7 Ways 4chan Has Helped the World

Image via Complex Original

After a 4chan user spotted a flyer in a local grocery store for 90-year-old WWII veteran William J. Lashua, he posted it to the site and users immediately rallied behind Lashua. The online community, often criticized for being terror-driven Internet crusaders, sent a multitude of cards and presents to the American Legion Hall in Massachusetts, where the party was hosted. And even though Lashua had plenty of family come out to celebrate his big day (as noted by his grandson on a Reddit message board, the kind act did not go unnoticed.

That smudge in American political history known as Sarah Palin, the crazy-eyed Alaskan who was Senator John McCain's running mate in the 2008 presidential election, had her email hacked by 20-year-old college student David Kernell, who posted about his successful hack on 4chan. And though email hacking is wrong altogether, karma has a funny way of coming back around, especially after all the utter foolishness she put the American people through in 2008.

In August 2012 4chan rallied to support an online competition where the winning school would be rewarded with $10,000 for its music program as well as a performance by pop star Taylor Swift. Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, which is one of the oldest public schools in the US, was eventually disqualified from the competition because of 4chan's efforts, but the school did get a very cool consolation prize: $50,000 personally donated by Swift and four companies.

Despite what 4chan members say (check out the comments), we actually love the idea of Lil B performing at the Grammys. It's about time the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences recognized the cultural and musical significance of the Based God.

Project Chanology, a protest movement against the Church of Scientology by the members of Anonymous, was formed by 4chan and 711chan users. The movement came about after COS attempted to remove an interview with Tom Cruise, perhaps the church's most well-known member, from the web. What followed was a barrage of methods to unsettle COS. The movement eventually took on a more nonviolent and strategic approach, but Anonymous proved that even a deranged celebrity spouting crazy talk about the so-called good of Scientology is not above a little Hacktivism.   

Watch the video and try not to feel empathy for the puppies as a crazed Bosnian girl hurls them into the river. Think what you will of 4chan's online terror campaigns, but the e-community was able to help track down this dog-hating lunatic. In the end, the teen girl had to pay a $6,400 fine for animal cruelty.