9gag explained

9gag
Country Of Origin:China
Advertising:Banner ads
Registration:Optional (required to submit, comment, vote or view NSFW content)
Language:English
Company Type:Private
Area Served:Worldwide
Key People:Ray Chan (CEO)
Current Status:Active
Website Type:Entertainment

9gag (stylized as 9GAG) is an online platform and social media website based in Hong Kong,[1] which allows its users to upload and share user-generated content or other content from external social media websites. Since the platform for collections of Internet memes was launched on April 11, 2008,[2] it has grown in popularity across social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

History

The website was co-founded in 2008 by a group of Hong Kongers including University of Hong Kong student Ray Chan, with the intention of creating an alternative online platform to email on which users could easily share humorous photos or videos. In a 2012 interview, Chan declined to explain the origins of the name "9gag".[3] Chan later explained that the name "9gag" comes from Cantonese, where it sounds like "gou gag" which means to crack a joke or gag.[4]

Starting the company under a "Just for Fun" mentality, 9gag's co-founders began using 9gag as a résumé-builder for the 500 Startups accelerator program. During the summer program, the 9gag team worked on other startup ideas, including StartupQuote and Songboard.[5] Following the 500 Startups accelerator program, 9gag participated in Y Combinator's incubator and its user-base increased to 70 million global unique visitors per month.[6] The 9gag co-founding team discontinued all other projects and shifted their focus exclusively on 9gag. 500 Startups was given equity for their aid and mentorship.

In July 2012, 9gag raised an additional US$2.8 million in funding from Silicon Valley–based venture capital,[7] including True Ventures and Greycroft Partners. In August 2012, 9gag received another $2.8 million in funding from Silicon Valley venture capitalists, including True Ventures and Greycroft Partners, as well as individual investors like Chris Sacca, Kevin Rose, and Naval Ravikant. This funding supported 9gag's engineering team growth both in Hong Kong and in Silicon Valley.[8] 9gag is headquartered in Tsuen Wan, Hong Kong, with offices in Mountain View, California.[9] [10]

Mobile app development

9gag has a mobile application on iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, and BlackBerry 10.[11] [12]

In July 2012, 9gag launched an app for iOS and Android. The mobile application serves as a streamlined version of the web-based content.[13] In summer 2014, 9gag launched 9chat where 9gag users log into their accounts and write to others by sending them a message. 9chat also added support for the creation of groups in different sections.[14] In December 2014, 9gag launched its first game called 9GAG Redhead Redemption.[15]

Authorship and criticism

9gag users and admins may also re-post content (usually without any consent from its respective authors) from other websites (e.g. 4chan, Newgrounds, Reddit, SomethingAwful, FunnyJunk, YTMND, Instagram, etc.), replacing the source site's watermark with their own. In 2011, 9gag and 4chan disputed authorship of internet memes published on both websites, whereby each company claimed the memes originated from their own website.[16] [17] Ray Chan argued that "9GAG does not create memes or rage comics, but helps spread them." In a 2015 Slate article, writer Amanda Hess described 9gag's reposting of content from Instagram as part of an "online ecosystem of joke stealing".[18]

9gag has also been criticised for discriminatory content. In 2014, linguist Albin Wagener examined 446 posts found on 9gag's main page; of these, 40 (8.97%) were clearly discriminatory. Most of the discriminatory posts involved misogyny (57.5%), followed by cultural discrimination (25%) and homophobia (12.5%). According to Wagener, 9gag brings people together in an international context, but through masculine and heterosexual symbolism and the devaluation of other groups.[19]

See also

Notes and References

  1. News: 9GAG CEO Ray Chan: 'Building a healthy community is a never-ending battle' . . May 19, 2018 . May 19, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180519121206/https://techcrunch.com/2017/07/26/9gag-ceo-ray-chan-building-a-healthy-community-is-a-never-ending-battle/ . live.
  2. Web site: Whois Record for 9Gag.com . DomainTools . 2016 . February 25, 2016 . May 29, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150529032806/http://whois.domaintools.com/9gag.com . live.
  3. Web site: Ren . Fiona . How Ray Chan started 9GAG, and a career in fun . Meld Magazine . September 15, 2014 . July 24, 2012 . July 24, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190724173245/https://www.meldmagazine.com.au/2012/07/9-gag-ray-chan/ . live.
  4. Web site: 9GAG Memeland- I'M ON A BOAT! @9gagtv . youtube.com . Cryptonauts . en . video . November 18, 2023.
  5. Web site: Mott . Nathaniel . 9GAG, the Biggest Little Startup at Y Combinator's Demo Day . Pando . August 21, 2012 . July 17, 2014 . July 5, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140705073954/http://pando.com/2012/08/21/9gag-the-biggest-little-startup-at-y-combinators-demo-day/ . live.
  6. Web site: Jokes aside, 9gag's co-founder Ray Chan shares about the serious side of their latest US$2.8M round . E27 . August 8, 2012 . July 17, 2014 . February 19, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160219204548/https://e27.co/jokes-aside-9gags-co-founder-ray-chan-shares-about-the-serious-side-of-their-latest-us2-8m-round . live.
  7. News: Project st@rt-up . South China Morning Post . June 27, 2013 . July 17, 2014 . August 13, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140813212330/http://www.scmp.com/magazines/money/article/1264362/project-strt . live.
  8. Web site: Gannes . Liz . Meet 9GAG, the Community Comedy Site That's Growing Like Crazy . AllThingsD . April 12, 2012 . July 17, 2014 . July 14, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140714101309/http://allthingsd.com/20120412/meet-9gag-the-community-comedy-site-thats-growing-like-crazy/ . live.
  9. Web site: 9GAG Office / LAAB Architects . ArchDaily . February 23, 2016 . en . January 1, 2018 . September 12, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220912060642/https://www.archdaily.com/782606/9gag-office-laab-architects . live.
  10. Web site: 9GAG, Inc.: Private Company Information . . November 11, 2017 . November 11, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171111151915/https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=191824007 . live.
  11. Web site: Behind 9gag. Its business model . FixNeed . July 17, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140705034204/http://www.fixneed.com/2012/11/09/9gag-business-model-and-business-proposal/ . July 5, 2014 . dead.
  12. Web site: 9GAG.tv . December 16, 2014 . December 17, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141217090434/http://9gag.tv/ . dead . 9gag.tv.
  13. Humor Website 9GAG Ups the Ante for Fun, Launches New Mobile App and Receives $2.8 Million in Seed Funding . 9GAG . Marketwired . July 30, 2012 . July 17, 2014 . March 22, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140322052836/http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/Humor-Website-9GAG-Ups-Ante-Fun-Launches-New-Mobile-App-Receives-28-Million-Seed-1684998.htm . live.
  14. Web site: 9CHAT . November 12, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141113003614/http://9chatapp.com/ . November 13, 2014 . dead.
  15. Web site: Redhead Redemption . MobyGames . August 29, 2024.
  16. News: Redditor Details 9Gag's Theft Process . . September 12, 2012 . June 17, 2014 . Seitz . Dan . August 22, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140822142506/http://uproxx.com/technology/2012/09/redditor-details-9gags-theft-process/ . live.
  17. News: Internet pounces on 9GAG after joke theft . Daily Dot . June 4, 2012 . June 17, 2014 . Eördögh . Fruzsina . October 6, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141006101627/http://www.dailydot.com/entertainment/rob-delaney-9gag-twitter-joke-theft/ . live.
  18. News: Hess . Amanda . Amanda Hess . Laugh Factory . March 14, 2017 . Slate . August 26, 2015 . April 6, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170406062239/http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/users/2015/08/the_fat_jew_is_not_alone_the_shady_business_of_internet_joke_stealing.html . live.
  19. Albin . Wagener . 2014 . Creating Identity and Building Bridges Between Cultures: The Case of 9gag . en . International Journal of Communication . 8 . July 27, 2017 . March 21, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170321175352/http://ijoc.org/index.php/ijoc/article/view/2448 . live.

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