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Anonymity

4chan is an anonymous BBS that does not require (but does allow) the user to supply any personal information like name or email address before being able to post messages. Unlike most web forums, 4chan does not have any kind of registration system. Any person can use any nickname to his or her liking, making it possible to post under the name of someone else by simply entering their name into the posting form. In place of registration, 4chan has provided tripcodes as an optional form of authenticating a poster's identity. As the concept of anonymous posting is a defining feature of Futaba-like imageboards, the use of tripcodes generates controversy amongst 4chan users. Many posters who use them risk being singled out and ridiculed, often with the use of insults like "tripfag". As anonymous posting causes posts to be attributed to "Anonymous", a running gag on 4chan is the idea that Anonymous is in fact a single person.

Use of the (thus far) uncrackable secure tripcode is extremely rare. The complete immunity to trolling and impersonation these tripcodes provide is viewed as a character flaw. As such, secure tripcode users receive even harsher treatment than normal tripcode users.

The /b/ board differs from the others in that it has "forced.anonymous" (a board software variable) enabled, removing the name field (as well as tripcodes) from the posting form and all posts entirely.

Moderators will generally post without a name even when performing bannings or posting information. In this case, the post is attributed to "Anonymous ## Mod". The primary exception is when 4chan's founder "moot" posts information relating to changes in the site, though moot also frequently posts anonymously. Attempting to post using moot's tripcode results in the user being automatically (and permanently) banned on an IP level by the board software.

Memes

4chan has given birth to a number of memes, a select few of which have become popular enough to spread outside of 4chan and become widely recognized Internet phenomena. For example, some memes have even affected the work of several webcomic artists. Notable examples of webcomic artists that have been influenced by such memes include Josh Lesnick of the webcomic Girly, Ghastly of Ghastly's Ghastly Comic, and Dave Cheung of Chugworth Academy. These cases of influence also serve to demonstrate 4chan's broader impact on the online community. A detailed list of these abundant catchphrases, memes and wordfilters can be found at the ChanChan wiki.

Many of these memes have taken the form of image macros; a user posts a picture, and others add text or edit the picture in other ways. Due to an overwhelming proliferation of image macros inside of 4chan's imageboards, they were banned from use on 4chan in early 2005. However, this did not apply to the Random board, /b/, which officially has "no rules," except for a ban on illegal content which also applies to certain grey areas (e.g. child models). The rules for 4chan's Random imageboard state that "Illegal content will not be tolerated. Borderline content will result in banishment—don't attempt to push the envelope".

Another popular form of meme is "copypasta" (a variation on copy and paste). This meme consists of the text of a previous post, usually a rant or boastful claim, continually reposted by users other than the original author. The meme's primary intent is to mock the original poster; however, there is the ancillary "benefit" of garnering reaction from users who never read the inital post. Additionally, users often alter the copypasta in a humorous way.

When a meme is believed to have been created as a result of a single person or a small group reposting it repeatedly to increase the meme's popularity, rather than letting it gain widespread acceptance and recognition in a more natural way, it is called a forced meme. Forced memes are generally disliked by the community, but the observance of some (e.g., "Milhouse is not a meme") are actually memes. Ultimately, few forced memes ever attain the levels of popularity and acceptance afforded to naturally occurring memes.

See also

• Imageboard
• Futaba Channel
• 2channel
• Image macro
• List of Internet phenomena
• Meme

References

1. Cite error: The named reference 4chanFAQ was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
2. "Girly #387". Josh Lesnick. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
3. "Ghastly's Ghastly Comic - "Filler Strip."". Chris Cracknell. Retrieved 2006-08-23.
4. "Whoa! Ghastly extracurricular comic found?". Posted on ComicGenesis Forums. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
5. "Chugworth Academy #215". Dave Cheung. Retrieved 2006-08-18.
6. Cite error: The named reference 4chanTOS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

External links

• 4chan.org