If you don't know what 4chan is, you should be ashamed. At this very moment, I hope you are looking up 4chan on Wikipedia and Googling why you've been living under a rock.
I seem to be making a pretty big fuss about some lame website with a lame name that only lame tech geeks use. However, this very website is capable of "melting your brain," changing the course of pop culture and bringing down Western civilization-and your mom.
For a quick rundown, 4chan is a U.S. imageboard modeled after the ones in Japan. It receives 8.5 million page views a day and is currently the fourth largest online bulletin board in the world. The site is powerful because of the sheer magnitude of viewers who are "trolling" the web. If things become popular on the site, it will surely be within the reach of the common Internet user in no time.
The best part? Everyone's anonymous. No usernames or logins required. The information is completely unfiltered and hence a breeding ground for controversy. Child porn, bestiality and bomb threats are common posts. Click on "/b/," the website's random content page and prepare to be desensitized.
Wondering what sick, disgusting person was responsible for the evolution of a website both influential and profane?
Try a scrawny 20-year old who goes by the name "Christopher Poole." Mr. Poole, who started the website five years ago in his room, is also known as "moot," his username on 4chan.
The mysterious figure came to speak in one of my classes this week. The first thing I thought: he could pass for a hispter. Moppy hair, sweater over polo, skinny jeans and sneakers. Awkward posture, slightly geeky. This kid is clearly ironic.
As Poole stood before us, talking away about privacy and security concerns of his site, I wanted to personally thank him for a few things. I wanted to thank him for the phenomenon of lolcats (yup, you know it).
The viral sharing of cute cat photos accompanied by equally cute captions has changed my perspective of the world profoundly. I can no longer go a week without being bombarded by the propaganda of these furry creatures. Without moot, I would not receive Facebook group invites to "24,680,000 VOTING LOLCATS FOR PREZ!"
I wanted to thank him for rickrolling. Youtube would not be the same without it. Pranking someone has been taken to a whole new level. Knowing that one of my friends were fooled by such a lame scheme brings so much happiness to my heart. Even the Duke football team is indebted to its genius.
However, I couldn't thank him in person. Otherwise, my anonymity would be lost. Although I don't agree with some most of the content that is posted, my life is more fulfilled because I gazed into the eyes of what Time has called "one of the most powerful people on the web." Viva mootocracy, lolcats and more pointless trends!
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