4chan Chronicle/History

The Prevalence of the Internet in History

Unlike archaeology or modern history, which enjoy plenty of physical evidence of their existence, the Internet operates on ephemeral, digital data that was never considered by most people to be worthy of keeping. Files, documents, websites, and entire communities can disappear off the Earth without anyone's notice. Digital files are easily dispensed of, be it a HDD failure or a simple lack of interest, and thousands of tales and cultures have been lost to history.

For someone to be able to tell the history of the Internet, he needs to be proactive. He must record and archive events as they happen, or they may disappear forever. Therefore, historians interested in the Internet are also forced to become archivists. Great projects like the Web Archive exist to ensure that anyone interested has access to information, and many independent groups exist to ensure it. On our end, we cover both grounds—we archive and record. The 4chan Chronicle and the 4chan Ethnography, among other works, are the result of it. They are shows of appreciation for the history of a culture that may otherwise disappear.