This board for Internet Culture and History. Threads and topics on this board should pertain to discussing various forms of internet culture, including but not limited to: celebrating, documenting, reporting, or sharing the history of internet culture, communities, and user generated content (UGC) across the internet.
What sort of topics should be discussed?
Videos, music, blogs, animations, video games (ex. games using Flash, Shockwave, or HTML5; downloadable desktop games), general media, forums, and other topics such as legacy communities that fit into the general description of "Internet Culture and History" are suitable. However, these should all be tied to a proper thread rather than randomly posted without a broader context. While there is no concrete format that absolutely must be followed, please refrain from making generic posts without the broader purpose of this board in mind.
Random uploads unrelated to the general topic always have a home on /b/.
What are some examples of historical UGC hosting sites / communities?
Sites such as Nico Nico Douga, YouTube, Newgrounds, 2ch, 4chan, YTMND, and more, are examples of websites that have hosted user generated content of historical merit. There is a great deal of internet culture and history that has been formed from sites such as these. Likewise, they each hosted unique communities that became distinctive enough to have their own sense of culture and identity.
Flash content
General SWF content made in Flash can be hosted on /f/. However, posts pertaining to the discussion of this sort of content are highly encouraged on /www/, due to their overall relevance and impact within the broader context of internet culture and history.
Resources:
https://archive.org/ & https://archive.is - Wayback Machine & Internet Archive, snapshots for most, but not all notable websites (mainly due to legal reasons)
https://theoldnet.com/ - Aggregator to view historic snapshots of notable websites, historic and concurrent
https://www.webdesignmuseum.org/ - Museum website to view historic snapshots of internet history
https://knowyourmeme.com/ - (Not Recommended) Platform used to document the many internet phenomenons. Like Wikipedia, many articles having questionable citations and documentation, it is not recommended to take at face value; explore the sources cited and go deeper to further your knowledge.
Console:
X
CLEAR CONSOLE
/www/ - Internet History & Culture
To celebrate the creation of /www/.
>>200
Update: Flash support has been added to /www/ now.
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This thread exists to explain to the anons browsing twentytwo on how to use the Japanese otaku video-sharing website Nico Nico Douga (Smile Video). So by the end of this I am hoping you will be able to upload videos, create mylists, and search for videos properly.
Nico Nico Douga's English variation platform was abolished recently although it wasn't really usable to begin with given how poorly it was maintained and nothing was explained to the user in the end.
I will also mention that the website best works with chromium based browser (I recommend ungoogled chromium, free of spyware) with Firefox there is tons of stuttering and slow loading times making it really unusable a lot of the times.
I will start off with Nico Nico Douga's Navigation Bar and explain what each of these tabs are.
Nico Nico Douga Icon: Click the Nico Nico symbol to return to the homepage.
Videos (動画): Browse all uploaded videos.
Images (静画): View user-submitted artwork.
Live Broadcasts (生放送): Explore a variety of available live streams.
Channels (チャンネル): A dedicated space where content creators, businesses, and organizations share videos, live broadcasts, and blogs.
Nico Nico Pedia (大百科): An extensive knowledge base featuring community-contributed articles on Nico Nico and Japanese internet culture.
Live Commentary (実況): Engage in sharing real-time danmaku (bullet comments) while watching TV or listening to radio broadcasts.
Nico Nico Douga Anime (Nアニメ): A comprehensive anime information and streaming platform, enabling users to share live danmaku comments during anime viewing.
Others:
Bloggers (ブロマガ): User-created blogs.
Contribution (ニコニ貢献): A service designed to visualize the contributions of supporters and the gratitude of creators.
Commons (コモンズ): A wide range of free user-created materials (BGMs, Sound Effects, Voice, Image/Video Materials, Character materials, Backgrounds & Wallpapers, Video Production Tools, Voice Synthesis, etc.) for versatile creative use like creating videos.
Nico Nico 3D (ニコニ立体): User-created 3D models many of which are available for download.
Partner Pass (NicoFT): Obtain personally signed digital items from creators in limited quantities, and support creators as "Partners."
Community (コミュニティ): A service where premium members can establish communities (groups) where participants can post, play, and comment on videos within the community (Newly uploaded or existing on Nico Nico Douga). You can use a community-specific comment thread, allowing for member-only conversations.
News (ニュース): A service that allows users to enjoy communication with each other triggered by news which receives news offerings from approximately 189 distribution media. There is also News Original for exclusive articles related to user-submitted videos on niconico and interviews with renowned users.
Nico Nico Q (ニコニコQ): A question submission service provided by niconico.
Premium Exclusive (特典コンテンツ): When you subscribe to their premium service, you also get the ability to enjoy premium-only videos like the ability to watch limited animes.
Search Bar:
Search by format: Video, Image, Live Broadcasts.30 replies (and 22 file replies) omitted. Click here to view. (Bump Limit: 250)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3pjnp2ojig [Play]
Singaporean government funded news media, CNA, covers the niconico hack pretty early in the video. It certainly echoes my extreme concerns about Japan's lax approach to internet and digital security. It is absolutely ridiculous even after these major incidents, including the hacking of Nintendo and Sony's services, nothing has really changed.
>>16
https://air.fem.jp/commeon/
>commeonの配布は終了しました。
Commeon distribution has ended... Huh? Not sure where to look now but I still have it installed on my PC.
>>393
https://web.archive.org/web/20241231072738/http://air.fem.jp/commeon/ it's still possible to download from archive.org but not sure if its gonna work anymore.
>>393
Something tells me KADOKAWA/dwango sent a C&D asking the creator to stop developing applications violating their patents, as explained here:
>>29
But he is likely not allowed to disclose that, as it would make them lose face with an already rebellious userbase keen on destroying the company financially and image-wise.
https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/968af76b82c61e0b04e326dfb7ef4f768adb427b
This just in: niconico has now fallen to below a million paid subscribers. A mass exodus of niconico premium subscribers left the website for good.
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Take a deep dive with me and find some hidden treasure. No context is necessary, and there are many ways to explore these boards: https://www.2chan.net/ https://2ch.sc/ https://5ch.net/ https://prev.strangeworld.icu/ You can post screenshots of threads/posts and repost whatever content you find. You can use google translate, deeply and I heard some browsers automatically translate text. There are probably more options out there.26 replies (and 50 file replies) omitted. Click here to view. (Bump Limit: 250)
>>117
Oh yeah that reminds me I tried to look up Jim Watkins on the Japanese internet and posted about it to someone in DMs so I'll just repost it here:
https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/ジム・ワトキンス
User Reactions and Popularity:
Initially, Jim was popular among users of the Kenmou board (嫌儲板) and other communities opposed to affiliate blogs.
He allocated dedicated servers for active boards like Nandemo Jikkyou J (NanJ) and VIP, which helped him gain support from many 2channel users.
Conversely, users who relied on affiliate blogs as news sources or ran such blogs themselves voiced strong opposition.
Shift in Popularity:
Jim frequently communicated with users on the Kenmou board, sometimes even changing the username field to "I am not Abe" (a political statement criticizing the Abe administration).
However, his reputation declined due to:
Inability to effectively counter 2ch.sc (Hiroyuki's rival site).
Partnership with the Jane Style developer (a widely criticized 2channel browser) to monetize ads.
Monetization changes in Ronin Membership, despite initially gaining popularity for offering free access to past logs.
He occasionally posts humorous comments like "Warota" (an internet slang meaning "LOL" in Japanese), prompting the typical user response: "Nani waroten nen" ("What's so funny?").
Comments:
"This Jim guy is the embodiment of resentment among the lowest of white society. His looks aren't great, and after retiring from the military, he got involved in pornography, leading a rather unimpressive life. This turned him towards white supremacy, and now he's contributed to the rise of terrorist groups like QAnon, causing division in America.
What's more amazing is that if it weren't for both Jim and Hiroyuki, the current division in America might not have happened. These two will go down in history... for all the wrong reasons."
"Isn't he considered 'poor white'? How can we help people in that situation? Maybe job placement programs?"
"This place has become an outdated dump full of society's rejects. Errors like 'Please take this elsewhere' keep popping up, and I can't post properly.
5ch is really done for this time. With stronger measures against defamation, maybe this site should just be shut down.
And to those complaining about not being able to see past logs – if you have that much free time, go to Hello Work (job center) and get a job."
"This is the worst mismanagement ever. It was already declining under Hiroyuki, but this guy has accelerated the decline at an unprecedented rate.
Instead of attracting users by improving the site, he just keeps adding more ads, driving users away even more.
It’s a vicious cycle. This place is a disaster."
"Instead of banning trolls, they boast about their tolerance for gore.
Admins here are seriously out of touch."
"I skimmed through the comments, and yeah, his reputation is pretty bad.
Like someone else said, he has zero willingness to listen to user feedback.
It's doomed."
"There’s a lot of hate against the new American admin, but blindly worshiping Hiroyuki, who also messed up plenty of times, doesn’t make sense either."
https://note.com/mitsuwo_virgil/n/n82c50a14dc3c
"The one who destroyed ASCII art culture on 2ch (5ch).
I wish he were dead."
"I hate this guy too, but he's not solely responsible for the decline of ASCII art.
The rise of smartphones, changes in browser font settings, and the rise of copyright awareness contributed more to its decline."
"I'm the reason Yukkuri became the 5ch mascot.
I sincerely apologize to all Yukkuri fans and MR** Sensei, except for JIM and those lunatics from Anajitsu and Ai boards.
Everything I get obsessed with ends up becoming a joke and decaying afterwards.
It’s like I’ve been cursed with bad luck."
"Is his wife connected to the Korean Peninsula?
Man, both this guy and Hiroyuki are two sides of the same coin... lol"
"Same with NicoNico — why do the admins keep changing the UI when people just come to see the content?
No one asked for these changes."
"He hijacked 2ch, implemented the forced ID feature (ﾜｯﾁｮｲ), and then made it so you have to pay to hide it.
Seriously, Jim is the worst.
Isn’t this criminal behavior?"
"This guy hijacked 2ch, made a bunch of changes, and eventually killed it.
Now, when you access 2ch, you’re forced to go to 5ch.
Most people can’t even post unless they mess with their settings.
Honestly, moving to Open2ch, which was created with the previous admin’s permission, is the best way to use it like before.
Open2ch"
Just a small snippet of what was posted.
Someone also posted an entire time-line of events what happened after Jim Watkin's takeover but it might get confusing with the MTL translation.
I found the Yoshinoya Copypasta that was originally popular on 2channel on 4-ch lol
https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/吉野家コピペ
>Originally, it came from the personal diary of a user with the pen name Shinbaku (新爆), posted on his personal blog on April 7, 2001.
>Due to how easily it could be remixed, it quickly migrated to 2channel (2ch) where it exploded in popularity
Yesterday, I went to the Yoshinoya near my house.
But for some reason, it was insanely crowded. I couldn’t find a seat at all.
When I looked around, I noticed they had a banner hanging that said “150 yen off” or something.
Like… seriously, what is wrong with people? Are you all idiots?
You don’t normally even come to Yoshinoya, and now you show up just because it’s 150 yen cheaper? Give me a break.
It’s 150 yen. Just 150 yen.
There were even families there. A family of four, all going to Yoshinoya. Congratulations, I guess.
And then the dad’s like, “Alright, I’m getting the extra-large!” or something. I couldn’t watch anymore.
I wanted to say, “I’ll give you the 150 yen, just let me have your seat.”
Yoshinoya’s supposed to have more of an intense atmosphere, you know?
Like, you sit across from some stranger at a U-shaped counter, and it wouldn’t be surprising if a fight broke out at any moment.
That kind of “stab or be stabbed” tension is what gives it flavor.
Women and children should stay out of it.
So I finally manage to get a seat, and then the guy next to me says, “I’ll have a large with extra sauce.”
At that point, I just got pissed all over again.
Who even orders extra sauce these days?
And he said it like he was really proud of himself, too.
I wanted to ask him, “Do you really want extra sauce? Or did you just want to say the word?”
I wanted to grill him for like an hour.
I mean seriously, aren’t you just saying it because it sounds cool?
If you ask me — someone who actually knows his way around Yoshinoya — the current trend among regulars is definitely extra green onions.
This is it: a large bowl with extra onions and a raw egg.
That’s what people in the know are ordering.
They add more onions, and cut back on the meat. That’s how it works.
Top it off with a raw egg. That’s the strongest combo.
But if you keep ordering that, there’s a risk the staff will start to remember you. It’s a double-edged sword.
Not something I’d recommend for beginners.
Honestly, you amateurs should just stick with the beef-and-salmon set meal or something.
>According to the thread titled "Yoshinoya Copypasta Guideline" on 2ch, the first time this text was posted to 2channel was:
>Thread Title: "Yoshinoya’s Beef Bowl!" (B-class Gourmet Board)
>URL: http://natto.2ch.net/jfoods/kako/975/975398997.htmlexit
>Post number: 619
>This was just two days after the original diary was posted, on April 9, 2001.
>At that time, the response from other users was extremely cold:
>"You probably worked hard to write that, but it’s not funny at all."
>"Sometimes there are guys who miss the mark so bad it’s just embarrassing."
>Later in the same thread, at post number 645, the exact same text was reposted.
>People responded harshly again, saying:
>"You liked your own post at 619 so much you reposted it? It’s still not funny."
>Given how iconic it later became, it’s pretty interesting to look back at how coldly it was received at first.
>In 2007, during the first season, first episode of the anime "Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei,"
>this text was oddly inserted into part of the opening animation.
>It shows how even now, the Yoshinoya Copypasta has continued to live on in modern subculture, albeit in different forms.
>By 2010, it became rare for the full copypasta to be reposted, and it stopped being something people tried to use for laughs on its own.
>However, certain phrases originating from it — like:
>"Anyway, forget that, listen to this," (often used to start a post that's off-topic)
>or "I want to grill you for a small hour" (小一時間問い詰めたい),
>still appear occasionally as set phrases in Japanese internet speech.
>The roots of those expressions are undeniably from the Yoshinoya Copypasta.
not sure why but I frequently see that first video get reposted on futaba every time I check
>>396
why do they empty the sock drawer
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This thread is for stories by the internet, for the internet!
The source, type, or format does not matter. Remember, preserve the integrity of the story! Depending on the format used, a screenshot alone might not suffice, there may be interesting discussion, related to the story teller, or media such as youtube videos linked by users that might be related to the story at hand. An example of this, is Ananzi's Goatman story. First posted on 4chan, on several threads, it contains discussion by other users, youtube links, pictures, that add flavor to the story. A screencap or creepypasta wiki page only reduces the impact of that story. Source please! (or at least, something that's close to it as possible)
Be careful! In some cases, if a forum or site is still active, you might anger someone or attract unwanted attention, so you might have to alter certian information, or post in a diffrent format.
Formats! There are many, TXT files, HTML, screencaps, paste bin, and many many more! use whatever works! Find what you can, especially if it's good. Preserve! Things go down easily, so even if you share it here, you might have to make a copy of it, so even if the link dies, you'll still have a copy. (there are also external sites like archive.is and internet archive) Depending on the locale, it could be in a diffrent language, If you can translate, Do so! if not, then most browsers have auto translate features, and there are external sites like DeepL, and google translate.Edit
>>351
https://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/2009/5234359/#5234498
>Fifty Copper and Ludi'drizz't
This has to be real i fucking can't breathe.
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I'm unsure whether this post would fit /meta/ or not so I'm doing it here.
This is the thread where people can post memories and stories of 22chan pre- Twoot Abandonment. Fun times, interesting interactions or major events should be catalogued here. We want any newfags to be able to find and read our history so perhaps the people that come after us won't lose sight of our roots as a community.
Anything 22chan related like images, comics, or memes of Niniba can also be posted and shared.
The story that comes to mind for me is when Spacechan and its offshoots died due to autism and then we got a bunch of refugees. There was that guy who posted those Richter pictures and a few other anons who asked if they would be allowed to take refuge in our community. I don't know if those same anons are around now or what happened to the rest of their community but it was a strange time. 22 nearly got pulled into some shit that nobody wanted to be a part of.55 replies (and 51 file replies) omitted. Click here to view. (Bump Limit: 250)
>>390
he has RETURNED
This thread is exclusively for discussing the Wrestling Series (レスリングシリーズ). I want to emphasize that the focus will be strictly on the Japanese instance, and any discussion of its overseas counterparts is absolutely prohibited. This includes posting videos or content created by overseas creators. Also, please keep the celebrity and character completely separate from each other.
Beginning in June 2007, users on 2channel's YouTube board began to suspect that the MyList rankings on Nico Nico Douga were being manipulated. This led to the creation of an official term called 工作 (Manipulation) after a July 1st thread pointed out the artificial inflation of views, comments, and MyLists. By July 27, 2007, a thread titled ニコニコマイリストのランキング工作動画について (Regarding Mylist Ranking Manipulation Videos on Nico Nico Douga) was created, marking a significant moment as it was dedicated to resisting ranking manipulation on Nico Nico Douga. The discussion in the thread mainly centered around the activities of a group known as 80垢 (80 Accounts), derived from the practice of adding 400 Mylist votes to several videos in the early hours, with 400/5 = 80 accounts (since each account could create up to 5 Mylists at that time). Their activities were particularly noticeable during the early morning hours, where they would push videos like the infamous "The Idolmaster KOTOKO Princess Bride!" (https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm280671 [Play], IM@S was a pioneer in ranking manipulation believe it or not) and "Tsurupettan" to the top of the Nico Nico Douga Mylist rankings, suggesting a coordinated effort. As this method was exposed, discussions in the thread intensified and attracted not only those who aimed to raise awareness about the issue but also individuals who wanted to exploit it, including 信者 (Believers/Fans), アンチ (Antis/Foes), and ただの愉快犯 (Just Pranksters) who looked at 80 Account as a deity. This led to either 順工作 (Forward Manipulation, where users manipulate trends, excluding genuinely popular videos) or 逆工作 (Reverse Manipulation, where users vandalize videos suspected of manipulation). The creators of the videos who were caught in the crossfire often deleted their videos because of this. Other users in the thread adopted a more radical approach, deciding to engage in manipulation themselves as a way to raise awareness about the problem. This led to the thread’s original purpose being sidetracked, eventually resulting in the split of users and the creation of the ニコニコ動画工作支持スレ【80垢神】 (Nico Nico Douga Manipulation Support Thread) General, on the same day, where users began organizing their own manipulations, partly as a form of protest against the 80 Accounts.
Members of the Manipulation Support thread began to manipulate a video called アメリカン ゲイ レスリング2 (American Gay Wrestling 2, https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm200572 [Play]) that was uploaded on April 26, 2007, which depicted two men wrestling with the saturation on max and low video quality. After, a few more videos were uploaded to the アメゲイ (Amegay) series until August 10, 2007, when the first video titled 本格的 ガチムチパンツレスリング (Authentic Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling) from the Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling series was uploaded and manipulated into the rankings. However, it was shortly deleted due to the original creator deactivating his account, but then reuploaded on September 30, 2007: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm1175788 [Play]
Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling (GPW) is a wrestling style with a special rule: if your pants get taken off, you lose.
So why did this video become one of the key driving forces behind Nico Nico Douga's Golden years, and why does it remain one of the most viewed videos on the platform, with 9.8 million views to this day? This wasn’t just some passing joke; it became deeply ingrained in Japanese otaku culture, being referenced in anime, video games, news, and even on game talk shows, cementing its place in the Japanese internet otaku sphere.
The reason is the same as why a lot of other foreign media on the platform gained popularity during that era: 空耳 (mishearings). The two men wrestling in the video, Billy Herrington (a.k.a Aniki) and Danny Lee (a.k.a Kiyoshi Kazuya), had thick New England/Canadian accents combined with intense grunting, which led Japanese viewers to mishear nearly every line as something completely different in their own language.
For example, when Aniki shouts to Kazuya, "Huh? How do you like that, huh?" it was misheard as Thick and Saucy Fried Rice and now Aniki's favorite food is Ankake Chahan:
(Aniki) "Huh? How do you like that, huh?" ->「あぁん？あんかけチャーハン？」-> "Aan? Ankake chyaahan?" -> "Huh? Thick and Saucy Fried Rice?"
A lot of the character names too are based on mishearings such as for example Creamstew Ikeda from Shinnippori Fire Station (Firefighters): https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm5348773 [Play]
(Aniki): I'm finished with you, get up -> くりぃむしちゅー池田 -> Kuriimushichuu Ikeda -> Creamstew Ikeda
But a lot of them are actually derived from how close a character looks to some kind of celebrity like Hatakeyama Bacon who resembles both the Japanese lightweight boxer Takanori Hatakeyama and American actor and musician Kevin Bacon.
I included a translation I made of the original Professional Pants Wrestling video posted to Nico Nico Douga (Video 1). In the next few posts, I'll try to continue explaining a bit more about the Manipulation Incident history and things such as the popular Sanshin of Fairy Philosophy by Pants Wrestling Aniki.
[Resources]
https://w.atwiki.jp/herrington/
https://dic.nicovideo.jp/a/レスリングシリーズ
https://www.nicovideo.jp/tag/レスリングシリーズ
https://www.deepl.com/en/translator
[Legend]
Quotes = Orange
Translations = Blue
Names & Titles = Pink12 replies (and 19 file replies) omitted. Click here to view. (Bump Limit: 250)
It's honestly great that this thread discusses the history of Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling in such a much more thorough and concrete way compared to many YouTube videos I've seen on this subject matter, to which all I've seen were done super poorly and without proper research, but I can't entirely fault them too much considering these people are likely not extreme lurkers and niconico addicts. I feel the beginnings and early history of Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling can only be figured out by those who either were there at the time, or those who've put all the puzzle pieces together with all the research they've put in.
With all the manipulation threads too, I doubt anyone else would know about this, I've known that Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling has had a fair share of planned influxes of MAD videos, but I had no idea these were manipulation threads, and I knew about kusomisoka too, and the history behind it, I've just never known that this was all due to these manipulation threads, lol. I read a comment/post of a user saying "At this point, it's more of an Aniki unity festival than manipulation." I couldn't agree more with that, within the modern days of this hemisphere, the days of pranking and baiting are long dated in all honesty, but this isn't to say that we can't do pranks on people more, if anything, I'd love for more of that to happen.
>Next time, we need to prepare some new material.
It was impressive how far we got with an overused Aniki.
^ With this in particular, so much material was made with different characters. Later to have more and more discovered even in modern day.
This brings me to ask, how do we bring this information to people? How do we talk to people regarding the actual history of Gachimuchi Pants Wrestling? I don't want to go about freely sharing this thread because I rather keep reading this multiple times to get a full understanding of everything. Every video I've seen talking about Pants Wrestling Aniki has been either too surface level, too bleak, or left me with too many questions to the point where I become angry.
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Here is an English translation of a IM@S Pants Wrestling MAD by Not-Sixxさん.
Title: 本格的スマイル体操 (Fully Authentic Smile Exercise)
Author: Not-Sixxさん
Original link: https://www.nicovideo.jp/watch/sm22837634 [Play]
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https://youtu.be/3v9ihOfcBKs [Play]
This video goes over the history of otoMAD, and mentions various phenomenon that occured during Japanese internet history, including wrestling series.
In the comments, one of the top comments claimed to be a long retired otoMAD author, hasn't made an otoMAD in over 10 years, and gave some insight being a part of a Skype group that involving conversation between wrestling series and airmoto creators to help develop technology, techniques, and collaborate on various other matters pertaining to the ever-evolving culture of otoMAD during its heyday. Otakus uniting to make cool stuff together, branched off from 2channel's thread. Even before Skype, I recall kannai, an otoMAD author active since 2007, talked about working with these creators via IRC prior. Fascinating watch, even with rough MTL.
>>383
https://otomad.base.shop/items/105881093
If anyone is able to get this, it is about 1000 yen, so its likely rather cheap for foreign buyers. I cannot for the life of me purchase this because it uses a payment process that is rather strict. It declined both my VISA and MasterCard, despite my VISA being okay to make international purchases. Apparently, Yahoo answers in Japan has a ton of customers having the same issue with the Base Shop system as well.
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In this thread, I want to hear about YOUR experiences with irony poisoning that has been plaguing the modern internet for more than the past decade or so.
Whether you are:
- Someone who actively participates,
- Someone who reluctantly goes along,
- Someone critical of it,
- Or someone who has been personally affected by it.
What is irony poisoning?
Irony poisoning is what happens when people use so much sarcasm, jokes, and meta humor that they can't express real thoughts or feelings without fear of being mocked. Over time, they start to self-sabotage any attempt at sincerity because they’re afraid of looking weak or out of place.
Irony poisoning creates toxic environments where anyone who tries to be genuine gets attacked, mocked, or pushed out. This constant layer of irony makes it hard for people to trust anything, leading to confusion, loneliness, and sometimes even real-life harm.
it can show up anywhere, including in extreme social and political movements. It's often used to manipulate people because constant joking and detachment makes it easier to push extreme ideas without being questioned.
While it's important to think before speaking and not share every random thought online, the way irony is overused today has created a dangerous culture where sincerity is almost impossible.
Why /www/ and not /yu/?
Because irony poisoning is not just a personal experience but a major cultural force that has reshaped internet communities and online behavior over the last decade. It is a part of internet history now, not just individual struggles.
Ways to cure irony poisoning:
- Avoid Reddit, ResetEra, Tumblr, Twitter, BlueSky, or any online platform that has a userbase that are prone and vulnerable to radical sociopolitical brainrot.
- Stop consuming media made in the 2010s or newer and instead read, watch, and listen to older media (mid 2000s and older).
-- Another hint: if the movie, game, TV show, book, or audio drama is written by millenial manchildren or younger, stop immediately and consume something else.
--- If the writing is steeped in "self-aware", meta-level ironic jokes, it is not good for you if you're poisoned in irony.
- Take a prolonged break from the internet
- Start hanging out with either older people (who are not creepy, extremely lonely freaks), or people who are not internet-addicted or are capable of showing sincere, neutral feelings.
I recently watched this video and thought it explained the effects of irony poisoning really well:
https://youtu.be/DuTwM6jB9JY?t=91 [Play]
>My brain had been so molded over time by so much postmodern wink-wink nudge-nudge storytelling that it could just not recognize sincerity. (around 3:08)
>When I was eventually met with sincerity from a major studio blockbuster, I thought this must be some sort of trick. I'm not going to offer up my heart to this trilogy because... well, I've been hurt so many times in the past. (around 10:14–10:26)
>When every film feels the need to shy away from earnest emotions or genuine stakes, a lot of problems tend to arise, problems which films with a more sincere approach would just never run into. (around 4:29–4:39)
>A movie acknowledging that it's a movie is usually referred to as breaking the fourth wall, yet I would argue that a better term would be strengthening the fourth wall. The more frequently this wall is acknowledged, the more sturdy and opaque the barrier between audience and film becomes. (around 9:32–9:42)
>The more we come to expect this ironic style of storytelling, the less we are going to want to emotionally invest in films in the first place, because what's the point if every movie is just going to make fun of itself, and make fun of you for ever thinking that it might take something seriously? (around 9:47–9:56)4 replies (and 1 file replies) omitted. Click here to view. (Bump Limit: 250)
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Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins was a game that, at first, I thought was just utterly stupid after the first trailer. But as many people came to realize, it was actually 2000s PS2 style of earnest. That is not surprising when you consider the team of people from Square involved with the development, but it was all the same very much a good example of sincerity in this irony-poisoned world.
Beyond Jack and his game, I find that this irony-poisoning is particularly bad in the West, but in the East you saw it as comic-relief instead, where in a serious work such as Trigun or Rurouni Kenshi, the characters would become deformed and have some sort of very animated explosion of emotion for comedic effect. It's still present today, usually some perverted accidental instance of someone touching a boob or the like.
This sort of comedic crutch is actually my biggest issue with Berserk's use of Puck the fairy, as I feel he is at this point far too comical in a way that completely clashes with everything else.
Bringing it back to Square Enix, FFXIV suffers tremendously from attempts at counter-balancing the serious with the silly, most of all in Endwalker where a world ending threat gets juxtaposed with the silly little rabbit people and their oh so "adorable" antics that completely break the pacing of an emotionally heavy situation. It seems authors are just afraid of letting anyone actually feel sad for more than 10 minutes.
>>377
The difference between Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy, and most of the media we have made here recently, is that both Team Ninja and Square Enix made a concerted effort to keep the game sincere in its ironic, meta themes in relation to the first Final Fantasy. There was a punch, dedication, and attitude that other post-ironic media here in the west lack.
It's like when you confess to a girl in high school, and then you say half-way or close to the end of the conversation, "JUST KIDDING". That's how I feel when it comes to most western media made now.
>>370
>Avoid Reddit, ResetEra, Tumblr, Twitter, BlueSky, or any online platform that has a userbase that are prone and vulnerable to radical sociopolitical brainrot.
It's odd that you mention all of these sites but not 4chan and other imageboards, which can be regarded as the spearheading pioneers of such behavior due to how their format promotes separating one's self from their message. 4chan's social dynamics in particular actively encourages being as in inflammatory and outrageous in one's comments as possible in order to get attention, then repeating said comments over and over again until it becomes stale and you go to the next ones. Do you really believe people posting "Is coffee good for you?" are being sincere and vulnerable compared to the karma farming your find on Reddit?
This dynamic is so apparent that I often find myself confused when people claim 4chan users are more "honest". Just because you're rude and blunt doesn't mean you're telling the truth.
>>379
I think too, most people are like, reading ED or knowyourmeme and then they think: "So this is how i'm supposed to behave here?" You see it too with imageboards that adopt a "nostalga facade" where they adopt old 4chan lingo and assume it wasn't as bad back then because they read an article on Yotsuba Society. But they didn't realise the guy who made yotsuba society, Jkid was doing the typical Namefag shit where he was trying to be a super cool internet personality and fetishise the old internet without realising all the actual damage he was doing.
I understand the nature of anonymous posting means there aren't any rules, i can go and make a post on 22Chan right now that doesn't break the rules, but nudges at some grey area and pisses everyone off, but should i really? I might get a quick dopamine hit but what of substance am i gaining in the long run?
>>379
I think the major problem is that, if you were to lurk 4chan now, especially boards like /g/, /v/, and sometimes /a/ (during summer), you would have a very difficult time to discern between the platforms listed in the OP and current 4chan. Now, if you were talking about old 4chan, yes, it can be debated they were the catalyst, but the major highlights of old 4chan were often goofy and did not take itself too seriously as a major sphere of influence.
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I wonder what changed, if anything. Are they still cucked with the email verification? Not only that but, what about the various 4chan communities, just the same usual?
>>364
It's the usual with some restrictions, if I'm not mistaken. Just nothing but ragebait and insane nonsense.
I feel like them keeping up all of the old threads prior to the hack just says that things won't get better and it will stay and get even worse from now on. Not sure if I am right but it feels like cleaning up 4chan could have been an entire new opportunity for them and the users for the site to change things into another direction. It also feels like a lot of people who left for other altchans and such will start to notice how shit of a place it is similarly to how they started to notice when that entire April Fools joke happened. Not to say that 4chan will become a desolated place or anything it will be still rampant with bot spam running the activity of the site but everyone that's worth a damn on there will probably not return anymore.
