Think we should namedrop 4-ch itself in there, as its 2ch portal is mentioned therein?
Also, this is now the general 2channel thread.
I wanted to make one for some time but never got around, so I guess this'll have to do.
I'll post some interesting links and observations about 2channel later.
Also,
> There’s several versions of 4ch because this type of forum gets so popular, it can easily drive so much traffic bring down a normal server.
what the hell does he mean by that?
2ch is a vast topic, so I'll just start with a few general links.
Obligatory Wikipedia link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2ch
(Note: Wikipedia is always biased and - concerning non-occidental topics - often misinformed)
About Anonymity, one main aspect of 2ch culture, these discussions are rather comprehensive:
http://wakaba.c3.cx/soc/kareha.pl/1110953600
http://4-ch.net/net/kareha.pl/1127551023
Apart from posting anonymously, you can give yourself a name but anyone can enter any name, so there's two main methods to prove your identity:
(Basically you put in a "password" after a # in the name field and the board generates a unique code for that password. More info below)
http://wakaba.c3.cx/docs/docs.html#TripCodes
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripcode
http://wakaba.c3.cx/soc/kareha.pl/1100499906
(See that thing next to your posting date? It can be used to identify yourself in a thread. More info below)
How ID codes are handled on 4-ch:
http://4-ch.net/wiki/user_id
How ID codes are handled on 2ch
http://4-ch.net/general/kareha.pl/1127721276/13,14,17,18
Another method to give proof (although it's always debatable whether this really counts as proof) of your identity that has not been introduced to 4-ch (yet) is "fusianasan". On 2ch, if you write "fusianasan" in your Name field, the reply you create will display your IP as your name (cannot be faked).
How to find old threads
Found a link to a 2ch thread that is not active anymore and has been moved to the archives? You could always buy archive access (about $30/year) but there's many people archiving popular threads on their own.
If Google (just search for your thread's title) or archive.org fail, there's always these two nifty sites:
2ch-Library - collects a variety of really popular threads, categorized neatly by boards/topics:
http://2ch-library.com/
makimo.to - has a HUGE automatically maintained archive of 2ch threads, dating back years and years. You may not find the most recent archived threads there, though.
http://makimo.to/2ch/index.html
How to enhance your 2ch browsing
The list of boards on 2ch's sidebar is huge and takes long to scroll through, the list of threads are exhausting, keeping track is difficult...
For these and many other reasons, a variety of browsers for a variety of operating systems and computers have been created by 2channel users. You can find (pretty much all of them) on monazilla.org(w:
http://www.monazilla.org/
If installing those browsers is a bit too tricky, consider trying out these two Firefox extensions:
Similiar browsers/extensions in English (for Kareha software based forums et al) do no exist, yet. If you have some input on that, please check this thread: http://wakaba.c3.cx/sup/kareha.pl/1104757670
Can I use tripcodes on 2ch?
Generally people fill in their names when they are newbies or pretending to be (or if they're putting on a jisakujien). But there is less complaining about it on 2ch than there is on American forums.
> jisakujien
This means a person who pretends to be several different persons on the internet (as far as I know).
For more terms that will undoubtedly pop up in this thread, try these links:
http://wakaba.c3.cx/soc/kareha.pl/1098886772
http://4-ch.net/nihongo/kareha.pl/1101446156
http://4-ch.net/2chportal/
>>7
I believe there is less complaining on 2ch since it is less prevalent there and mostly used either by troublemakers who are forgotten and don't come back the next day or people who have good reason to use a tripcode.
Here is a scientific paper on the sociology of 2channel! PDF
2ch stats
Want to know which 2ch boards are the most popular and how many posts they get each day?
Look here: http://stats.2ch.net/suzume.cgi?yes
An interesting thing I noticed in the comments section of the article mentioned in >>1 is that somebody said that usenet was never really popular in Japan and that this may have contributed to 2channel's popularity.
If you take a look at the stats in >>11, you will notice that their usenet board (nntp) is one of the least popular, with about 50 posts each day, so the statement seems to be correct.
Still, I wonder why this is. Anyone got an idea?
>>12 I suspect it was because Usenet was not anonymous enough, for one thing. Also, harassment from foreigners. Unmoderation, so lots of unwanted, off-topic advertisement posts cluttering the groups.
Some groups tried to carry on anyway and ran like if they were a closed club, using passwords on the attachments. Rude foreigners came and insulted the posters for not providing the password in English, for requiring a Japanese-only program to decrypt, for using Japanese kanji in the decrypted files, etc.
So when better solutions came out, the few remaining Japanese fled Usenet overnight. ^^
It's a pity that most of the japanese related boards on usenet are just back alleys for pedo's to put CP UP :(
You don't need usenet, that's what 2ch is for.
> It's a pity that most of the japanese related boards on usenet are just back alleys for pedo's to put CP UP :(
I thought every board on Usenet was like that these days. Except for alt.religion.kibology, which is about Kibo's life as a gay leatherman.
Nice stats site. 2ch actually isn't as active as I thought it was. Only about twice as much traffic as <i>that site</i> full of anime fags.
>>17
Which site do you mean with that site?
Also, alexa stats for 2ch:
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?q=&url=www.2ch.net
If you meant Gaiaonline with that site, they have way less traffic:
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?q=&url=www.gaiaonline.com
See also
http://www.big-boards.com/
(lists only register-only forums, though)
Wow, when you look at the alexa stats gaia is positively puny even though they supposedly get about 1mil posts per day to 2ch's 2.5. In the long term graphs it's interesting to see that 2ch had a couple of big drops in traffic last year. Wonder what happened.
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?&range=2y&size=large&compare_sites=2ch.net&y=t&url=www.gaiaonline.com
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?&range=2y&size=large&compare_sites=2ch.net&y=r&url=www.gaiaonline.com#top
2ch is a general bbs that is more or less the center of Japan's internet community and is big enough to have a hit series (Densha Otoko) based off it. Comparing that to gaia, which caters to a section (the dirty fag section) of English-speaking anime fans... I think the difference in traffic between the two sites should be even greater.
Or at least, there shouldn't be that many English-speaking anime fags out there.
>>21
I am sure your argument would carry a lot more weight without the constant reminder that you're a rather immature homophobe...
Come on, the word "fag" is so overused that I can even believe that gay people use it.
as a gay person, fag fag faggy fag fag fag fag. it's just a word.
>Or at least, there shouldn't be that many English-speaking anime fags out there.
That's what I've been trying to tell people...
do you guys know what's the link of the "real" densha otoko thread in 2ch? does it still exist?
>>26
The real threads can partially been found here:
http://www.geocities.co.jp/Milkyway-Aquarius/7075/trainman1.html
For how to find whole versions, see >>5
For an attempt at a translation of the threads into English, see
http://academy4.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/english/1098117242/
>>27
and the translation at http://www.rinji.tv/densha/
It depends. The number of posts does not reflect the signal to noise ratio, nor does it reflect how many people are posting.
It's easy to spam boards with "LOL" and "Me too!" posts. Do any of these stats take signal/noise ratios into account?
Signal/Noise ratios are too subjective to make any sort of reliable statistic. Not only that but you'd have to take into account factors like whether noise from dedicated noise boards counts.
One thing I find intriguing about gaia's stats it the rather large, sudden jump it made in reach and rank in autumn of 2004. Is anyone familiar with what happened on that board around that time?
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?&range=2y&size=large&compare_sites=&y=r&url=www.gaiaonline.com
http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details?&range=2y&size=large&compare_sites=&y=t&url=www.gaiaonline.com
I think there are far more 2ch 'readers' than there are posters, so I guess that takes a lot more bandwith.
Plus Gaia has those damn avatars.
>>20
alexa is english toolbar, 2ch is japanese. maybe this explains for the difference, eh?
That's kind of my point. In light of this, is comparing two forums by their # of posts really appropriate?
>>20 Alexa is the most useful spyware the interweb has seen yet!
http://be.2ch.net/
What is this?
Looks like something DUMB!
I'm Japanese.
I'm a 2channeller.
I can't speak English well,but I try to tell you about 2ch!
>>38
Can you get us an International board on 2ch?
http://academy4.2ch.net/test/read.cgi/english/1140063102/l50
>>38
So many people use 2ch, is there really a single culture tying it all together?
>>43
Did 2ch users buy a lot of Negima CDs to increase its sales ranking?
>>44
Some 2ch users bought a lot of Negima CDs.
If anything,Most of the people who bought a lot of Negima CDs are called anime mania(In Japanese,they are called OTAKU)
I'm sorry by poor English.
>>38
How can you say that 2ch is the most popular homepage in Japan? What are the true signs of its significance?
>>45
Your English is not bad. I can understand your writing.
How does 2ch choose administrators and moderators to maintain the bbs?
>>46
In 2005,Japanese culture was influenced from 2ch very much.
Denshaotoko(train man)and Nomaneko describe it.
Many media(TV,Magazine,and Information homepage) take it as a symbol of Japanese Internet.such a special treatment only give to 2ch.
For this reason,I judge that 2ch is the most popular homepage in Japan.
>>47
2ch's administrators and moderators is chosen from 2ch users.
They work as a volunteer.
And "HIROYUKI" is the owner of 2ch.
Can you understand my poor English? I'm glad for it! Thank you.
>>48
How often is 2ch mentioned in media? Since Densha Otoko and Nomaneko, have there been big news stories involving 2ch?
South Korean was drawing South Korean national flag on this site!
Lets change this fucking picture into Pepsi logo!
I want you to cooperate in 4ch!
http://www.vipper.net/vip17845.jpg (Situation a little while ago
)
http://www.vipper.org/vip208109.jpg (The final purpose)
>>50 I'll answer it,
2ch has ever been mentioned in most newspapers, such as Asahi, Yomiuri and Sankei.
The story which was told most frequently in media was about Winny, a P2P file-sharing software.
It was made by an anonymous person (who proved to be an assistant professor of Univ. of Tokyo) in Download board in 2ch.
One of the biggest news was that he was arrested.
And now media report that information of investigation by police was leaked carelessly by using Winny.
I think Densha Otoko was the most famous, though.
>>48
I think 2ch is popular, too.
But it's not always regarded as a good site.
Some anonymous users of 2ch commited crimes, and media says
2ch is producing criminals or lazy people.
ah, I'm a Japanese ronin, who finishes all the exams tomorrow.
>>55
Oh!I'm a Japanese ronin,too.
Your English is very good!
I ashamed of my poor English
>>55
Good luck on your exams!
>>56
Chat with us. Improve your english by chatting with english speakers. Otherwise, you can always joing the nihongo board http://4-ch.net/nihongo/ and get help there.
>>55
Good luck to you too.
And I'm a FREETER who graduated Waseda University. My score of English class was always "C".
Anyway, 2ch is often charged with defamation and spread of groundless rumor. In theory who have to be charged is the poster, IOW anonymous user. But Hiroyuki always stands accused, and always lose a case... Who pays compensatory payments? No one but Hiroyuki.
That's why we have to consider Hiroyuki as kind of saint or deity.
C? The scoring there must be pretty tough. You make some mistakes, but not any more than most Japanese people I see posting on the net.
And to all of you people learning English: I really recommend reading a lot in English. Get books in English that your are interested in, and read them. Posting in English is also good practice, although the danger of learning on the net is that a lot of English speakers post in really bad English too.
I'm not a native English speaker either, and I learned a lot of my English from reading lots of books in English.
Maybe we can help you out with books if you tell us your interests :)
Well, I'm more intrested in English forums than English books...
I just read about the idiot americans who have invaded 2ch and I am filled with shame (even though I posted stupidly too, but I confined myself to their VIP board). orz
such is life
>>63
I doubt anyone could gather enough americans to make a noticeable invasion of 2ch.
>>66 yeah, they're a couple of wacky guys!
2channelers love board vs board wars, so invation is always welcomed.
One of the most famous wars is that of Military board vs Yaoi board war, which was ended in miserable defeat of Military guys. Since then, the word "Yaoi" is a taboo word in Military board.
invation -> invasion
webpages criticizing 2ch (sorry they're all written in Japanese)http://anti2ch.blog61.fc2.com/
http://www.1ch.tv/(Net犯罪板)
http://r.netabbs.info/uxgmswe/index.html
http://jyakusya.blog69.fc2.com/blog-entry-2.html
http://www.2ch.net/2ch.html(批判要望板)
Gratitude my god.
http://www.chironoworks.com/yuell/html/5-1.html
>>69
How did this "war" take place? Just by the military guys invading the gay guys' board and vice versa? And how was the winner decided?
> And how was the winner decided?
>>69 is one of the gay guys.
>>73
I think you're mistaken as to the demographic that is the target market for yaoi.
>>73
Yeah, how did the war took place? Did the military guys use their powerful heiki on the yaoi people?
http://4-ch.net/news/kareha.pl/1168678459/
IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ !
i think that if 2ch closed, it'll be on the news everywhere since its the biggest website in japan. japan will probably have some massive revolution if 2ch did close.
they'll introduce anonymous democracy then. The Leader is >>1-san
2chers:
What's the relation nowadays between 2channel and 2chan/Futaba Channel? Is the latter anywhere near as popular? Are they as different as say, 4chan and here are?
The main relations are that 2ch affects pretty much everything on the Japanese internet, so you'll see 2ch words and memes used on Futaba occasionally. Also, there is a substantive population of people who frequent both places, VIPPERs especially.
But generally they are unrelated. Futaba's Nijiura boards might make it into the top-ten list of 2ch boards based on posting rates, but 2ch is still significantly bigger.
