Interviewee: Anonymous
Date: 2014-11-15
Originating board: [r9k]
How old are you?
29
Why do you visit 4chan and specifically [r9k]?
i think probably for the same reasons everyone does. internet addiction maybe.. dopamine hits. substitute for real socialization
How often do you socialise outside of the internet?
in the last few years very rarely. i often don't leave my house for a week or two at a time
How does that make you feel, reflecting on that?
most of the time i would say either neutral or just mildly bad, but sometimes very awful
Who do you relate to the most, Wojak or Pepe?
pepe
Why?
He seems like the more outgoing of the two.
hmm. im not sure if i actually relate to him more or if i just like the character more. wojak doesnt have a lot to relate to, almost by design. hes never very expressive
What is a normie?
i think mostly just an archetype but often you'll find real people who fit it pretty closely. hard to pin down exactly but you kinda know one when you see them
Do you know any typical normies?
yes definitely. i was reasonably social throughout school so i've been around them a lot
i often think of myself as more of a failed normie than a true robot
in a way perhaps
What is a robot?
well to me a robot is just somebody who goes on r9k. but i think its also an archetype that some people fit more than others. a 'true' robot i guess
Are you a true robot?
thats not a very substantive answer but it's hard to give one. true robots i think have genuine problems that keep them from fitting in socially
hard to say. i've been very lucky in my life and when i read some of the stories from people on r9k it really drives that home for me. on the other hand i've always had a hard time fitting in anywhere so sometimes i feel like maybe i am
Is it possible for a robot to stop being a robot?
that's a really good question. i certainly don't know. the extent to which someone can truly change themselves is something i wonder about a lot
What do you think about celebrities (real and internet ones) appropriating 4chan culture and sharing it with everyone else?
it just makes me kinda laugh. it seems like a silly thing to worry about and i think a lot of the outrage over it is just more jokes. i find it hard to believe that anybody would really be upset by @YaBoyMrFrog. how can you not laugh at that?
You don't feel a sense of collective ownership over the memes and image macros that the boards produce?
i think being there is what matters. 4chan is such an ephemeral place compared to other online communities. everything is kinda happening in real time and trying to hold onto it doesn't make any sense. the memes are constantly evolving
Do you have anything else that you would like to say?
just that i know a lot of robots are in dark places and to try to keep their heads up