Research Blog #4

I have narrowed my decision down to the most absurd and crude community on the website known as 4chan. This website consists of 53 separate imageboards, with topics ranging from Science and Mathematics (known as /sci/), to NSFW (not safe for work) imageboards like Hentai/Alternative (known as /d/). But the board (short for imageboard), and community, I will be studying, is the one known as Random. (/b/ for short) Through my lurking of 4chan in general, I have noticed a trend. Members who frequent certain boards come up with nicknames for the other people who frequent the same board. In these nicknames, the lettered abbreviation of the board is used in a larger word, to illustrate the ideals that the board holds. For example, Science and Mathematics' shortened abbreviation is /sci/. Members who frequent this board call themselves /sci/ducks. (a wordplay on the name of a Pokemon.) Members of the Paranormal board, known as /x/, call themselves /x/philes. (A wordplay on a popular paranormal TV show from the 90's.) Now, the members of Random call themselves /b/tards. This is a very good representation of their style of humor and how the board runs. But what really catches my eye at the first glance of this board, are all of the shock images used. This board is definitely not for the faint of heart. The images used range from gore, to pornography, to internet memes, to truly random images. To truly look into the collective psyche of this community will be a long tread indeed.