4chan is Back Online After Weeks of Down Time

The infamous image-sharing site 4chan has finally returned online after a nearly two-week hiatus brought about by a hack. The cyber attack, which began on April 14, resulted in the exposure of sensitive information, including lists of moderators and "janitors," leaving many to wonder if the site had indeed met its demise.

However, it appears that the team behind 4chan has responded defiantly to claims that the site was "dead." In a statement posted on X, they shot back at Wired's assertion that "what began as a hub for internet culture and an anonymous way station for the internet's anarchic true believers devolved over the years into a fan club for mass shooters, the central node of Gamergate, and the beating heart of far-right fascism around the world."

According to 4chan, the damage caused by the hack was "catastrophic." The team acknowledged that they had been "starved of money" for years, with advertisers and payment providers abandoning them due to pressure campaigns from activists. This lack of financial support led to a shortage of skilled man-hours to update their code and infrastructure.

"Advertisers and payment providers willing to work with 4chan are rare, and are quickly pressured by activists into cancelling their services," the team stated in their post. "Ultimately this problem was caused by having insufficient skilled man-hours available to update our code and infrastructure, and being starved of money for years."

Following the breach, 4chan's servers were replaced, but not before they suffered significant damage. The site now has new limitations, including temporary restrictions on PDF uploads and a closed board for sharing Flash animations.

The Current State of 4chan

As of Sunday afternoon, the site's status checker showed that the boards and front page were up, while posting, images, and thumbnails were not working. Despite this, the team remains optimistic, stating "4chan is back." The site's return has been met with a mix of reactions from users and observers alike, with some expressing concern about the site's future stability.

"No other website can replace it, or this community. No matter how hard it is, we are not giving up," reads the post on 4chan's official blog. The team's determination to continue operating the site is a testament to its enduring influence and appeal.