Stay away from 4chan

I used to frequent this site quite a bit because it has some cool boards like /out/ and /lit/ and because they recommend a lot of good books and other things that are kind of obscure and that I wouldn't find anywhere else. Even on these boards that are centered around the outdoors and literature there are many coomers who feel the need to post suggestive and pornographic pictures. For this reason I can no longer use the site in good consciousness and I suggest you guys stay away from it because you will get triggered on accident. It's a shame because sites like 4chan are the last bastions of free speech on the internet but it is what it is.

 

I agree, there's some real nuggets there and some very interesting people. But there's also a lot of negativity and there were periods of time where I'd browse 4chan for hours everyday and it definitely warped my worldview.

That's understandable, a lot of boards are disgusting and there are a lot of people on there spreading misinformation and making these graphs and images that are misleading and blow things out of proportion, like /pol/ for example. If I could go back in time and stop myself from using it, I wouldn't because if anything imageboards taught me how to think for myself. This chapter is over though, I only used the site for recommendations anyway so I'm sure I can get those from reddit or whatever.

 

I can't relate when people put so much emphasis on free speech like it is the water of life of civilization.
Obviously it is great to have freedom to speak freely but the way people deal with it is such a distortion of its virtue.
Free speech is one of those terms that people use so loosely to fit their agenda.
The internet pornography industry is invading and ruining cultures and generations world wide in the name of free speech.

I think it is empathy that is so scarce, yet you never see anyone shed a tear for it.

 

Exactly man! Everything is so needlessly sexualized, it's kinda unsettling.

It's no wonder you can't relate because you have been reaping the benefits of free speech all your life. Watch some videos on the Soviet Union and East Berlin if you really want to see the importance of free speech and the freedom to express oneself. Free speech is precisely in place to defend the things we don't want to hear, the things that shock us and make us angry. How else could a system be kept in check? Certainly not if the only opinions allowed are the ones that are held by the status quo. Pornography has nothing to do with free speech. It perplexes me how you could even think that. Pornography is a result of a self indulgent, degenerate political system. Pornography is oppressive and has nothing to do with freedom.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Speech_Coalition
(is a non-profit trade association of the pornography and adult entertainment industry in the United States.)
(Purpose: Free speech advocacy)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Larry_Flynt
(In 2003, Arena magazine listed him at No. 1 on the "50 Powerful People in Porn" list)
(Occupation: Publisher, free speech activist, pornographer)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Goldstein
(He is known for helping normalize hardcore pornography in the United States.)
https://www.reuters.com/article/peo...laimed-free-speech-dies-idUKL2N0JY17Q20131219
(a leader in the First Amendment fight to protect the pornography industry under the umbrella of free speech)
(Goldstein brought pornography into the mainstream and helped to shape a form of sexual satire emulated by a legion of pornographers and entertainers)

I did not come up with the link between free speech and pornography, I actually criticized that link and mentioned that the porn industry is using to defend their stance. That link has been made decades ago by advocates of porn. I said "Free speech is one of those terms that people use so loosely to fit their agenda." This is a group literally called the Free Speech Coalition that is basically a minion of the porn industry. The sentence "The internet pornography industry is invading and ruining cultures and generations world wide in the name of free speech." is an attack on the way the porn industry defends its product by labeling it as free speech without acknowledging the consequences of their trade. It is not saying that free speech and pornography are the same thing, nor it is an attack on free speech, but on the way the term and it's purpose is being manipulated. I'm not a fighter against free speech, but against the way the term is bent and abused to allow people to cause harm and damage to others without consequence and how moderation is not taken into account when discussing free speech. I think such people hide behind the term "free speech" and use it to persuade people because for many people it is more precious than breathable air or drinking water. For some, free speech itself is so sacred and ironically can't be argued against like it is a divine truth. The moment you felt I was against free speech you got so defensive that you could not understand the meaning behind my comment and replied with irrelevant points.

And I expected you will get so sensitive and give me such an extreme example of restriction of freedom like the Soviet Union and East Berlin, that is why I wrote "Obviously it is great to have freedom to speak freely but the way people deal with it is such a distortion of its virtue." Why would you give me those extreme examples when I did not even hint that I'm against free speech. I'm saying that people put so much emphasis on free speech and often prioritize free speech on the expense of other aspects that are as important. I think free speech is integral but the world will not end if it has limits. In fact, I think it should have some limitations because of how people abuse their speech. If a person has the ability to cause direct harm with malicious intentions with speech only, surely laws are needed to protect the society. Free speech is not black and white. You made it look like we either post whatever we want and insult whatever we want and if anything even touches that right then we are suddenly living in the Soviet Union and East Berlin. To tell me to watch videos of the Soviet union or East Berlin to know the value of free speech does not make any sense, because that is saying that their condition is mainly caused by limiting free speech, and if that is what you are saying then that needs a detailed explanation.

I wrote my comment because the way you described 4Chan as one of "last bastions of free speech on the internet" made me feel like you are one of those people who feel so threatened unless thee can insult everything they don't like without boundaries without knowing the weight of their words. Free speech is important but so is the responsibility and the consequence of using that speech. People get so defensive for free speech as if a little restriction is the end of everything. Again, I'm not an enemy of free speech but I think people lack more than free speech only. I think people are in a dire need think carefully about the words that come out of their mouth and the effects they might have. That to me is as important as free speech, if not more important, but it does not get enough attention. Not to mention that this website ,that you speak so highly off, played a pivotal roll in the "fappening."

I don't know why you assume I've been "reaping the benefits of free speech" my whole life. I could be typing this from Africa, Asia, Middle East, or some third world country that has some restrictions on what you can say, and yet not be bothered by those restrictions. I could even be reaping the thorns of free speech my entire life and you wouldn't know. And by the way I have lived in different countries in Central Europe, some gulf states in the Middle East, and have visited China and Thailand and personally experienced the contrast between a country where you can say anything and a country where you could not. While there are indeed issues in the places I visited that people are not very free to talk about, life still goes on and the laws did not suffocate me even though I lived under their effect. It would certainly be an improvement in such places if public opinion was a little more accepted, but it would be foolish to forget every other need of society and give free speech the biggest share of attention. Limitless free speech might not exactly be what these people need, it might actually exacerbate their conditions. Not every place that doesn't legally allow you to freely insult the royalty, the governments decisions, or the culture's values is by default a hellhole.

The reason I said "I can't relate when people put so much emphasis on free speech" is because sometimes you see people risk safety, stability, order, unity or other fundamental virtues all for the sake of an often extreme form of "free speech" which I do not agree with.
An example of this is in the US where it is the right of KKK members to organize peaceful rallies in the middle of some towns with many inhabitants offended by the movement. It is the right of the citizens to express them selves this way, but this is usually done with the intent of provocation and the atmosphere is so tense that these rallies often end in chaos and violence. A long as people have the right to say what they want they overlook the risk of property damage or someone getting harmed. Personally I would rather live in Thailand or GCC states, despite some corruption or inequality, over that town even if you can't openly criticize everyone but the environment is much safer and people's heads are cooler. There is a limit to free speech in those countries but it is reasonable to a certain point and the result is satisfactory for me.
Another example would be exposing a personal issue of someone to the public, like someone who cheated on his wife. If I was in the position I would prefer to have laws to restrict people who try to intrude in my private life.

In summery, maybe some things are more worthy of worrying than the free speech provided by 4chan, and I doubt that the world or the internet will be have a noticeable lacking if it wasn't for websites like 4Chant.

 

True, shouldn't have commented in the first place.

 

I think we misunderstood each other and I don't think there is an easy way of reconciling this without typing massive paragraphs. I get the point you are making but I disagree with some of the connections you make. Anyway, I apologize for my heated response last night ; I was not in a good place mentally. How is your journey coming along?

 

A-AKSUALLYY, FaCtS DoNT CaRE AboUT YoUr FeElIngs, r-right guys??!