I want socialism, and i’ll not wait for the idiots to finally come round to understanding."
deleted 7y ago
[deleted]

syrrim 7y ago

There are good boards on 8ch too. Probably more, considering anyone can make a board.