2011/09/19 by Lee Knuttila · 1 citation
Social Sciences · #Digital Games and Media #Social Media and Politics #Anonymity #Contingency #Alterity #Internet privacy #Social media #Identity (music) #Virtual community #Computer science #Mode (computer interface) #Sociology #World Wide Web #Media studies #Epistemology #Computer security #Aesthetics #Human–computer interaction #Art #Philosophy #The Internet
paper · pdf · doi:10.5210/fm.v16i10.3665
openalex publication_date 2011/09/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/21
Both horrifying and fascinating, 4chan.org (http://www.4chan.org/) is a wildly popular message board with a highly dedicated community of users. Compared to social media’s increasing push to persistent identity online, 4chan maintains a culture of anonymity. Focusing on the ontological encounter spawned by the site, this paper argues that the interface embodies contingency and senses of alterity in several uniquely virtual ways. It concludes by articulating how this online mode of being holds promise beyond the often repugnant content generated by the site.