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Fredrick "Hotwheels" Brennan is an American computer programmer with brittle bone disease, who founded the 8chan imageboard website.

Early life

Brennan was born in 1994 or 1995 with osteogenesis imperfecta, brittle bone disease, which stunted his growth, and confined him to a motorized wheelchair. He estimates he had broken bones 120 times in his first 19 years. His disability restricted his childhood play activities, so he was "hooked" on his first computer at the age of 6. He wrote his first independent computer program at the age of 13.

Independence

In 2013, Brennan moved from his mother's home in Atlantic City, New Jersey to Brooklyn, where he works writing websites as head of programming for RazorClicks, which does small business Web marketing. The company pays the rent for his apartment, and he works a second job, remotely, for a Canadian company for expenses.

In January, 2014, Brennan was robbed of almost $5000 that he was saving up for a new wheelchair. When the suspect was arrested, Brennan went to the police station for a lineup, but when a bus didn't come on the way back, was left stranded in snow, and had to be treated for hypothermia. He received a personal apology from New York City Police Commissioner William J. Bratton. RazorClicks launched a donation campaign to help gather the remaining funds for a new wheelchair.

8chan

Brennan launched 8chan, also called "Infinite Chan", in October 2013, after a month of raising pledges on Patreon. It was meant as a "free-speech-friendly 4chan alternative", where discussion boards would be managed by the creating users, not by site moderators.

In September 2014, the website gained popularity from the GamerGate controversy after 4chan banned supporters of the subject, many of whom then organized at 8chan. In October 2014, supporters held a birthday party for the site, starring Brennan. Brennan himself became a prominent GamerGate advocate, being interviewed by The Huffington Post and The David Pakman Show about the controversy, once alongside, and once in regards to Brianna Wu.

References

1. ^ Wilson, Michael (17 January 2014). "City Newcomer Is Let Down by a Stranger, Then the Police". New York Times. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
2. ^ The America Tonight Digital Team (September 12, 2014). "A day in the life of a man with brittle bone disease". America Tonight. Al Jazeera America. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
3. "The Other America 'Fredrick Brennan' - YouTube". Al Jazeera America. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
4. ^ "RazorClicks-Help Fredrick Brennan". RazorClicks. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
5. "NY police apologize to victim with food, favors". PoliceOne. March 22, 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
6. ^ O'Neill, Patrick Howell (November 17, 2014). "8chan, the central hive of Gamergate, is also an active pedophile network". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 3 December 2014.
7. "Support Fredrick Brennan creating free speech friendly 4chan alternative". Patreon. September 2013. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
8. Audureau, William (October 15, 2014). "4chan, wizardchan, 8chan... s'y retrouver dans la jungle des forums anonymes les plus populaires du Web" (in French). France: Le Monde. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
9. Chen, Adrian (October 27, 2014). "Gamergate Supporters Party at Strip Club". New York. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
10. "What Is #Gamergate? 8chan Administrator And Female Gamer Join HuffPost Live". HuffPost Live. Huffington Post. October 15, 2014. Retrieved 10 November 2014.
11. Pakman, David (November 5, 2014). "#GamerGate: 8Chan Admin 'Hotwheels' Denounces Brianna Wu Doxxing & Harassment". The David Pakman Show. Retrieved 3 December 2014. Also on YouTube