7 ms·

I don't understand your comment. What would be the problem with someone admitting publicly that they've been to 4chan?

moot 13y ago
When people recognize/approach me on the street, they often qualify it with "B-but I don't use 4chan [anymore]." There's certainly a stigma.
- fosap 13y ago
  I don't think so. It's more like saying "I'm an oldfag, I'm a kind of elitist". The hipster who was on 4chan before it was cool. Being on 4chan might be a kind of stigma, but not very much. I guess the average internet user looks down to thumblr not to 4chan. 4chan are a somehow the cool kids. Somehow.
  - jmduke 13y ago
    I strongly doubt the average internet user knows what 4chan is.
    - jlgreco 13y ago
      "internet user" in what capacity (checks their emails every week, or participates on online forums?) and in what age bracket? Once you exclude most of the internet users who are only nominally "using the internet", I suspect most are at least vaguely aware of 4chan.
      - jmduke 13y ago
        I meant in the most broad sense, which at this point is someone who uses email/Facebook/etc. daily. * Once you exclude most of the internet users who are only nominally "using the internet", I suspect most are at least vaguely aware of 4chan.* I agree! But I think the proportion of people you'd be excluding there is the overwhelming majority.
    - th0114nd 13y ago
      Or they saw a CNN special report on internet hackers and think they know what it is.
eli_gottlieb 13y ago
It's like publicly admitting you spend your spare time in a crack house: much of what goes on there is illegal, and a substantial portion is immoral or malicious.
- moot 13y ago
  >much of what goes on there is illegal, and a substantial portion is immoral or malicious. Wrong, but thanks for playing.
  - eli_gottlieb 13y ago
    With all respect, moot, 4chan breaks a huge number of laws about copyright protection (half of which were made specifically to illegalize file-sharing, of course). Raiding is certainly malicious, even if you enjoy it. And I don't think debating morality with the founder of 4chan is productive; if you have a moral sense it must be almost entirely libertarian.
    - indlebe 13y ago
      * * (censored to protect feelings)
    - mr_noah 13y ago
      Over 90% of the boards on 4chan are nothing but discussions about the particular subject. The most illegal stuff that happens on these boards is uploading images without permission, yes, it's that bad. Most people who speak of 4chan in this way, are really just talking about /b/.
      - eli_gottlieb 13y ago
        No, actually. I don't go to /b/. I can't even follow /b/; I try to keep track of a single thread or meme and it completely gets away from me. But as I said, there are some boards filled with blatant neo-Nazis, some filled with some of the world's more disgusting pornography, blah blah blah. Now, if you want to call it "the last bastion of freedom [to spread hate ideologies, post loli hentai, etc]", go ahead. However, be clear that you are defending the freedom to commit immoral acts. 4chan is the Mal Reynolds of the internet, not Luke Skywalker.

moot 13y ago

When people recognize/approach me on the street, they often qualify it with "B-but I don't use 4chan [anymore]." There's certainly a stigma.

fosap 13y ago
I don't think so. It's more like saying "I'm an oldfag, I'm a kind of elitist". The hipster who was on 4chan before it was cool. Being on 4chan might be a kind of stigma, but not very much. I guess the average internet user looks down to thumblr not to 4chan. 4chan are a somehow the cool kids. Somehow.
- jmduke 13y ago
  I strongly doubt the average internet user knows what 4chan is.
  - jlgreco 13y ago
    "internet user" in what capacity (checks their emails every week, or participates on online forums?) and in what age bracket? Once you exclude most of the internet users who are only nominally "using the internet", I suspect most are at least vaguely aware of 4chan.
    - jmduke 13y ago
      I meant in the most broad sense, which at this point is someone who uses email/Facebook/etc. daily. * Once you exclude most of the internet users who are only nominally "using the internet", I suspect most are at least vaguely aware of 4chan.* I agree! But I think the proportion of people you'd be excluding there is the overwhelming majority.
  - th0114nd 13y ago
    Or they saw a CNN special report on internet hackers and think they know what it is.

eli_gottlieb 13y ago

It's like publicly admitting you spend your spare time in a crack house: much of what goes on there is illegal, and a substantial portion is immoral or malicious.

moot 13y ago
>much of what goes on there is illegal, and a substantial portion is immoral or malicious. Wrong, but thanks for playing.
- eli_gottlieb 13y ago
  With all respect, moot, 4chan breaks a huge number of laws about copyright protection (half of which were made specifically to illegalize file-sharing, of course). Raiding is certainly malicious, even if you enjoy it. And I don't think debating morality with the founder of 4chan is productive; if you have a moral sense it must be almost entirely libertarian.
  - indlebe 13y ago
    * * (censored to protect feelings)
  - mr_noah 13y ago
    Over 90% of the boards on 4chan are nothing but discussions about the particular subject. The most illegal stuff that happens on these boards is uploading images without permission, yes, it's that bad. Most people who speak of 4chan in this way, are really just talking about /b/.
    - eli_gottlieb 13y ago
      No, actually. I don't go to /b/. I can't even follow /b/; I try to keep track of a single thread or meme and it completely gets away from me. But as I said, there are some boards filled with blatant neo-Nazis, some filled with some of the world's more disgusting pornography, blah blah blah. Now, if you want to call it "the last bastion of freedom [to spread hate ideologies, post loli hentai, etc]", go ahead. However, be clear that you are defending the freedom to commit immoral acts. 4chan is the Mal Reynolds of the internet, not Luke Skywalker.