Vandalism
Mostly I dislike the vandalism that too often goes hand in hand with hacking these days. In 4chans case, however, I'm finding it unusually difficult to feel bad about it....
Internet armpit 4chan now has a bug bounty – although with just $20 in "self-serve ad spend" on the website or an annual membership up for grabs, it's not particularly bountiful. The bounty programme was launched after the image-board website and a drawing website, both founded by Chris "moot" Poole, were compromised by …
to call the reward "stingy" when moot is pretty much funding 4chan out of his own pocket. Despite the site's infamous popularity, it's not exactly making him a fortune. The site's notoriety and reputation for unshackled political incorrectness means that most companies are reluctant to advertise on it, so moot's stuck with the porn ad dollar and member passes as his sole source of revenue. Which can't be much after he's paid for bandwidth, hosting, maintenance and service costs, so he probably can't offer thousands of dollars as an incentive. Instead he's relying on the hearts and support of those who understand 4chan and its social function.
4chan fulfils a vital need for freedom of expression on the internet. In an age when expressing politically incorrect opinions can destroy careers and even lives, there needs to exist an outlet free from the restraints of identity, where people can both vent their anger without fear of backlash, and debate issues that in conventional arenas are soon drowned out in howling accusations of bigotry and privilege.
For despite the sheer volume of shit infesting 4chan, I've participated in some interesting and intelligent discussions with people there - discussions which were only possible because of the anonymity that enabled honest expression of opinion, rather than having everyone hide behind a mask of fear to avoid ruining their careers or lives because their expressed opinions could be tied to their real identities.
As long as sanctimonious and hypocritical do-gooders can use the power of social media to ram their political agendas down everyone's throats, destroying the careers, reputations and lives of anyone who disagrees with them, claiming freedom of speech while rationalising their denial of it to others with specious justifications, there exists a need for sites like 4chan where people can share their views anonymously without fear.
Yes, it is a cesspit. But we all need somewhere to shit.
As long as sanctimonious and hypocritical do-gooders can use the power of social media to ram their political agendas down everyone's throats, destroying the careers, reputations and lives of anyone who disagrees with them, claiming freedom of speech while rationalising their denial of it to others with specious justifications, there exists a need for sites like 4chan where people can share their views anonymously without fear.
Yes, it is a cesspit. But we all need somewhere to shit."
That... was a beautiful speech.
Just as is the case with MS, no matter how much you polish a turd, it is still a turd.
Maybe if it was confined to just the internet it would be tolerable. But it's not. I personally know people who have been physically injured because of the antics 4chan engages in. So no, it's not all in good fun.
I never said it was in good fun. And I'm sorry about your friends who fell foul of the less savoury exponents of 4chan.
But that in no way diminishes the validity of the social function 4chan serves or the cultural safety-valve it represents. Unfortunately, freedom can bring with it risks and dangers, and sometimes people get hurt. That's a fact of life. And it is the actions of people who demand safety at any cost, even at the expense of freedom, that have created the kind of world in which sites like 4chan are necessary.
Stirring shit that doesn't need to be stirred.
You mean expressing opinions you don't think should be allowed to be expressed by the sounds of it.
You've completely missed my point. You can't just decide, "This is how the world should be and anyone who doesn't agree should be denied a voice", because it becomes like a dam - pressure builds up, people get angry, and it culminates in an explosion of violence. This has happened too often in history to be safely ignored. No matter how noble your intentions, no matter how "civilised" you consider your mode of existence, any attempt to impose that mode of existence by fiat on others inevitably ends in bloodshed and tyranny.
I get that you don't like some of the thoughts aired on 4chan. But at least we know those thoughts exist. 4chan is routinely monitored by several countries' law enforcers these days for just this reason - so they can spot potential sources of unrest and prepare for them. And it provides a valuable insight into potential social problems. Are a lot of people posting angrily about some issue on 4chan? Then that's a social issue that needs to be confronted and addressed.
Learn to see and use it for what it is, rather than just stomping on it because some of the topics posted there offend your sensibilities. Attitudes like that are exactly why society needs 4chan and sites like it.
> the social function 4chan serves
You mean as a hub for trading of underage porn, underage hentai, self-shot penis shots, and staging ground for forum invasions and harassment of 11-year-old-girls on Facebook? Yeah, I don't see how the net could survive without that.
Re: "I personally know people who have been physically injured"
I think that the right to have a voice through 4chan should be protected. I understand what you mean, though. I remember seeing instructions for how to grow crystals that were instead a way to make a poisonous gas could easily have killed someone they tried it.
Sites like 4chan are not for people who need supervision.