{{Short description|Type of Internet forum}} {{pp-move-indef}}
An '''imageboard''' ('''IB''') is a type of Internet forum that focuses on the posting of images, often alongside text and discussion. The first imageboards were created in Japan as an extension of the textboard concept. These sites later inspired the creation of a number of English-language imageboards.
==Characteristics== Imageboards, similar to bulletin board systems, are used for discussions of a variety of topics. The primary focus of imageboards, however, is directed away from text posts, and is instead placed on picture posts. The two share many of the same structures, including separate forums for separate topics, as well as similar audiences. Imageboards are much more transitory with content—on some boards (especially highly trafficked ones), the thread deletion time can be as little as 10 minutes. The most popular English language imageboard, 4chan, similarly has a large variety of topics.
Imageboards are also different from online galleries in that most of the works posted are not made by the poster, but instead are taken from other online sources: galleries, other imageboards, and edited pictures.
=== Tripcodes === thumb|right|300px|A diagram of a typical tripcode derivation process
Most imageboards and 2channel-style discussion boards allow (and encourage) anonymous posting and use a system of tripcodes instead of registration. A tripcode is the hashed (one-way encrypted) result of a password that allows one's identity to be recognized without storing data about users. Entering a particular password will let one "sign" one's posts with the tripcode generated from that password. Trying to take another user's tripcode and compute their password from it (for instance, to make posts that appear to come from a particular person) is somewhat computationally difficult. For those who want a custom tripcode, however, there are custom tripcode generators (which are technically tripcode crackers) available, such as Meriken's Tripcode Engine<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/meriken/merikens-tripcode-engine-v3|title="Meriken's Tripcode Engine" is a cross-platform custom tripcode generator.: meriken/merikens-tripcode-engine-v3|date=26 March 2019|via=GitHub|access-date=7 June 2016|archive-date=9 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109072132/https://github.com/meriken/merikens-tripcode-engine-v3|url-status=live}}</ref> and MTY_CL.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://github.com/madsbuvi/MTY_CL|title=A custom tripcode searcher, written using OpenCL. Primarily targeting the GCN architectures (Radeon HD 77xx and later).: madsbuvi/MTY_CL|date=9 March 2019|via=GitHub|access-date=7 June 2016|archive-date=1 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101234846/https://github.com/madsbuvi/MTY_CL|url-status=live}}</ref> Anonymity is considered to be one of the advantages of an imageboard, and some boards have from time to time removed the ability to post with a name altogether (known as "forced anonymity").
==== Secure tripcodes ==== Because tripcodes can be cracked given enough time, some imageboards, such as 4chan and 8chan, implement a "secure" tripcode.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|title=Frequently Asked Questions |publisher=4chan |url=https://www.4chan.org/faq#sectrip|access-date=2020-08-21}}</ref> A secure tripcode is not reproducible across different imageboards; it works by prepending a secure salt to the tripcode which, barring security hacker intrusion, is known only to the server's staff.<ref name=":1" /> It therefore functions closer to a username than to a cryptographic signature; this is why QAnon could not verify themselves on another website when 8chan went down in late 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Roose|first=Kevin|date=2021-01-17|title=What Is QAnon, the Viral Pro-Trump Conspiracy Theory?|url=https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-qanon.html|access-date=2021-01-21|work=The New York Times|quote=Each of these sites uses a system of identity verification known as a 'tripcode'—essentially, a username that proves that a series of anonymous posts were written by the same person or people.|archive-date=2020-09-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922192821/https://www.nytimes.com/article/what-is-qanon.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Glaser|first=April|date=2019-11-11|title=8chan Is Back as 8kun. Its Racist Users Found New Homes While It Was Offline.|url=https://slate.com/technology/2019/11/8chan-8kun-white-supremacists-telegram-discord-facebook.html|access-date=2020-08-21|website=Slate|language=en|archive-date=2020-06-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200613135517/https://slate.com/technology/2019/11/8chan-8kun-white-supremacists-telegram-discord-facebook.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Breland|first=Ali|date=2019-08-15|title=How QAnon will outlive 8Chan|website=Mother Jones (magazine)|url=https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/08/qanon-8chan/|access-date=2020-10-01|archive-date=2021-01-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126131712/https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/08/qanon-8chan/|url-status=live}}</ref>
==Booru== thumb|A screenshot of Danbooru search results A '''booru''' is a type of imageboard designed primarily for hosting and categorizing large collections of images, typically fan art, anime, manga, or other niche media. The term ''booru'' comes from the Japanese word {{nihongo|"board"|ボード|bōdo}}, re-pronounced in a way that mimics how early anime/manga fans would romanize it online. It is also a nod to Danbooru (Japanese for cardboard), the original and most well-known booru site.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baillet |first=Petrit |date=2022-10-07 |title=Concerns Rise Over "AI Art" Drowning Out Original Fanart |url=https://anitrendz.net/news/2022/10/07/hololive-ai-art/ |access-date=2025-07-04 |language=en-US |quote=Danbooru is a third party database of reuploaded fanart.}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morisawa |first=Remi |date=2023-09-29 |title=This new AI anime art generator claims to be "clean," functioning without stolen art |url=https://automaton-media.com/en/news/20230929-21930/ |access-date=2025-07-04 |website=Automaton West |language=en-US}}</ref>
Boorus were created as a companion to image boards to archive and index posted media, as opposed to the policy of imageboards of deleting them when a post becomes too old. Booru also help international users to find media hosted by non-English gallery host, or hosts which often lack English tags,<ref>{{cite web |title=Image Booru |url=https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ImageBooru |website=TV Tropes}}</ref> in particular Pixiv.
===Forks and community Boorus=== The source code for Danbooru is publicly available on GitHub.<ref>{{cite web |title=danbooru/danbooru |url=https://github.com/danbooru/danbooru |publisher=Danbooru |access-date=31 May 2025 |date=31 May 2025}}</ref> The most popular fork of Danbooru is e621.net, who maintain their own custom feature sets and allowed post types. Some fandoms use their own booru software, such as Derpibooru, the largest and most popular imageboard for ''My Little Pony'' fan art.<ref name="Bajor-2017">{{cite journal|last=Bajor|first=Jan|title=Erotyka i pornografia w fandomie internetowym - przypadek społeczności My Little Pony|trans-title=Eroticism and Pornography in Internet Fandom - The Case of the My Little Pony Community|lang=pl|year=2017|pages=257-274|journal=Media i Społeczeństwo|url=https://mediaispoleczenstwo.ubb.edu.pl/angular-api/file/download/606510/2484313.pdf|format=PDF|volume=7|issue=1}}</ref>
== List of imageboards == <!--Inclusion in this section depends upon coverage in reliable secondary sources. If all you have is a link to the imageboard itself, or low quality tabloid/SEO spam, the entry will be removed--> ===2ch=== {{Main|Dvach}} {{Distinguish|2channel|text=2channel, a Japanese textboard}}
'''Dvach''' ({{Langx|ru|двач|lit=|translit=dvách}})<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://lurkmore.to/%D0%94%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%87|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130218171921/http://lurkmore.to/%D0%94%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%87|url-status=usurped|archive-date=February 18, 2013|script-title=ru:Двач|work=Lurkmore|access-date=2018-10-02|language=ru}}</ref> is a Russian imageboard that replaced the 2ch.ru imageboard (originally known as dvach), which was shut down earlier on 17 January 2009. It thoroughly copied the original layout, was heavily advertised over the internet, and managed to succeed the original one in popularity.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lurkmore.to/%D0%93%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%8B_%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%80%D0%B5%D1%87%D0%B0|title=Геты 2ch.hk|website=Lurkmore}}{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> According to its owners, the number of posts left in the /b/ board exceeded 150 million.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://2ch.hk/b/arch/2017-03-31/res/150010363.html|title=//Б/ред/ - че было в|website=Двач|access-date=2017-04-30|archive-date=2019-07-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720185008/https://2ch.hk/b/arch/2017-03-31/res/150010363.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In September 2016, a pro-Russian government organisation,{{Clarify|date=October 2020}} Mail.ru, helped to organize a "defense" against alleged DDOS attacks that took place during the same month. These events raised concerns and speculations among users, who grew suspicious of an alleged takeover committed by Mail.ru, and who criticized the owner's controversial decision to accept "help".<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://lurkmore.to/2ch.hk#2ch.mail.ru|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150921230323/http://lurkmore.to/2ch.hk#2ch.mail.ru|url-status=usurped|archive-date=September 21, 2015|title=2ch.hk|work=Lurkmore|access-date=2018-10-02|language=ru}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://meduza.io/news/2016/09/30/mail-ru-zaschitila-dvach-ot-ddos-ataki|title=Mail.ru защитила "Двач" от DDoS-атаки|work=Meduza|access-date=2018-10-02|language=ru-RU|archive-date=2021-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111025956/https://meduza.io/news/2016/09/30/mail-ru-zaschitila-dvach-ot-ddos-ataki|url-status=live}}</ref> As of October 2018 it was widely believed that the imageboard was simply "sold" on undisclosed terms to a pro-government organization. The decision was met with strong criticism, due to the risks to disclosure of users' credentials from an inherently anonymous community, coming from a government body that could potentially violate these principles of anonymity, causing many to leave the board by the end of 2016. As of 2019, it remains one of the largest active Russian-speaking imageboards.{{Citation needed|date=March 2024}}
=== 420chan === {{Main|420chan}} An English-language imageboard based on cannabis culture<ref name="420Anon">{{cite book |last=Olson |first=Parmy |date=4 August 2013 |title=We Are Anonymous |publisher=Random House |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ucE1AAAAQBAJ&q=420chan&pg=PT332 |isbn=9781448136155 |access-date=28 March 2015 |archive-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804053924/https://books.google.com/books?id=ucE1AAAAQBAJ&q=420chan&pg=PT332 |url-status=live }}</ref> which was created on 20 April 2005 by Aubrey Cottle. The name is a reference to the larger 4chan<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boingboing.net/2014/12/31/how-imageboard-culture-shaped.html|title=How imageboard culture shaped Gamergate / Boing Boing|website=boingboing.net|date=31 December 2014|access-date=6 April 2019|archive-date=27 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427130951/https://boingboing.net/2014/12/31/how-imageboard-culture-shaped.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and the code term ''420'' of the cannabis subculture. Its boards included various drug-specific boards,<ref name="420Anon" /> as well as a board featuring a chatbot named Netjester.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://taimapedia.org/index.php?title=420chan |title=Taimapedia - 420chan |access-date=28 March 2015 |archive-date=20 July 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720185007/http://taimapedia.org/index.php?title=420chan |url-status=live }}</ref>
=== 4chan === {{Main|4chan}} [[File:4chan.png|thumb|A thread on 4chan, a popular English language imageboard (copyright elements censored)]] 4chan is an English-language imageboard based on the Japanese imageboard Futaba Channel. This imageboard is based primarily upon the posting of pictures (generally related to a wide variety of topics, from video games and popular culture to politics and sports) and their discussion. ''The Guardian'' describes it as "at once brilliant, ridiculous and alarming."<ref>{{cite news |first=Sean |last=Michaels |date=2008-03-19 |title=Taking the Rick |website=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2008/mar/19/news |access-date=2011-09-29 |archive-date=2012-07-11 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120711214619/http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2008/mar/19/news |url-status=live }}</ref>
The site and its userbase have received attention from the media for a number of reasons, including attacks against Hal Turner on his Internet shows,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070205/NEWS07/70205031/0/NEWS06 |title=Cyber foes find ways to silence hate-talk radio host |work=Detroit Free Press |access-date=2007-02-28 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 29, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929115741/http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20070205%2FNEWS07%2F70205031%2F0%2FNEWS06}}</ref> distributed denial-of-service attacks against eBaum's World,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.vitalsecurity.org/2006/01/lindsay-lohan-causes-massive-dos-war.html |title=Lindsay Lohan causes massive DoS war |publisher=Vitalsecurity.org |date=2006-01-09 |access-date=2008-01-20 |archive-date=2022-01-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220105160927/https://techtalk.gfi.com/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lelezard.com/actu/3167/ebaumsworld-assiege.html |title=Ebaumsworld assiégé |author=Bertiaux, Michaël |publisher=Le Lézard |language=fr |date=2006-01-09 |access-date=2008-01-19 |archive-date=2016-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161222202548/http://www.lelezard.com/actu/3167/ebaumsworld-assiege.html |url-status=live }}</ref> taking part in Project Chanology,<ref>{{cite news |title=Online group declares war on Scientology |last=George-Cosh |first=David |date=January 25, 2008 |newspaper=National Post |url=http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/story.html?id=db57d8d2-ca06-4fe0-8a8b-4975100f7231 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080603083324/http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/story.html?id=db57d8d2-ca06-4fe0-8a8b-4975100f7231 |archive-date=June 3, 2008}}</ref> and multiple cases of anti-animal abuse reports.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/31/5010813-web-video-woman-throws-puppies-in-river-4chan-tracks-her-down?pc=25&sp=25 |title=Web video: Woman throws puppies in river, 4chan tracks her down |last=Popkin |first=Helen A.S. |work=MSNBC Technology |publisher=MSNBC |date=August 31, 2010 |access-date=2010-08-31 |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 10, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100910110708/http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/08/31/5010813-web-video-woman-throws-puppies-in-river-4chan-tracks-her-down?pc=25&sp=25}}</ref> Many Internet memes have originated there, including lolcats,<ref>"Lolcats' demented captions create a new Web language", Tamara Ikenberg, ''The News Journal'', 9 July 2007</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/11/14/News/Iz.Not.Cats.Everywhere.Online.Trend.Spreads.Across.Campus-3099929.shtml |title=Iz not cats everywhere? Online trend spreads across campus |author=Richards, Paul |newspaper=The Daily Pennsylvanian |date=2007-11-14 |access-date=2008-01-19 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2007-11-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071117142809/http://media.www.dailypennsylvanian.com/media/storage/paper882/news/2007/11/14/News/Iz.Not.Cats.Everywhere.Online.Trend.Spreads.Across.Campus-3099929.shtml}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=55486 |title=The cuteness surge |author=Steel, Sharon |newspaper=The Phoenix |date=2008-02-01 |access-date=2008-02-10 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080213073432/http://thephoenix.com/Article.aspx?id=55486 |archive-date=2008-02-13 }}</ref> rickrolling, and Pedobear.
=== 8kun === {{Main|8chan}}
8kun (formerly 8chan, or Infinitechan) is a primarily English-language imageboard, although it has sub-boards dedicated to other languages. Just like 4chan, 8kun is based on posting pictures and discussion anonymously, but unlike 4chan, 8kun lets its users decide what they want to discuss by allowing any user to create their own board dedicated to any topic, a concept first made popular by news bulletin boards like Reddit. 8kun also claims to have a strong dedication to freedom of speech and allows all content—so long as the discussion and board creation abides by United States law.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dailydot.com/politics/8chan-pedophiles-child-porn-gamergate/ |title=8chan, the central hive of Gamergate, is also an active pedophile network |last=Howell O'Neill |first=Patrick |work=The Daily Dot |date=November 17, 2014 |access-date=November 25, 2014 |archive-date=June 28, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628114639/http://www.dailydot.com/politics/8chan-pedophiles-child-porn-gamergate/ |url-status=live }}</ref> However, local moderators enforce the rules of their own boards and may delete posts as they see fit. It is currently partnered with the Japanese textboard 2channel.
=== Endchan === Endchan is an English-language imageboard where users can create boards dedicated to any topic. It displays the message 'This is the End.'<ref name=":2">{{Cite news |last=Liyanage |first=Chamila |date=2020-01-09 |title=Endchan: narratives of the Chanosphere |url=https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/countering-radical-right/endchan-narratives-chanosphere/ |access-date=2024-03-12 |work=Center for Analysis of the Radical Right |publisher=openDemocracy |language=en |archive-date=2024-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312011440/https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/countering-radical-right/endchan-narratives-chanosphere/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Schattleitner |first=Christoph |date=2019-09-08 |title=Inside 'Endchan': Im Maschinenraum des Rechtsterrors |url=https://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich/inside-endchan-im-maschinenraum-des-rechtsterrors/400599095 |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=Kurier |language=de-AT |archive-date=2024-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312013049/https://kurier.at/chronik/oesterreich/inside-endchan-im-maschinenraum-des-rechtsterrors/400599095 |url-status=live }}</ref> The site grew popularity in 2019 after 8chan was shut down. Some of the sites' popular boards include /qanonresearch/ (QAnon Research), /qrb/ (Q Research Bunker), and /pol/.<ref name=":2" /> It's /pol/ board in particular is described as 'eclectic' compared to similar boards, partly due to the site's relative obscurity.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Variations on a Theme? Comparing 4chan, 8kun, and Other chans' Far-Right "/pol" Boards |url=https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/perspectives-on-terrorism/2021/issue-1/baele-et-al.pdf |journal=Perspectives on Terrorism |language=en |volume=15 |issue=1 |access-date=2024-03-12 |archive-date=2024-03-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312011441/https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/binaries/content/assets/customsites/perspectives-on-terrorism/2021/issue-1/baele-et-al.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The perpetrator of the 2019 Bærum murder and mosque attack announced the attack on the website. Administrators deleted the thread immediately, and the site's primary web domain was taken offline following the attack.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-11-07 |title=8chan, 8kun, 4chan, Endchan: What you need to know |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/politics/8chan-8kun-4chan-endchan-what-you-need-to-know-internet-forums/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312011440/https://www.cnet.com/news/politics/8chan-8kun-4chan-endchan-what-you-need-to-know-internet-forums/ |archive-date=2024-03-12 |access-date=2024-03-12 |publisher=CNET |language=en}}</ref><ref name="BBCNews2019-2">{{Cite news |date=2019-08-12 |title=Norway mosque attack: Bruised suspect Manshaus appears in court |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49318001 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190812212727/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49318001 |archive-date=2019-08-12 |access-date=2019-08-12 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}</ref>
=== Futaba Channel === {{Main|Futaba Channel}}
thumb|Futaba Channel (2chan) ''Futaba Channel'' ({{langx|ja|ふたば☆ちゃんねる}}), known as ''2chan'' for short, is an anonymous BBS and imageboard system based in Japan. Its boards usually do not distinguish between ''not safe for work'' and ''clean'' content, but there is a strict barrier between two-dimensional (drawn) and three-dimensional (computer graphics (CG) and photographic) pictures that is heavily enforced and debated.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.2chan.net/|title=双葉ちゃん♪|website=2chan.net|access-date=29 July 2022|archive-date=27 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427051744/https://www.2chan.net/|url-status=live}}</ref>
=== Hispachan === Hispachan was an anonymous imageboard launched in November 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hispachan.org/historia/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20161124120055/https://www.hispachan.org/historia/|url-status=dead|title=Hispachan's History|archive-date=24 November 2016|access-date=29 July 2022}}</ref> Running on a slightly modified version of Kusaba X, it was a global imageboard for all Hispanophones. ''Vice Magazine'' described it as "a site for completely anonymous Spanish-language discussion that has proven popular among hackers since its launch in 2012."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Tucker |first=Duncan |date=2015-12-10 |title=This Murder Has Exposed the Dark Side of Mexico's Hacking Community |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/this-murder-has-exposed-the-dark-side-of-mexicos-hacking-community/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171027232013/https://news.vice.com/article/this-murder-has-exposed-the-dark-side-of-mexicos-hacking-community |archive-date=2017-10-27 |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=Vice |language=en-US}}</ref> In January 2017, a school shooting in Monterrey, Mexico was previously announced on Hispachan.<ref>[http://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2017/01/19/1140708 "Agresor en colegio de Monterrey pudo anunciar ataque en foro"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413060212/https://www.excelsior.com.mx/nacional/2017/01/19/1140708 |date=2021-04-13 }} Excelsior. {{in lang|es}}</ref> In a June 2019 article, Elena Rue of ''Vice'' Spain described various Hispachan threads as constituting "collaborative misogyny" for allowing the dissemination of intimate images of women without their permission and online harassment of those objecting to their photos being shared.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rue Morgue |first=Elena |date=2019-06-20 |title=Hispachan: el foro español donde se difunden imágenes sexuales de mujeres y menores sin que nadie lo impida |url=https://www.vice.com/es/article/hispachan-fotos-sexuales-mujeres-twitter-machismo/ |access-date=2024-10-21 |website=Vice |language=es}}</ref> Despite online complaints by some women, the website is{{As of?|date=October 2024}} legal and, according to the administrator, "collaborates with the authorities as required by law."<ref>{{cite web|last=Vilajosana|first=Marc|title=Hispachan: la web donde se cuelgan fotos de mujeres desnudas sin su permiso|url=https://www.eldiario.es/catalunya/Hispachan-fotos-pueden-ahi-sepas_0_921458204.html|work=eldiario.es|date=19 July 2019|access-date=10 August 2019|language=es|archive-date=20 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720155558/https://www.eldiario.es/catalunya/Hispachan-fotos-pueden-ahi-sepas_0_921458204.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In May 2022, Hispachan officially announced its closure on Twitter; it was temporarily available for a few days until all of its content was permanently deleted.<ref>{{cite tweet|user=Hispachan|number=1531053620694659072 |title=Se anuncia el cierre de hispachan. Se podrá responder en la pagina hasta el 31 de mayo en la noche. De ahí permanecerá vivo hasta el 12 de junio pero cerrado. El 12 se eliminara toda la pagina y solo quedara un anuncio con enlaces y texto. Este es el futuro que eligieron.|date=29 May 2022|access-date=29 July 2022|lang=es}}</ref>
=== Indiachan === Indiachan was an anonymous Indian imageboard inspired by 4chan and 8chan. It was created in 2016 and shut down in 2024. It was known for hosting hate speech, including Islamophobia, casteism, and misogyny. The primary languages used were English and Hinglish.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Mok |first=Benjamin |year=2022 |title=Exploring Hindutva Online Subculture |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/48676736 |journal=Counter Terrorist Trends and Analyses |volume=14 |issue=3 |pages=9–16 |jstor=48676736 |issn=2382-6444 |access-date=2023-12-20 |archive-date=2023-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220054245/https://www.jstor.org/stable/48676736 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-20 |title=Freedom and taboos in the international ghettos of the web – OILab |url=https://oilab.eu/freedom-and-taboos-in-the-international-chanosphere/ |access-date=2023-12-20 |language=en-GB |archive-date=2023-12-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231220054245/https://oilab.eu/freedom-and-taboos-in-the-international-chanosphere/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=The men who hate women: Inside the dark, angry world of Indian incels |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/toi-plus/society-culture/the-men-who-hate-women-inside-the-dark-angry-world-of-indian-incels/articleshow/119342337.cms |access-date=2025-03-23 |work=The Times of India |issn=0971-8257}}</ref> Bharatchan emerged as its successor, which continues the imageboard for Indian users.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}
=== Karachan === Karachan is the largest Polish imageboard at 30 million posts,{{When|date=October 2024}} founded in 2010, after its predecessors founded in the period between 2005 and 2010 (Tentacle-chan, Eris-chan, Vichan and then Tapchan, respectively) had shut down. Karachan has received attention from the Polish media after many trolling actions targeting Polish politicians,<ref>{{cite web|title=Koniec żartów z prezydenta Dudy. Policja przeszukała mieszkanie internauty. Prokuratura wszczęła śledztwo|url=http://wyborcza.pl/1,75398,19542714,koniec-zartow-z-prezydenta-dudy-policja-przeszukala-mieszkanie.html|website=Gazeta Wyborcza|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-date=25 February 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225103126/https://wyborcza.pl/1,75398,19542714,koniec-zartow-z-prezydenta-dudy-policja-przeszukala-mieszkanie.html|url-status=live}}</ref> journalists<ref name="karaNaTemat">{{cite web|url=http://natemat.pl/149209,hejt-na-filipa-chajzera-to-zorganizowana-akcja-karachana-sprawia-im-to-ogromna-radosc|last=Świderski|first=Bartosz|work=NaTemat|title=Hejt na Filipa Chajzera to zorganizowana akcja Karachana. Sianie zamętu sprawia trollom największą przyjemność|access-date=2016-11-05|archive-date=2020-07-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708220927/https://natemat.pl/149209,hejt-na-filipa-chajzera-to-zorganizowana-akcja-karachana-sprawia-im-to-ogromna-radosc|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tak zaczęło się obrażanie zmarłego syna Chajzera: "To co, szkalujemy? Ziejmy Nienawiścią!"|url=http://www.pudelek.pl/artykul/81607/tak_zaczelo_sie_obrazanie_zmarlego_syna_chajzera_to_co_szkalujemy_ziejmy_nienawiscia/|website=pudelek.pl|access-date=9 January 2017|language=pl-PL|date=22 July 2015|archive-date=20 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720185009/https://www.pudelek.pl/artykul/81607/tak_zaczelo_sie_obrazanie_zmarlego_syna_chajzera_to_co_szkalujemy_ziejmy_nienawiscia/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Hejt pod wpisem Filipa Chajzera o śmierci syna to zaplanowana akcja. 'Karaczan wkracza do akcji'. A to nie wszystko|url=http://www.plotek.pl/plotek/1,138986,18400818,filip-chajzer-oglosil-na-fb-ze-stracil-syna-hejt-karaczan.html|website=plotek.pl|date=21 July 2015|access-date=9 January 2017|language=pl-PL|archive-date=20 January 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120221315/http://www.plotek.pl/plotek/1,138986,18400818,filip-chajzer-oglosil-na-fb-ze-stracil-syna-hejt-karaczan.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Pope John Paul II<ref name="karaWyborcza">{{cite web|url=https://wyborcza.pl/duzyformat/1,127290,12102809,Trolle_i_zlewy.html|last=Chmielecka|first=Julia|work=Gazeta Wyborcza|title=Trolle i zlewy|access-date=2020-07-09|archive-date=2020-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200120175212/http://wyborcza.pl/duzyformat/1,127290,12102809,Trolle_i_zlewy.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web|title=Trolling level: master. To Karachan stoi za filmikiem "Mój sąsiad imigrant"|url=http://natemat.pl/154979,trolling-level-master-to-karachan-stoi-za-filmikiem-moj-sasiad-imigrant|website=naTemat.pl|access-date=9 January 2017|archive-date=8 July 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708162025/https://natemat.pl/154979,trolling-level-master-to-karachan-stoi-za-filmikiem-moj-sasiad-imigrant|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Scenariusz jak z horroru w Rybniku. Ktoś włamał się na konto zabitej 17-latki i straszy pół miasta. Psychopata czy żart?|url=http://damianmaliszewski.natemat.pl/229763,morderstwo-17-letniej-alicji-f-haker-podaje-alfabetem-morse-a-nazwiska-osob-zamieszanych-w-zbrodnie-thriller-w-rybniku-trwa|website=naTemat.pl|access-date=25 May 2018|archive-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804225029/http://damianmaliszewski.natemat.pl/229763,morderstwo-17-letniej-alicji-f-haker-podaje-alfabetem-morse-a-nazwiska-osob-zamieszanych-w-zbrodnie-thriller-w-rybniku-trwa|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tak wyglądała ostatnia noc Alicji|url=https://www.nowiny.pl/142151-tak-wygladala-ostatnia-noc-alicji.html?f8c520cf9300a264d96947d129db9f40=&p=3#content|website=nowiny.pl|access-date=21 August 2018|archive-date=20 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720185008/https://www.nowiny.pl/142151-tak-wygladala-ostatnia-noc-alicji.html?f8c520cf9300a264d96947d129db9f40=&p=3#content|url-status=live}}</ref> (offensive, iconoclastic memes called ''{{Interlanguage link|Cenzopapa|pl|4=fr|6=eo}}''; cenzopapa in Wiktionary). As of July 2019, the site consists of a (Polish-language) faux page claiming the site is "blocked" due to "invalid content". However, a manual is known to exist, informing how to enter the actual forum and browse its contents.<ref>{{cite web|title=Jak wejść na Karachan|date=19 October 2019|url=https://www.facebook.com/jakwejsc/photos/a.1602552680000935/1725491637707038/?type=1&theater|website=facebook.com/jakwejsc/|access-date=19 October 2019|language=pl-PL|archive-date=4 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804053904/https://www.facebook.com/jakwejsc/photos/a.1602552680000935/1725491637707038/?type=1&theater|url-status=live}}</ref>{{Primary source inline|date=August 2024}} Its name comes from the Polish word ''karaczan'', which means ''cockroach'', an insect that is used as Karachan's logo.
=== Krautchan === ''Krautchan'' was a mainly German-language imageboard, founded in 2007.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Reißmann |first1=Ole |last2=Stöcker |first2=Christian |date= 20 February 2012|title=We are Anonymous: Die Maske des Protests - Wer sie sind, was sie antreibt ... |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CkSzMbl-VsAC&q=krautchan&pg=PT22 |page=22 |publisher=Goldmann Verlag |isbn= 9783641083748|access-date=28 March 2015 }}</ref><ref name="krautchan2007">{{cite web|url=http://krautchan.net/|title=Krautchan|date=May 15, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070515042126/http://krautchan.net/ |archive-date=2007-05-15 }}</ref> The name is an allusion to the ethnophaulism ''Kraut'' for Germans. Unlike most imageboards, postings on Krautchan were not published under the generic name "Anonymous"; the German name "Bernd" was used instead, and the Krautchan community identified themselves as "Bernds" instead of "Anons". In 2009, after the Winnenden school shooting, the interior minister of Baden-Württemberg cited a post on the imageboard in a press conference that appeared to forewarn of the shooting, but was later found to be fake.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/massacre-in-winnenden-school-shooting-internet-post-a-fake-a-613085.html |title=Massacre in Winnenden: School Shooting Internet Post a Fake |work=Der Spiegel |date=March 13, 2009 |access-date=March 28, 2015 |archive-date=July 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720185008/https://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/massacre-in-winnenden-school-shooting-internet-post-a-fake-a-613085.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Roth |first=Daniel |title=Zündstoff für den "Columbine-Effekt"? Die Berichterstattung über School Shootings in deutschen Print- und Online-Medien |year=2012 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=A2z-uCuUkuwC&q=krautchan&pg=PA116 |page=116 |publisher=LIT Verlag Münster |isbn=9783643113948 |access-date=28 March 2015 |archive-date=4 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240804053858/https://books.google.com/books?id=A2z-uCuUkuwC&q=krautchan&pg=PA116#v=snippet&q=krautchan&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/03/12/germany.school.shooting.women/ |title=German police now question whether killer posted warning |publisher=CNN |date=March 12, 2009 |access-date=March 28, 2015 |archive-date=July 8, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200708181344/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/europe/03/12/germany.school.shooting.women/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Like most imageboards, it had /a/, /b/, /jp/, /x/ and /tv/ boards; it ran on the Desuchan board software.<ref name="krautchan2010">{{cite web|url=http://krautchan.net/|date=December 25, 2010|title=Krautchan|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101225210453/http://krautchan.net/ |archive-date=2010-12-25 }}</ref>
=== Ponychan === {{See also|Online communities of the My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom}} Founded in February 2011 following the temporary ban of pony content on 4chan,<ref name="Schimpf-2015">{{cite journal |last=Schimpf |first=Kaitlyn Elizabeth |title=Straight from the Horse's Mouth: A Case Study on the Adult Male Fans of My Little Pony |journal=MacEwan University Student eJournal |volume=2 |issue=1 |date=October 2015 |doi=10.31542/j.muse.192|doi-access=free }}</ref> Ponychan was one of the earliest dedicated imageboards for the brony fandom.<ref>{{cite thesis |last=Mullis |first=Justin P |title=Playing Ponies: A Critical Evaluation of Religious Elements and Gender Politics at Work in "Brony" Fandom |type=MA thesis |publisher=University of North Carolina at Charlotte |location=Charlotte |year=2015 |department=Religious Studies}}</ref> The rapid growth of pony-related content on 4chan, which increased from 200 to 6000 posts per day between October 2010 and February 2011, and the persistent backlash and resentment from non-brony 4chan users, contributed to the need for a dedicated space.<ref>{{cite journal |last=Jones |first=Bethan |title=My Little Pony, tolerance is magic: Gender policing and Brony anti-fandom |journal=Journal of Popular Television |volume=3 |issue=1 |year=2015 |pages=119–125 |doi=10.1386/jptv.3.1.119_1}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cooper |first=Caren |title=Citizen Science: How Ordinary People are Changing the Face of Discovery |publisher=ABRAMS, Incorporated |date=December 20, 2016 |isbn=9781468314144 |page=115}}</ref> Ponychan was created by former 4chan users seeking a space where they could freely discuss ''My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic'' without 4chan's restrictions.<ref name="Schimpf-2015"/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Ellis |first=Bill |title=What Bronies See When They Brohoof: Queering Animation on the Dark and Evil Internet |journal=The Journal of American Folklore |volume=128 |issue=509 |year=2015 |pages=298–314 |doi=10.5406/jamerfolk.128.509.0298}}</ref><ref>{{cite thesis |last=Morris |first=Jill |title=Gender and Race, Online Communities, and Composition Classrooms |type=PhD dissertation |publisher=Wayne State University |location=Detroit |year=2011 |pages=170–173}}</ref> Ponychan shut down in January 2024.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.equestriadaily.com/2024/01/ponychan-releases-final-statement-as.html|title=Ponychan Releases Final Statement as Doors Close|first=Shaun|last=Scotellaro|website=Equestria Daily|date=2024-01-08|access-date=2025-05-19}}</ref>
=== Soyjak.party === thumb|soyjak.party main page screenshot with all potentially copyrighted elements censored{{Main|Soyjak.party}} Soyjak.party'','' also known as "the sharty", is an imageboard website primarily dedicated to the creation and posting of soyjak memes and images. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) describes it as a "far-right reactionary imageboard filled with crude racist and antisemitic humor".<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Antioch, Tenn., Shooter Inspired by Broad Extremist Beliefs and Previous Mass Killers {{!}} ADL |url=https://www.adl.org/resources/article/antioch-tenn-shooter-inspired-broad-extremist-beliefs-and-previous-mass-killers |access-date=2025-01-31 |website=www.adl.org |language=en}}</ref> The website was created in 2020 by pseudonymous 4chan user ''Soot'', who (according to a later blog post) "intended the forum to be a joke" and "didn't expect it to become such a popular gathering place".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.dailydot.com/memes/soyjak-meme/ |title=The sad origins and redemption of the Soyjak meme |last=Weedston |first=Lindsey |date=July 12, 2024 |website=The Daily Dot |publisher= |access-date=August 4, 2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717083153/https://www.dailydot.com/memes/soyjak-meme/ |archive-date=July 17, 2024 |quote= }}</ref>
The perpetrator of the 2025 Antioch High School shooting made several references to the board in the manifesto he wrote before carrying out the attack.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nashville Shooter’s Manifesto Reveals Inspiration Drawn From The Online Far-Right {{!}} GPAHE |url=https://globalextremism.org/post/nashville-shooters-manifesto/ |access-date=2026-01-16 |website=globalextremism.org |language=en}}</ref> According to the ADL, the shooter cited the board as an inspiration, and several users of the board later claimed he had been "groomed" into perpetrating the attack there.<ref name=":0" />
The site has also been linked to the 2025 4chan hack, where a user from the imageboard hacked into the website, reopening the /qa/ board,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Nefedova |first1=Maria |title=4chan вышел из строя из-за масштабной атаки |url=https://xakep.ru/2025/04/16/4chan-hacked/ |access-date=26 April 2025 |agency=Xakep.ru |ref=Xakep}}</ref><ref name="Gazeta">{{cite news |last1=Kidlyushkin |first1=Roman |title=Хакеры вывели из строя культовый сайт с мемами 4chan |url=https://www.gazeta.ru/tech/news/2025/04/16/25570406.shtml |access-date=26 April 2025 |agency=Gazeta |date=16 April 2025}}</ref> and leaking 4chan's source code, IP addresses, and email addresses of its staff.<ref name="Hack1">{{cite news |last1=Niemietz |first1=Brian |title=Hackers take credit for attacking 4chan platform |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2025/04/15/4chan-hacked-down-soyjak-party/ |access-date=17 April 2025 |agency=New York Daily News |date=15 April 2025}}</ref><ref name="Hack2">{{cite news |last1=Nitish Bajaj |first1=Yash |title=4Chan data, emails and contact info leaked? Alleged hack leads to speculations |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/us-news/4chan-data-emails-and-contact-info-leaked-alleged-soyjack-party-sharty-hack-leads-to-speculations-101744730795998.html |access-date=17 April 2025 |agency=Hindustan Times |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=15 April 2025}}</ref><ref name="Hack3">{{cite news |last1=Burgess |first1=Matt |last2=Newman |first2=Lily |title=Suspected 4chan Hack Could Expose Longtime, Anonymous Admins |url=https://www.wired.com/story/2025-4chan-hack-admin-leak/ |access-date=17 April 2025 |agency=Wired |publisher=Wired}}</ref> 4chan went offline after the hack, but has since come back online. The /qa/ board was then permanently deleted.<ref name="TOI">{{cite news |title=4chan down days after hackers breach internal systems: Here's what happened to the notorious internet messageboard |url=https://www.msn.com/en-in/money/news/4chan-down-days-after-hackers-breach-internal-systems-here-s-what-happened-to-the-notorious-internet-messageboard/ar-AA1DoCLl |access-date=26 April 2025 |work=The Times of India |publisher=MSN |date=22 April 2025}}</ref> In April 2025, ''The New Yorker'' stated that "a spinoff forum called Soyjak.party (even harsher and more political than its predecessor) took credit for hacking the site and shutting it down".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chayka|first=Kyle|date=2025-04-30|title=How the Internet Left 4chan Behind|url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/how-the-internet-left-4chan-behind|access-date=2026-02-06|work=The New Yorker|language=en-US|issn=0028-792X}}</ref>
=== Wizardchan === Wizardchan was an imageboard primarily dedicated to male culture and topics including anime, hobbies, and depression. Users on the depression board often discussed suicide or self-harm, and a controversy emerged in the board's community about whether to refer users to suicide prevention hotlines.<ref name="slateWizards">{{cite web|last=Hess|first=Amanda|date=3 March 2015|work=Slate|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/users/2015/03/reddit_and_suicide_intervention_how_social_media_is_changing_the_cry_for.html|title=Please Do Not Downvote Anyone Who's Asked for Help|access-date=17 December 2015|archive-date=9 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009155003/http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/users/2015/03/reddit_and_suicide_intervention_how_social_media_is_changing_the_cry_for.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Wizardchan was one of the first sites involved in Gamergate following their harassment of Zoe Quinn.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Audureau |first=William |date=October 15, 2014 |title=4chan, wizardchan, 8chan... s'y retrouver dans la jungle des forums anonymes les plus populaires du Web |url=https://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2014/10/15/4chan-wizardchan-8chan-le-guide-des-forums-anonymes-les-plus-populaires-du-web_4505380_4408996.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190426035209/http://www.lemonde.fr/pixels/article/2014/10/15/4chan-wizardchan-8chan-le-guide-des-forums-anonymes-les-plus-populaires-du-web_4505380_4408996.html |archive-date=April 26, 2019 |access-date=2026-01-12 |work=Le Monde |language=fr}}</ref>
== See also == * {{Annotated link|Anonymous (hacker group)}} * {{Annotated link|Reddit}} * {{Annotated link|Textboard}} * {{Annotated link|Gallery softwares}}
== References == {{Reflist|30em}}
== External links == {{Wiktionary|booru}} * https://booru.org/ * [https://danbooru.donmai.us/ danbooru.donmai.us] * {{GitHub|danbooru/danbooru}}
{{Anonymous and the Internet}} {{Internet slang}} {{Authority control}}
Category:Imageboards Category:Internet forum terminology Category:Internet culture Category:Internet forums