Epic Win for Anonymous: How 4chan's Army Conquered the Web

by Cole Stryker

Overview

A “sharp, witty, and well-researched” history of 4chan and its cultural impact (The Rumpus).

Created by a fifteen-year-old wunderkind in 2003, it is the creative force behind “the Web's most infectious memes and catchphrases” (Wired). Today it has millions of monthly users, and enormous social influence. Epic Win for Anonymous is the first book to tell 4chan’s story. Longtime blogger and 4chan expert Cole Stryker writes with a voice that is engrossingly informative and approachable. Whether examining the 4chan-provoked Jessi Slaughter saga and how cyber-bullying is part of our new reality, or explaining how Sarah Palin’s email account was leaked, Epic Win for Anonymous proves 4chan’s transformative cultural impact, and how it has influenced—and will continue to influence—society at large.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781590207383
Publisher:	ABRAMS, Inc.
Publication date:	08/16/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	206
File size:	663 KB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Cole Stryker is a freelance writer and media consultant based in New York City. He is the author of Epic Win for Anonymous, the first book to tell the story of the genesis of the Internet-based protest groups and creative memes currently changing our world. Stryker has been interviewed about his writing by The New York Times, Reuters, New York Observer, Salon, and The Rumpus.

Editorial Reviews

"Other than a portrait of the headline- grabbing hacktivist group (who are planning to take down Facebook this November), Stryker also gives a frank assessment of 4chan founder Chris 'Moot' Poole who's now preoccupied with his new meme factory Canvas." — New York Tech Blog

"A primer on why the Internet works the way it does today, thanks in large part to 4chan. That includes, but isn't limited to, the emergence of Anonymous." — Salon.com

"Sharp, witty, and well-researched" — The Rumpus

"One of the few accounts—along with Julian Dibbell's work—of 4chan by someone who gets it. ... It's pretty good for amateur cultural history, and it illustrates the centrality of the lulz to the internet. So if you find yourself confused by the activities of 4chan, or, if you're frustrated by the mainstream media's utter failure to comprehend Anonymous, then Stryker's book provides a good primer. And, like 4chan itself, the book is a good reminder of how culture on the internet actually works, as opposed to the way various marketers and social media moguls keep telling us it does." — MetaViews.ca

"Author Cole Stryker has risked online life and limb to explore /b/ and plumb the depths of 4Chan in his new book Epic Win For Anonymous: How 4Chan's Army Conquered the Web. Though the book focuses on the history of Internet culture and the rise of online memes much more than the recent ascension of politically active hacker groups, Stryker succeeds in providing a coherent, comprehensible introduction to Internet creativity" — ArtInfo.com

"A recommended pick for computer and social issues holdings alike." — Midwest Book Review

From the Publisher

A recommended pick for computer and social issues holdings alike.

Midwest Book Review

Author Cole Stryker has risked online life and limb to explore /b/ and plumb the depths of 4Chan in his new book Epic Win For Anonymous: How 4Chan's Army Conquered the Web. Though the book focuses on the history of Internet culture and the rise of online memes much more than the recent ascension of politically active hacker groups, Stryker succeeds in providing a coherent, comprehensible introduction to Internet creativity

ArtInfo.com

One of the few accounts—along with Julian Dibbell's work—of 4chan by someone who gets it. ... It's pretty good for amateur cultural history, and it illustrates the centrality of the lulz to the internet. So if you find yourself confused by the activities of 4chan, or, if you're frustrated by the mainstream media's utter failure to comprehend Anonymous, then Stryker's book provides a good primer. And, like 4chan itself, the book is a good reminder of how culture on the internet actually works, as opposed to the way various marketers and social media moguls keep telling us it does.

MetaViews.ca

Sharp, witty, and well-researched

The Rumpus

A primer on why the Internet works the way it does today, thanks in large part to 4chan. That includes, but isn't limited to, the emergence of Anonymous.

Salon.com

Other than a portrait of the headline- grabbing hacktivist group (who are planning to take down Facebook this November), Stryker also gives a frank assessment of 4chan founder Chris 'Moot' Poole who's now preoccupied with his new meme factory Canvas.

New York Tech Blog