I'm thinking about making a Something Awful style website about the modern imageboard culture. It will be like Something Awful but more serious/scholarly with effort essays and articles. It may expand in the future with original content such as media reviews or original content. (Seriously you're a society for the study of modern imageboard culture, you should have articles about the imageboard culture, even if most of the material of the articles comes from 4chan threads.)
I got the idea of the website from the name of this textboard but I want to expand on the concept by making a front page with articles, a thread archive where people can submit threads to for preservation, a wiki for modern imageboard culture (ED is too satirical and /b/tarded, and wikichan is a shell of it's former self.) It will also have a set of imageboards with and improved (and hopefully in the future made by the ground up) software.
I'd go there.
> a wiki for modern imageboard culture (ED is too satirical and /b/tarded, and wikichan is a shell of it's former self.)
just take over wikipedia. it's not like it's useful for anything anymore anyway.
most imageboards are far from westernized.
sadly, i feel that imageboard culture might be at or past it's end
>>7
That's all the more reason to create the website: to preserve the culture. Also, please explain further on how the imageboard culture might be at or past it's end.
I'd bookmark it.
*chan culture is quite literally the biggest and most unnoticed sociological event in recent history. I've been try for forever to preserve the culture itself. All to no avail.
I agree with you on that. When you consider that 4chan has more to offer than /b/, it is the biggest and most unnoticed sociological event in modern history.
>I've been try for forever to preserve the culture itself. All to no avail.
What did you do attempted to do to try to preserve it. Explain further.
Tell me something, would the website be about anything (any topic), or would it be actually centered only on message boards? If it's the latter, I don't think there are many things happening for the site to cover; the anonymous message board culture in the west has always been pretty underground and "slow" as in nothing happening.
>>7
That's actually quite a problem, if you talk about quantity, messageboards are definitely not dead because more and more people are getting to know them (mostly thanks to 4chan). But if you talk about quality, you may be right; it seems that most people who posted quality content and formed an "elitist" environment are gone, or at least are being outnumbered by the crazy amount of shitposters. But I can't talk too much here since I'm a newcomer (~2007) and sometimes I feel like I missed the "golden" days.
Sorry for the bump, I thought this was interesting.
It seems to me like the main congregations of smart people are constantly shifting, probably because the stupid people keep catching up with them.
Eventually, either the smart people dissipate, or you learn so much that they don't seem so smart anymore. Then you have to move on.
>or you learn so much that they don't seem so smart anymore
That's an interesting point. Never thought it like that.
This wouldn't be much of a problem if the admin for Wikichan.org wasn't a moron and backed up his data.
>>5
I just said that to show my interest in this website. Because I'd probably contribute and spend some time there. That's really all I had to say.
"chan culture is quite literally the biggest and most unnoticed sociological event in recent history. I've been try for forever to preserve the culture itself. All to no avail."
2 thumbs up
Could we get an update on how this plan is coming along?
Since you insisted, the boards and the wiki are ready. However the front page has yet to be made. I forgot to mention that I have avout 85 GB of saved material from 4chan. With some threads dating back from 2008.
I need to find someway to put a user submitable archive page.
Oh yes, I've just made this draft of the introductory article for Yotsuba Society.
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The Western Imageboard Culture is literally the biggest and most unnoticed cultural and sociological event in the early 21st century. Culturally, it is has revolutionized how the western world has communicated with each other. Sociologically it has revoltionalized how people from all walks of life in the Western World communicate and express each other. It is the biggest and most unnoticed cultural and sociological event for seven years primarily because of the overwhelming focus on the sensational aspects of the western imageboard culture. This overwhelming focus on the sensational overshadows the many good that came from the culture. This is known as the “Great Tragedy”
The first part of the Great Tragedy is that the imageboard culture has been misrepresentated by the mainstream world. The first misrepresentation is a major focus internet catchphrases and memes. Second having one major imageboard as the focus, and focusing on activities that come from it that does not represent the true nature of the culture. There are other imageboard sites that do not have the same mentality as manifested in the real world.
The second part of the great tragedy is that most of the history of the imageboard culture has been undocumented. Most parts of the imageboard culture that gets documented are the most popular and sensationalistic boards of one site and not the wide range of boards of its major history. Even then each board has its own history and culture. None of that has been documented properly.
When it does been documented by various sources, it’s a mixed bag. Some of the sources drop off or die off due to various reasons. Some deliberately document or undocument the culture for entertainment
The worst part of the second part of the Great Tragedy is that most threads in imageboards eventually get deleted off the board naturally. Since most of the imageboard culture is made by threads with content that get reposted again and again, due to the nature of imageboards, most of the culture is formed similar to common law in any Western judicial system. Basically, unless it’s documented or people remember or record it, it doesn’t exist.
The best way to stop this Great Tragedy is simple, by being proactive about it. That is the real reason why The Society for the Study and Preservation of Yotsuba Channel, or Yotsuba Society, was created. Yotsuba Society is named after the Japanese pronunciation of 4chan: Yotsuba Channel. And no we’re not related to the comic book “Yotsuba&!” (Although it’s a very enjoyable read) The primary reasons for founding Yotsuba Society are to counter the misrepresentation of the imageboard culture by documenting everything that happens in the culture. History, actual culture, anything about it, it will be there. Yotsuba Society will cover where Wikichan stopped. Where Encyclopedia Dramaticatica deliberately refuses to cover properly. Where Know Your Meme and 4chanarchive doesn’t preserve.
Our front page will feature articles, reports, and historical records of the culture. We have a wiki where you, the channer can edit or make your own articles of any topic related to the culture. We also have our own imageboards so you can discuss the culture and as for you to have a home for any topic that you want to discuss or have fun with. Soon we will create a thread archive database where YOU can submit threads and even pictures you saved from any imageboard that you think it’s culturally valuable to us.
Our goal is simple: The Study and Preserve the culture and history of 4chan and the Western Imageboard Culture that it gave birth to. That is what YS is about.
P.S. Yotsuba Society is also unrelated to YS, which is actually a good RPG video game series.
This sounds like an interesting project. I'll be happy to join in.
>>19
I like it and I will help in whatever I can. I'd suggest to give more focus on the anonymous boards culture as a whole and not something like "4chan + everything else".
My email address can be located when you click my name. I'll give you more details on request.
>>21
You do have a good point on that.I'll edit and see to it. Also there's going to be a panel premiering the website on Katsucon 17 on Saturday night, the panel is called "The Imageboard World"
>>22
Wow really? Thats cool.
Katsucon 17 will be held at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, MD from February 18th-February 20th, 2011.
Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center
201 Waterfront Street
National Harbor, MD 20745One day after my birthday and too far away....
I've just recovered from Katsucon 17 to bring you this update of how the panel went. It was decent, even though from our end it took me about 15 minutes to get everything set up due to the fact my laptop was booting slowly than normal, even though we did not gotten to the imageboards we wanted to. Most of the discussion was about the nature of the imageboard culture itself than the imageboards, and also about our website.
Personally, we can do better and I'm doing an improved version of the powerpoint come next convention.
Also, we finally got a twitter and email set up, particually for
>>2
>>9
>>15
>>16
>>17
>>20
>>21
Twitter: [at]YotsubaSociety
Email: yotsubasocietycontact[at]gmail.com
In addition I'm holding a staff drive for archivers and historians, and I'm personally announcing that grey is one of the first archivers of Yotsuba Society.
>>24
Not really. That's the name of the hotel and convention center.
Here is the entire application for both the archivers and historians,
Archivers:
Yotsuba Society Historians research and analyze the content, culture, and historical events of the Western Imageboard culture. A major goal for each one is to produce one major paper per month, along with a small article once per week based on the threads and content from those threads. In addition, they should be able to to write a short, one page paper on any thread or material they deem essential to YS for the archives.
In addition, they research the chan culture and history via the internet and the threads provided by the Archivers or via their own gathering. They also expected to intereact and cooperate with other historians and archivers of YS.
Historians are not moderators, but they do have access to a private staff board and have access to a ## YS Historian capcode.
Historians once hired will be general historians. After six months, they can elect to become a resident historian.
Requirements:
1. 18 years of age.
2. Have experience with writing and research.
3. Have a good command of English along with use of MS Word or similar word processing software for the writing short one page papers, and short and long form articles
4. Has general knowledge or have experience in the imageboard culture.
5. Use of photo editing software for annotating captures of threads
Historian application
1. Real First and last name*
2. Online username
a. Irc nick
b. Forum/imageboard username/tripcode
3. Age
4. Why do you want to be an imageboard historian?
5. Any channing experience? If so, which chans and boards specifically
6. Writing samples?
7. Any experience in writing?
*Please note that if object to putting your real first and last name for any good reason, we will not count that against your application.
Archivers:
Yotsuba Society Archivers maintain the Yotsuba Society Archives, which contains threads from the imageboards, textboards, and irc chatlogs, and anything related to the Western Imageboard Culture. A major requirement is to make research notes on each thread possible for other historians to view and analyze to help make their papers. In addition, they recivie saved threads and images from the various imageboards and then store them, make copies of threads they receive from various sources via any means, such as CD or DVD discs, or an external hard drive.
The Archivers will maintain the Yotsuba Society archives which will launch in the future.
Archivers are not moderators, but do have access to a private staff board and have access to a ## YS Archivist capcode. Archivers will first start off as general archivers, then they can focus on one imageboard and/or site after six months.
Requirements
1. 18 years of age
2. Have some experience with writing
3. Have a good command of English
4. Have a external hard drive and/or recordable CDs/DVDs to back up and regularly keep backups of threads and pictures
5. Has general knowledge or have experience in the imageboard culture.
6. Use of photo editing software for annotating threads and ms word or similar word processing software for research notes
7. Previous experience as a archivist.
1. Real First and last name*
2. Online username
Irc nick
Forum/imageboard username and tripcode
3. Age
4. Why do you want to be an imageboard archivist?
5. Any channing experience? If so, which chans and boards specifically
6. Do you have any secondary storage for the threads you save?
7. Writing samples?
8. Any writing or research experience?
*Please note that if object to putting your real first and last name for any good reason, we will not count that against your application.
Please send either application to yotsubasocietycontact[at]gmail.com
>>25,26
this isn't an imageboard yo, quote ranges work here
For all intents and purposes yschan (The Yotsuba Society Boards) are up and running. The website name is yschan.org
> Not really. That's the name of the hotel and convention center.
I don't see how that in any way disproves the (practically tautological) statement that the name of said hotel and convention center sounds incredibly gay.
Yesterday, I released one of many articles that will written about imageboards in general. But this article is more about the grandparents of all imageboard culture: The textboards.
"The Protochannel and the First Channel -- Ayashii World and Amezou World – The Grandparents of the Western Imageboard Culture"
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1peBx3vkdA7Tm5-mhuy-XeQvFgcm_WusD_YoLWO6_KpY/edit?hl=en
Ladies and Gentlemen, after a long wait, The Society for the Study and Preservation of Yotsuba Society is now UP. Not only the front page is up : www.yotsubasociety.org, but the YS wiki (wiki.yotsubasociety.org) is up. In addition, the Yotsuba Society Boards (yschan.org) is up as well.
In addition, I've just set up a irc channel at irc.rizon.net #Yotsuba Society for discussion and general chat.
I apologize for the long wait.
>>30
That sounds interesting, albeit i can't use Google Docs T_T
Can you put it on some pastebin or to yours site's wiki/just make it plain html page or pdf, please?
>>32
If you read the entire thread, the main page is up. In addition, the article can be found here: http://yotsubasociety.org/node/2
In addition I made an another article called The Otaku Continuum: http://yotsubasociety.org/the_otaku_continuum
>>33
I also enjoyed your articles and not to be a nattering nabob of negativity, but I would like to point out that the term "otaku" is not specific to anime fans, but it rather a catch-all term for enthusiasts of any stereotypical nerd-type area of expertise. One could, for example, be a big rail fan and be an otaku (a train otaku) and have no interesting in anime other than the occasional appearance of trains in anime. This is how I understand the term anyway. I am not Japanese, so please correct me if I'm not correct.
>I also enjoyed your articles and not to be a nattering nabob of negativity, but I would like to point out that the term "otaku" is not specific to anime fans, but it rather a catch-all term for enthusiasts of any stereotypical nerd-type area of expertise.
Yes, I'm fully aware of the broad use of the term "otaku" as in military otaku, rail otaku, etc. The otaku contintinuum is focused on the Anime and Manga otaku. As a matter of fact, it's based on this image from 4chan's /a/ : http://imgur.com/ogIkh
>>36
Fag fag fag fag.
See, that's the same reason I don't pay any attention to ED, they might actually have worthwhile content but it's all buried in heaps of "lulz" and "fags" and other garbage.
>>37
That's why I created the YSwiki (wiki.yotsubasociety.org) to be an alternative to the ED.
FYI: The use of -fag as a suffix actually begun in the SomethingAwful Forums. 4chan's /b/ merely amplify the usage and that spread to the other 4chan boards as, throughout the years, /b/tards eventually matured out of /b/.
>>36
Then why don't you mention it to the reader? It's not very encyclopedic otherwise. The very first line of that article lists 4 types of otaku, none of which include military otaku, rail otaku, etc. So which is it? A little consistency would not go amiss.
Here's an article that I wanted to write and upload for so long but I never got a chance to finish it until now:
The Stages of a Channer: http://yotsubasociety.org/Channerstages
In addition, I finally got the Archive set up, and all I need to do is to transfer some of my oldest 4chan threads I've saved from 2008 on the the archives.
The Archives are set up now: http://archives.yotsubasociety.org
It's a big barren but it will grow eventually.
this website is not your blog.
stop bumping this thread every day with your boring updates about knowyourmeemchan or whatever you're calling your uninteresting image board that nobody will ever use.
there isn't a single person reading this board that cares about your opinion on the topics you're writing about.
Chill both of you. Jkid, it's just not polite to bump your own thread, use sage.
I finally made a major update to the Yotsuba Society Archives. It's mostly the 4chan's /b/ section, which you can see here: http://archives.yotsubasociety.org/4chan/b.html