Kompressor

Is 4chan Turning Into Internet Good Guys?



4chan, the anarchic Internet messageboard, appears to be experiencing an identity crisis. Whereas terror campaigns against tweens were once planned amid stomach-churning images, a strong streak of do-gooderism has taken hold. In fact, 4chan is being downright nice these days.

Most recently, 4chan's /b/ messageboard rallied to cheer up an old man. Someone posted a flyer they spotted in their local grocery store: "Wanted: People for Birthday Party." The old man in the ad, 90-year-old WWII veteran William J. Lashua, looked sad, and /b/ was touched. With the same blinding efficiency once applied to the harassment of 11-year-olds, they sent a raft of cards, flowers and well-wishes to the American Legion Hall in Massachusetts where the party will be hosted on Saturday.

The whole board is still collectively cooing over Lashua, posting pictures of the cards they're sending him and generally patting each other on the back for being such a good faceless Internet horde. Wrote one user:

(Lashua's grandson, meanwhile, has spoken out on the link aggregation service Reddit, thanking people for cards, but explaining that Lashua has more than enough family and friends coming to his party without any random Internet people showing up, thanks!)



This feat of niceness comes on the heels 4chan tracking down a British woman and a Bosnian girl who were filmed abusing a cat and adorable puppies, respectively. Seemingly overnight, 4chan has turned into the comments section of Good Housekeeping Magazine's website.

It's a strange look for a board whose users pride themselves on their image as a vengeful "Internet hate machine." 4chan's traditional aversion to niceness is evident in the fact that users have no less than three derogatory terms for people who show any trace of benevolence on the Internet: "moralfags," "white knights," and "Internet good guys." [Yours truly has been named both a "white knight" and an "Internet Good Guy" by 4chan's wiki of record (NSFW).]

What's responsible for the sudden turn towards light? It could be that users realize the media attention drawn to the site by good deeds is preferable to the hatchets that come out whenever they bully random kids. One user wrote: "Everybody send him nice cards it will be pretty cool not to mention 4chan could use some pure honest good publicity." Or it could be that coverage of previous good deeds have attracted a softer user, traditionally known on 4chan as "the cancer." Or, it could just be some elaborate prank meant to sicken us with its earnestness. (Seriously, 4chan? Helping an old person?)

But the old /b/-tards who get their kicks posting kiddie porn and ultra-violent images are still hanging around, no doubt incensed by 4chan's new niceness. One of them had a not-nice idea for a present for old man Lashua: "I sent him a dead cat lawl lol ol lol."

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Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought. -H. Bergson

shai_hulud

No, they are not.

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"There are only three useless things in this world. Nuns' nipples, bishops' balls and an employer's praise without a raise."

maszac

so what the fuck did /b/ do about that garbage kitty bitch?

shai_hulud

It's a thing of where they realize the stigma they've garnered and wish to change the perception of their identity. It's basic sociopathic behavior... how is this a 'get out of jail free card'? I mean, come on.

But most likely, they have just gotten bored with the havok causing ways that they are attributed to and decided "woot let's do something friendly, yeah!?"

__________________

"There are only three useless things in this world. Nuns' nipples, bishops' balls and an employer's praise without a raise."

Home Wrecker

The two things 4chan can't resist: lulcatz and lonely senior citizens?

__________________
Mr. Pink: You kill anybody?
Mr. White: A few cops.
Mr. Pink: No real people?
Mr. White: Just cops.

maszac

im still curious about dumpster pussy...

Waves

4chan have never been the 'assholes.'

for the most part they are just good-natured 'nerds' who spend an extreme amount of time on their message board. they do good stuff, like their cause against scientology, and they do immature stuff, like their response to that kid who killed himself, the "he was an hero" thing, which was itself pretty funny but yeah it was immature and rude as well. but thats humanity. gotta take the bad with the good.

people who see 4chan as 'bad guys' are usually computer illiterate and/or over 30.

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On this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go so slow

Home Wrecker

Calling them good-natured is painting a pretty rosy picture of some of the shit they did.

__________________
Mr. Pink: You kill anybody?
Mr. White: A few cops.
Mr. Pink: No real people?
Mr. White: Just cops.

Kompressor

^

__________________
Think like a man of action, act like a man of thought. -H. Bergson