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8chan

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For other uses, see 8chan (disambiguation).

8chan
File:InfiniteChan∞chanLogo.svg
Type of site
Imageboard
Available inEnglish, Japanese (users can create language specific boards)
OwnerJim Watkins,
N.T. Technology (2channel)[1]
Created byFredrick Brennan
URL8ch.net
CommercialYes
RegistrationOptional

8chan, also called Infinitechan, is an English-language imageboard website composed of user-created boards. Each board is moderated by its respective creator, with minimal interaction from other site administration.[3]

The site allows any content to be posted, so long as it adheres to United States law.

Several of the site's boards have played an active role in the Gamergate controversy, encouraging Gamergate affiliates to frequent 8chan after the topic was banned on the unaffiliated imageboard 4chan. As of August 2015, the site was the 10,204th most visited site in the world,[2] and in November 2014, it was receiving an average of 35,000 unique visitors per day and 400,000 posts per week when it was at a higher rank.[4]

History

8chan was created in October 2013 by computer programmer Fredrick Brennan,[4][5] also known by the nickname "Hotwheels."[6] Brennan created the website after he observed what he perceived to be rapidly escalating surveillance and a loss of free speech on the Internet.[4] Brennan, who considers the imageboard 4chan to have grown into authoritarianism, describes 8chan as a "free-speech-friendly" alternative,[4] and had originally conceptualized the site while experiencing a psychedelic mushrooms trip.[6][7]

No experience or programming knowledge is necessary for users to create their own boards.[3] Since as early as March 2014, its FAQ has stated only one rule that is to be globally enforced: "Do not post, request, or link to any content illegal in the United States of America. Do not create boards with the sole purpose of posting or spreading such content."[3] Brennan has claimed that, while he finds some of the content posted by users to be "reprehensible," he feels personally obligated to uphold the site's integrity by tolerating discussion he does not necessarily support regardless of his moral stance.[4]

Brennan agreed to partner 8chan with the Japanese message board 2channel,[6] and subsequently relocated to the Philippines in October 2014.[8]

In January 2015, the site changed its domain 8chan.co to 8ch.net after multiple people filed reports complaining to 8chan’s registrar that the message board hosted child pornography. Despite subsequently regaining the domain, the site remained at 8ch.net, with the old domain redirecting to it.[7]

Numerous bugs in the Infinity software led to the funding and development of a successor platform dubbed "Infinity Next". After a several-month-long testing period, a migration to the new software was attempted in December 2015, but failed.[9][clarification needed] Eventually, development was halted, and the main developer, Joshua Moon, fired by Brennan.[10]

Controversies

Child pornography

The Washington Post described it as "the more-lawless, more-libertarian, more 'free' follow-up to 4chan."[7] Boards have been created to discuss controversial topics, including pedophilia. While the sharing of illegal content is against site rules, The Daily Dot wrote that boards do exist to share sexualized images of minors in provocative poses, and that some users of those boards do post links to explicit child pornography hosted elsewhere.[4] When asked whether such boards were an inevitable result of free speech, Brennan responded, "Unfortunately, yes. I don’t support the content on the boards you mentioned, but it is simply the cost of free speech and being the only active site to not impose more 'laws' than those that were passed in Washington, D.C."[4]

In August 2015, for a brief period, 8chan was blacklisted from Google Search for containing content constituting "suspected child abuse content."[11] It was later restored to the search engine's listings without explanation.[12]

Gamergate

Main article: Gamergate controversy

On September 18, 2014, the website gained prominence in the Gamergate controversy after 4chan banned discussion of Gamergate,[4][8][13] whereupon 8chan became one of several hubs of Gamergate activity.[4][8][14][15] "/gg/," 8chan's initial Gamergate-oriented board, also gained attention after being compromised by members of the internet troll group Gay Nigger Association of America, forcing Gamergate activists to migrate to "/gamergate/." This replacement quickly became the site's second most populous board.[14]

Swatting incidents

In January 2015 the site was used as a base for swatting exploits in Portland, Seattle, and Burnaby, British Columbia, most of them tied to the victims' criticism of Gamergate and 8chan's association with it;[16] the attacks were coordinated on a board on the website called "/baphomet/."[15] One of the victims of a swatting attack said that she was singled out because she had followed someone on Twitter.[17][18][19] On February 9, 2015, contents on the "/baphomet/" subboard were wiped after personal information of Katherine Forrest, the presiding judge in the Silk Road case, had been posted there.[20]

Anti-semitism and White Nationalism

In July of 2016, US presidential candidate Donald Trump tweeted an image of Hillary Clinton with a background of money and a six pointed star, seen by some as resembling the Star of David containing the message "Most corrupt candidate ever". The image had originally been posted to 8chan's /pol/ board. The New York Times called 8chan a "website for the 'alt right,' an internet-based movement associated with white nationalism".[21]

References

  1. ^ 8chan – Who owns 8chan?
  2. ^ a b "8ch.net Site Info". Alexa Internet. Retrieved August 22, 2015.
  3. ^ a b c Brennan, Fredrick. "FAQ". 8chan.co. Infinitechan. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Howell O'Neill, Patrick (November 17, 2014). "8chan, the central hive of Gamergate, is also an active pedophile network". The Daily Dot.
  5. ^ Machkovech, Sam (March 17, 2015). "Full transcript: Ars interviews 8chan founder Fredrick Brennan". Ars Technica. Retrieved June 15, 2015.
  6. ^ a b c Caldwell, Don (October 9, 2014). "Q&A with Fredrick Brennan of 8chan". Know Your Meme. Retrieved December 18, 2014.
  7. ^ a b c Caitlin, Dewey (January 13, 2015). "This is what happens when you create an online community without any rules". The Washington Post.
  8. ^ a b c Chen, Adrian (October 27, 2014). "Gamergate Supporters Partied at a Strip Club This Weekend". New York (magazine).
  9. ^ Moon, Joshua (December 19, 2015). "qt2ww" (Plaintext). Retrieved December 20, 2015.
  10. ^ Brennan, Fredrick (January 26, 2016). "Infinity Never". Medium. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  11. ^ Machkovech, Sam (August 14, 2015). "8chan-hosted content disappears from Google searches". Ars Technica. Condé Nast. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
  12. ^ Brennan, Frederick (August 13, 2015). "Google is not your friend?". Medium. Retrieved September 9, 2015.
  13. ^ Audureau, William (October 15, 2014). "4chan, wizardchan, 8chan... s'y retrouver dans la jungle des forums anonymes les plus populaires du Web". Le Monde (in French). France.
  14. ^ a b Bernstein, Joseph (December 4, 2014). "GamerGate's Headquarters Has Been Destroyed By Trolls". Buzzfeed. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  15. ^ a b Hern, Alex (January 13, 2015). "Gamergate hits new low with attempts to send Swat teams to critics". The Guardian. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  16. ^ Mattise, Nathan (January 4, 2015). "8chan tries "swatting" GamerGate critic, sends cops to an old address". Ars Technica.
  17. ^ McElroy, Justin (January 15, 2015). "Police falsely called to Burnaby women's home by online harassers". Global News. Retrieved January 15, 2015.
  18. ^ Cheong, Ian Miles (January 13, 2015). "Canadian Victim of Gamergate SWATing Attempt Comes Forward". Gameranx. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
  19. ^ "Reckless 'swatting' prank sends police to B.C. woman's home". CTV News. January 14, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  20. ^ Machkovech, Sam (February 12, 2015). "Notorious 8chan "subboard" has history wiped after federal judge's doxing". Ars Technica. Retrieved February 13, 2015.
  21. ^ "Donald Trump's Star of David Tweet Came From a Fringe Website, a Report Says". The New York Times. July 4, 2016.

External links

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