

If a magazine like wired or a journal like the Journal of Homosexuality covered the subject, it would count. A reliable source is usually one published by a third party that engages in some form of editorial control, selection and (although not always) fact checking. Protonk ( talk) 03:12, 5 August 2008 (UTC) Reply Would it help if I post the PDF I saved of the banning notice on a website, the one that says I'm permanently banned with no reason given? Would that constitute "reliable"? -Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.133.103.116 ( talk) 03:15, 5 August 2008 (UTC) Reply No. While the article doesn't exactly detail how awful /b/ appears to the uninitiated, it makes a fist of it. To be fair, 4chan is homophobic, racist, sexist and offensive in the extreme. The article will make a note of it as soon as a reliable source makes a note of it. "You have been permanently banned from all boards for the following reason: No reason available" Permanently banning gay men without providing a reason and a clearly expressed anti-gay policy is abusive behavior. Protonk ( talk) 02:24, 5 August 2008 (UTC) Reply Then the article should make note of this. I would have figured they had a bias against gay men because they call everyone they don't like a faggot. If anyone is surprised by what I've written, note that the "hardcore" board, which should encompass both heterosexual and homosexual pornography given its general name, demands only heterosexual content according to 4chan's FAQ which says "Straight (male/female) pornography only." 4chan also promises that anyone who complains about their policies publicly will by banned. I would like to see 4chan publicly state that it has this anti-gay policy, instead of hiding behind "random" banning. I have noticed that the article has been scrubbed of the "fags" references, which is nice to see, but the site's philosophy is still clearly one that does not allow full participation by gay and bisexual men.

The promise of "random" banning is a smokescreen. Posting images of male pornography involving real men results in banning from the "random" board. Only one board is devoted to gay male images and they must be softcore yaoi illustrations, which is a niche that mainly appeals to heterosexual women. 4chan has several boards devoted to heterosexual pornography, including "Hardcore", "Sexy Beautiful Women", and "Yuri".
