Buzz
Originally, 4chan was a forum focused on anime, but its anonymity quickly turned it into a breeding ground for political extremists, fringe cultures, elaborate hoaxes, hackers, and adult content. It's a place where some users feel empowered to share whatever they wish with little to no consequences, reminiscent of the early days of the internet when free speech seemed limitless (the '90s and early 2000s).
Despite its reputation for darker activities, there are also users on 4chan who go to great lengths for causes they support. On occasion, members of the community have united to achieve remarkable things.
10. 4chan Cracks a 25-Year-Old Math Puzzle
4chan initially started as a haven for anime enthusiasts, and much of it remains a hub for anime fans. A particular anime, The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi, posed a complex issue for its viewers. The show involved time travel, and its episodes were intentionally out of sequence. Fans began debating the best viewing order, with some taking it further by speculating how many potential episode orders would cover every combination possible.
An anonymous user responded with a precise figure: 93,884,313,611. Along with the number, they included a mathematical explanation for their calculation. Unbeknownst to them, they had solved a 25-year-old math dilemma related to superpermutations. In this context, a permutation refers to a single sequence in which the episodes are arranged, while a superpermutation encompasses all possible permutations linked together.
Although the proof was not up to the rigorous standards of the mathematical community, the 4chan solution remained relatively unnoticed for years until science fiction author Greg Egan proposed an alternative proof for superpermutations. This reignited interest in the 4chan proof, which was later independently verified by two mathematicians. Ultimately, the 4chan contribution was celebrated as a significant achievement in pure mathematics.
9. 4chan Uncovers an Animal Abuser
A YouTube user named 'Timmy' uploaded a disturbing video showing two teenagers, disguised to conceal their identities, taking a cat into a bathroom where they proceeded to torture it. The video quickly spread to 4chan, a platform known for its dedication to justice… and cats. The outrage was palpable, and many users began analyzing the footage in search of any possible clues about 'Timmy's' identity.
This wasn’t the first time 4chan had exposed cat abusers. In another instance, a British man discovered his cat in his trash can. Upon reviewing CCTV footage, he saw a woman tossing the cat into the bin. The footage was uploaded to YouTube, where it was soon discovered by 4chan. The community launched a campaign to track down and doxx the woman. After revealing the abuser's identity as Mary Bale, 4chan’s actions caused such an uproar that she was forced to go into hiding due to receiving death threats.
8. The Bike Lock Basher
Political rallies are often charged with emotion, and when protests are added to the mix, things can quickly spiral out of control. This was the case at a rally for President Trump in Berkeley, California, in 2017. During the heated event, a member of the extremist group ANTIFA, who also happened to be a Berkeley college professor, was filmed using a U-shaped bicycle lock to strike multiple rally-goers.
Join 4chan.
On the /pol/ board, a corner of 4chan known for its embrace of political incorrectness, users were quick to track down the person behind the bike locker assault. After closely examining the video, they connected the clues to social media profiles, launching a doxxing effort aimed at college professor Eric Clanton. Their tips led police to arrest him on charges that included suspicion of assault with a non-firearm weapon and causing serious injury. Clanton later pleaded no contest to misdemeanor assault and was sentenced to three years of probation.
7. Battling ISIS with Ducks
Sometimes, the best strategy to deal with villains is to turn them into a laughingstock. 4chan took it upon themselves to counter ISIS, or at least their presence online. They altered ISIS propaganda images by replacing the fighters' faces with toy duck heads. This effort, dubbed 'create the duck state,' aimed to disarm the extremist group's power by ridiculing their propaganda, given ISIS's strong online influence.
6. Lettuce Scandal
A Burger King worker decided it would be funny to prank customers by stepping into two lettuce bins while wearing shoes, directly contaminating the lettuce. But he took it one step further by sharing the photo on 4chan. While 4chan is no stranger to pranks, this one went too far, as the community was outraged over the risk of making innocent customers sick.
The 'Lettuce Guy' made the mistake of leaving the GPS data intact in the photo, allowing users to easily pinpoint the Burger King location within 15 minutes. Although they couldn’t identify him by his shoes alone, the community quickly called and emailed the branch and media outlets. This resulted in the worker’s immediate dismissal, along with three other staff members. The lettuce was discarded, and many potential customers were spared from a nasty bout of food poisoning.
5. Katawa Shoujo
4chan created an erotic visual novel about dating girls with disabilities. Given the site's usual reputation and the curious concept of an 'erotic visual novel about dating girls with disabilities,' it shocked many to learn that the visual novel, named Katawa Shoujo, was reportedly quite well-executed (by the standards of visual novels).
This Japanese-style visual novel operates like a 'choose-your-own-adventure' game, where the storyline unfolds based on the player's decisions. It's important to address the 'erotic' aspect upfront, as the game includes explicit scenes, but the female characters are far from being helpless or dependent on the player. In fact, they are independent and strong in their own right.
While the women in the story do have disabilities, they’ve long come to terms with them before meeting the player. They lead fulfilling lives without needing his assistance. In some cases, their lives are so complete that the protagonist's presence could actually feel like a burden. These women are portrayed not as 'disabled people,' but simply as people—who happen to have a disability. Despite the controversial format, Katawa Shoujo was widely praised for its respectful and realistic depiction of individuals with disabilities.
4. 4chan Identifies the Portland Shooter
The Trump 2020 Cruise Rally formed a caravan that entered downtown Portland, Oregon, simultaneously with the ongoing nightly Black Lives Matter protests. The two groups clashed, and the violent confrontation resulted in the cold-blooded, point-blank shooting of Aaron J. Danielson, a Trump rally participant, by an unidentified assailant.
Upon hearing about the Trump supporter’s death, 4chan users quickly began investigating the killing. Within hours, they gathered evidence linking Michael Reinoehl, an ANTIFA member, to the murder and presented their findings to the police. Reinoehl later admitted to the crime in an interview with Vice.
Soon after, Reinoehl was confronted by law enforcement and was shot multiple times. Authorities claim he was killed after opening fire with a handgun, though a witness provided a different account, stating that the police shot first without issuing any commands or warnings.
3. 4chan Calls in an Airstrike
This story may never be verified due to its ties to military intelligence, nor would the Russian military ever confirm using 4chan as an information source (if indeed they did). The specifics vary depending on the storyteller, but the overall narrative fits together well enough to lend it more credibility than the typical internet rumor.
2. The Heist of the Century
Actor Shia LaBeouf, in a bold act of internet activism, set up a live-stream camera in New York intended to run throughout Trump's presidency. Viewers could tune in and chant 'He Will Not Divide Us.' However, trolls soon began identifying protesters and harassing them. LaBeouf was arrested, and the livestream was shut down after the museum hosting it had enough of the disruptions. He moved the project to another museum, where it was similarly shut down after gunshots were reported nearby.
In response, LaBeouf launched another livestream, this time showing a HWNDU flag waving in the sky. The stream only displayed the flag and the sky, making it more difficult for anyone to disrupt it. But 4chan proved that 'difficult' doesn’t mean 'impossible.'
4chan users examined the flight trails in the sky during the day and compared them to flight schedules. At night, they studied star patterns. They cross-referenced this with a tweet from LaBeouf sent from Tennessee, and were able to narrow down the flag’s location to a small area that could be searched by someone on the ground.
A local user drove around the area honking his car horn, while others listened to the livestream for the sound of the horn. In the dead of night, the flag’s location was pinpointed. The local user went to the field, took down the flag, and replaced it with a Trump hat. As for the fate of LaBeouf’s flag, it now hangs in the basement of the guy who took it down.
1. Pool’s Closed
Habbo (formerly Habbo Hotel) is a game where players interact in an online world centered around virtual 'hotels.' At one point, reports emerged claiming that moderators were unfairly banning dark-skinned avatars from the pool area. In response to these alleged racist actions, 4chan stepped in.
4chan users organized what became known as the 'Pool’s Closed' raid. They created avatars with black skin, suits, and afros and flooded the pool area, blocking access. They also spammed offensive phrases that bypassed the game’s filters, such as 'Pool’s Closed due to fail and AIDS,' which led to the creation of the 'Pool’s Closed' meme. For years afterward, on the anniversary of the raid, some users would return to recreate the avatar and stir up trouble.
