420chan explained
420chan was an anonymous imageboard founded on 20 April 2005[1] [2] [3] by hacker[4] and freelance web developer[5] Aubrey Cottle.[6] According to its founder, its name was a portmanteau of 420, a slang word originating in cannabis culture but now applicable to drug culture more generally, and 4chan, another imageboard website.[7] Discussion on the site was primarily focused around recreational drug use and wrestling, with other boards related to topics including humor and academia.
While in its early history it was primarily known for hosting a board known as /i/,[8] [9] [10] then used by the hacker collective Anonymous[11] to stage "invasions" against individuals and web platforms such as Habbo Hotel,[12] and Hal Turner.[13]
The modern incarnation of the website was primarily known for hosting discussions about psychoactive drugs legal and illegal.[14] The site was also known for its LGBT discussion boards, /cd/[15] and /sd/.[16] [17]
As of 1 June 2022, 420chan's main URL, 420chan.org, went offline. On 20 April 2023, the domain was sold to Fredrick Brennan for $4,200 in Ethereum, and a temporary landing page went up.
Footnotes
Notes
- Web site: First New Board in Four Years . Cottle. Aubrey . 2015-10-10 . 420chan . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20190224100651/https://420chan.org/blog/2015/10/10/first-new-board-in-four-years/ . 2019-02-24 . 2020-05-19.
- Web site: WHOIS for 420chan.org . . WHOIS.com . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190208001227/https://www.whois.com/whois/420chan.org . 2019-02-08 . 2020-05-19.
- The .org TLD specifies its creation dates in its WHOIS data using ISO 8601 dates. The creation date of specifies that the domain was registered on 21 April 2005, in UTC. However, because Cottle is from Toronto, which in April has time zone, the registration actually did happen in the final hours of 20 April 2005.
- News: Fallout begins for far-right trolls who trusted Epik to keep their identities secret . en-US . Washington Post . 2023-04-21 . 0190-8286.
- Web site: In the Late 1980s, Nintendo Revealed That Super Mario Has an Uncircumcised Penis . Villarreal. Daniel . 2020-03-10 . Hornet . 2020-05-19.
- Web site: Internet Intruder From Australia May Be Behind Early Morning Prank That Led To Local ETF Raid . 2008-05-15 . . 2020-05-19.
- Web site: 420chan FAQ . Cottle. Aubrey . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080207023015/http://www.420chan.org/what.htm . 2008-02-07 . 2020-05-19 . I was talking to some friends and one of them came up with "420chan", a stupid combination of 4chan and drugs..
- As on 4chan, boards are identified by their URLs, which are typically acronyms or shorthand for the full name of the board.
- /i/ "Invasion".
- Singel. Ryan . 2007-07-27 . Investigative Report Reveals Hackers Terrorize the Internet for LULZ . Wired . 2020-05-19 . 1059-1028.
- Book: Caneppele. Stefano . Organized Crime, Corruption and Crime Prevention: Essays in Honor of Ernesto U. Savona . Calderoni. Francesco . 2013-10-30 . Springer Science & Business Media . 978-3-319-01839-3 . 235.
- News: Shuman. Phil . 2007-07-26 . FOX 11 Investigates: 'Anonymous . MyFOX Los Angeles . KTTV (Fox) . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20080522123812/http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=3894628&version=7&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1 . 2008-05-22.
- News: Beran . Dale . 11 August 2020 . The Return of Anonymous . . 25 August 2020 .
- Book: Olson, Parmy. We Are Anonymous: Inside the Hacker World of LulzSec, Anonymous, and the Global Cyber Insurgency . 2012-06-05 . . 978-0-316-21353-0 . 420chan is known for its discussion of drugs. . 403.
- /cd/ "Transgender Discussion".
- Book: Sauerbier, Rachel Ann . Word is out: the use of social media sites during the coming out process . . 2011 . 8, 52.
- /sd/ "Sexuality Discussion".
