The most notable of which being "The 4chan moderation team reserves the right to revoke access and remove content for any reason without notice."
I noticed something fishy starting a few weeks ago. I kept getting 3 day bans, but with no reason listed and/or no link to the offending post.
So basically I was being banned because the mods wanted to ban me. This turned into a permanent ban, I presume because of the updated rules that I wasn't aware of.
You are not allowed to DISCUSS anything that violates US law. I was banned for mentioning that I was worried my neighbours are abusing their kid.
Permanently banned from 4Chan for this. I tried to appeal it but it was rejected.
Always saw 4Chan as a freedom of speech platform but looks like things are changing very quickly.
What i've learned (unfortunately the hard way) is that often in society, you can not only get in trouble for what you say, but even for bringing up a topic at all.
Consider it like this: If you (male) went into an office and meet a coworker (female) and say something like: "I like your outfit" it could get you in trouble with HR. But also if you say: "I don't like your outfit", it will also get you in trouble with HR. The problem isn't what you say, but that you bring it up (that you talk about how a coworker woman looks) at all.
Something similar is happening with other things. Like, when you're discussing teen sexuality, even if you're bringing up good arguments, it is likely that that will bring you in trouble, not only for what you said, but especially also for daring to speak about such a sensitive topic. Taboos (things one doesn't speak about) are very real in society.
Something similar might have happened in your case.
That's not the case here. Some people who aren't me brought up some things they noticed about living here online anonymously and hundreds of comments were basically just attacks and aggression. It's an anonymous forum, you can bring up how you're feeling as an expat. He obviously wasn't looking to start an argument, just find some connection or vent. I'm sure he's already aware not everyone feels the way he does.
Honestly, I suspect it might also have something to do with the specific board and thread I would frequent. That kind of makes it all the more messed up. If I had known this would or could happen I would've just stopped going there. But now that I think about it, it's probably the reason I got permabanned, by some power tripping mod from there.
Always saw 4Chan as a freedom of speech platform but looks like things are changing very quickly.
That was your mistake. Just because it allowed all sorts of stupid shitposts, slurs and weird porn didn't mean it was a place for free speech. Power tripping mods are as old as the site itself. Some people got so fed up with that they made "freer speecher" alternatives, like 8chan.
maybe, but the rules were never like this. I've tried searching the web about people being unfairly banned and I barely found anything. They're definitely changing things.
It's messed up to get banned for life without any warning, explanation or second chances. Literally how would anyone know the rules have changed unless they read them every day?
It's gonna be hard for people to find out though, because most search results on Google are reddit ones, and people who go on 4chan are much more likely to be banned from reddit. So that's why I wanted to post this here. I know I'm not the only one and I suspect alternative websites will only grow in the future.
I've always seen 4chan as like a content generation white hole (made of poop ofc). From nothing, content spews forth and each tier of websites acts as a new filter as the content got safer or less dark as few and fewer memes got reposted. There used to be 4 tiers of how dark you liked your meme brew (4chan>reddit>twitter>Facebook)
Idk why I typed this up I should just hit the delete key this is outdated I have no idea how it works now. I've never used 4chan (or its doubling number clones) so it was always a mythical, forbidden place.
(Everything the light touches is our domain. What's that shadowy place over there? 4chan where you must never go)
You're not wrong but it doesn't make it less devastating. I've been using it for years and not even gotten banned a single time. And now in the past few weeks this, and then I check the rules and it all makes sense. I always saw it as a fall back option when I wanted to talk to someone. It used to be reddit but I got banned for some complete bs, it used to be discord but they totally ruined it too... Then I thought I at least had 4chan but no longer
I know my friend, I used to browse 4chan for years too since I was a teenager actually, I don't remember what made me leave it but I know that I didn't realize after later how hateful that site made me and how my view of the world was influenced by their echo chamber. I know it is a fun site but I realized it is not worth it, at least for me.
Well, you are here now at least, by the very definition of how lemmy works, you shouldn't have this problem here unless you are really uncivil and still you can always change the instance. There is a lack of users and content comparing to any of the platforms you mentioned since this is a relatively new one but you are helping growing it too :)
It served it's purpose getting MAGA elected. Now the funding from Putin and US political action groups is gone and they need to tighten things up to continue to get ad revenue.
I don't get it, who are they getting ad revenue from? Thought it was just random people using their website to sell their stuff, why would they care about how "politically correct" the website is? They can just find literally anywhere else to advertise
Are you posting in /b/ ? The moderators of /b/ are also freed from many of the usual rules, and they have often removed posts or issued bans for any and no reason at all.
I rarely read the rules, but hasn't it always been the case that you could be banned for no reason? and I think that's okay, the mods don't have a obligation to be fair, Hiro / the mods can do with 4chan whatever they want.
ultimately I think you can say on 4chan everything you want, more so than on any other platform.
No, I don't think that has always been the case at all. When I was looking back at old posts people would be completely shocked if someone would get banned from 4chan, because it would be very hard to get banned and you'd have to do something really bad. That's just not the case anymore. I've also heard of people paying for a pass and getting banned for bs reasons too.