/pol/emics: Ambiguity, scales, and digital discourse on 4chan

EG630: Article Presentation 2

Media effects across culture and social perceptions
Author:

Dillon Ludemann
State University of New York at Binghamton,
Department of Anthropology,
Binghamton University
Journal:
Discourse, Context & Media Volume 24
Year:
August 2018
Pages:
92-98
About
• Politically Incorrect, abbreviated as /pol/, is a board dedicated to
current events and political discussion on the imageboard 4chan.
It is one of the most popular boards on the internet dedicated to
politics, and has gained a reputation as a hotbed for fringe
beliefs.

History
• The board was originally created in 2011 as a replacement for
/new/, which was 4chan's primary board for the distribution and
discussion of news. The reasoning behind this decision was
primarily based around moot's belief that /new/ had strayed from
its intended purpose and become a gathering place for racists.

Board Culture
• The reputation of the board across the internet in general is
typically linked to endorsement of extremist politics, and the
board is thus often cited as one of the defining aspects of 4chan's
reputation, alongside /b/.[2] Frequent users of the board are
typically referred to as /pol/acks. Due to 4chan's nature as an
imageboard, /pol/ has spawned several image-based memes.