Difference between revisions of "Boredatcolumbia"
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[[Image:Bored.png|thumb|200px|Former B@B logo]] | [[Image:Bored.png|thumb|200px|Former B@B logo]] | ||
| − | + | '''Bored at Butler''', or '''B@B''' (with various capitalization schemes, a choice of "at" or "@", and various domain name suffixes) is a hangout for bored people. | |
The website was considered to be Columbia's version of [[w:4chan:|4chan]]. It was "the last resort, when there's no one on aim, no one on fb, nothing new on the net." The most common word was "sex." | The website was considered to be Columbia's version of [[w:4chan:|4chan]]. It was "the last resort, when there's no one on aim, no one on fb, nothing new on the net." The most common word was "sex." | ||
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The website was set up by [[Jonathan Pappas]] CC '06, a [[Sigma Phi Epsilon]] brother from West Virginia. He said that the site "illustrates what many college students would say if they weren’t culturally pressured to be socially acceptable. That was the idea to it. Take a college student, strip them of their identity and see what they have to say."<ref>See also, [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19 John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory], as expressed in "Green Blackboards (And Other Anomalies)", Penny Arcade, 19 March 2004. For the more academically inclined, see [http://www.samblackman.org/Articles/Suler.pdf John Suler, "The Online Disinhibition Effect", CyberPsychology & Behavior, Volume: 7 Issue 3, pgs. 321-326 (July 28, 2004)], [http://users.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/disinhibit.html Revised, August 2004]</ref> | The website was set up by [[Jonathan Pappas]] CC '06, a [[Sigma Phi Epsilon]] brother from West Virginia. He said that the site "illustrates what many college students would say if they weren’t culturally pressured to be socially acceptable. That was the idea to it. Take a college student, strip them of their identity and see what they have to say."<ref>See also, [http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19 John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory], as expressed in "Green Blackboards (And Other Anomalies)", Penny Arcade, 19 March 2004. For the more academically inclined, see [http://www.samblackman.org/Articles/Suler.pdf John Suler, "The Online Disinhibition Effect", CyberPsychology & Behavior, Volume: 7 Issue 3, pgs. 321-326 (July 28, 2004)], [http://users.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/disinhibit.html Revised, August 2004]</ref> | ||
| − | Originally set up to entertain procrastinating students at [[Butler Library]], the website soon spread to other universities. After Columbia asked Pappas to stop using its [[Columbia crown|crown]] logo due to the controversial language that often appeared on the site, Pappas used it as an opportunity to transform what had become a growing "Boredat" empire. (In March of [[2013]], [[Dartmouth]] did the same thing<ref>http://thoughtposter.blogspot.com/2011/10/cant-use-letter-d.html</ref>.) | + | Originally set up to entertain procrastinating students at [[Butler Library]], the website soon spread to other universities. After Columbia asked Pappas to stop using its [[Columbia crown|crown]] logo due to the controversial language that often appeared on the site, Pappas used it as an opportunity to transform what had become a growing "Boredat" empire. (In March of [[2013]], [[Dartmouth]] did the same thing<ref>http://thoughtposter.blogspot.com/2011/10/cant-use-letter-d.html</ref>.) |
| + | |||
| + | There are now boredat pages for various different schools, the most active other than Columbia and Dartmouth being Carleton College's iteration <ref>https://carleton.boredat.com/</ref>. There is also a "Global Board", where students from different schools can troll each other about which one of their institutions of higher learning is objectively better than the other. | ||
Boredat is a registered LLC in the state of [[California]]<ref>http://thoughtposter.blogspot.com/2013/03/boredat-llc.html</ref>. | Boredat is a registered LLC in the state of [[California]]<ref>http://thoughtposter.blogspot.com/2013/03/boredat-llc.html</ref>. | ||
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== Demographic analysis == | == Demographic analysis == | ||
| − | + | Under b@b's old system, anyone accessing the site from a Columbia I.P. address could post comments anonymously. The system has since been revamped to include email verification so that troublesome users can receive Jae's banhammer. Your account and email are never actually linked, or so Jae claims (just like the NSA aren't creating an archive of all those dick pics you snapchatted.)There seem to have been cases in the past on the Dartmouth board, where police investigations were involved, that forced Jae's hand<ref>http://jezebel.com/dartmouth-student-encourages-rape-of-classmate-on-anony-1518380538</ref>. Since then there have been various personalities and users over the years and on the order of about 50-100 unique user log ins on a given day. | |
| − | * Many B@B visitors happen to be fucking idiots. And some aren't fucking idiots. They're just idiots themselves. Just good old, plain jane idiots. Damn straight. | + | * Many B@B visitors happen to be fucking idiots. And some aren't fucking idiots. They're just idiots themselves. Just good old, plain jane idiots. Damn straight. |
| − | * | + | * Many B@B visitors happen to be pretending to be fucking idiots for #thelongtrell , but they're probably actually not self aware enough to realize that pretending to be dumber than you are for the lulz is still pretty damn dumb. |
| − | * B@B | + | * Some large segment of B@B visitors are Columbia gay men, looking to hook up with each other in [[the stacks]] or equally sketchy areas. It has been suggested that, while straight couples nearly never hook up, more than a few gay students have found temporary love thanks to the anonymous message board. |
| − | * As in all chat rooms, most of the "women" are men. | + | * Conversely, straight hook ups never happen on b@b. |
| + | |||
| + | * Since the b@b revamp there have been cases of b@b personalities dating, and the board has developed its own mythology of cliques and gossip. | ||
| + | |||
| + | * As in all chat rooms, most of the "women" are men. And a few of the femanons are pretending to be men to avoid unwarranted attention. | ||
== Frequent discussions == | == Frequent discussions == | ||
* Words like "fuck," "dick," "pussy," and oddly enough "shaving" | * Words like "fuck," "dick," "pussy," and oddly enough "shaving" | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
* [[Barnard College|Barnard]] jokes | * [[Barnard College|Barnard]] jokes | ||
| + | * Barnard girls are ugly/fat/lesbians vs. Columbia girls are ugly/fat/lesbians | ||
* [[GS]] students (they're old, they smell, and they're annoying) | * [[GS]] students (they're old, they smell, and they're annoying) | ||
* Midterms (midterms are a bitch; I don't want to study for midterms; I'm going to fail all of my midterms) | * Midterms (midterms are a bitch; I don't want to study for midterms; I'm going to fail all of my midterms) | ||
* What's the average GPA? | * What's the average GPA? | ||
| − | * Is my GPA high or low? (answer: | + | * Is my GPA high or low? (answer: anything below a 4.2 makes you a failure at life) |
* Manhattanville (Should Columbia buy all of Harlem and build a huge student center + park + new dorms there?) | * Manhattanville (Should Columbia buy all of Harlem and build a huge student center + park + new dorms there?) | ||
| − | * | + | * [[specsucks]] |
| − | * | + | * [[copypasta]] |
| − | + | * actual student concerns about privilege and social justice. | |
| − | + | * people trolling shitlibs. | |
* I have no life! / You have no life! | * I have no life! / You have no life! | ||
* I'm fucked! / You're fucked! | * I'm fucked! / You're fucked! | ||
| − | * I hate my life! (there's a good chance I'll jump under a moving car next week) | + | * I hate my life! (there's a good chance I'll jump under a moving car next week)/What's the best way to kill yourself? There have been cases of students on b@b literally talking other students off the ledge, so it has served a similar function to [[nightline]]. |
| − | + | * How do I get laid? | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | * | ||
* Should I ask the girl opposite from me out? | * Should I ask the girl opposite from me out? | ||
* Talking to girls (has anyone tried yet?) | * Talking to girls (has anyone tried yet?) | ||
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* Should I shave? How? | * Should I shave? How? | ||
:* Should I trim? Oh shit I accidentally cut off my balls! | :* Should I trim? Oh shit I accidentally cut off my balls! | ||
| + | |||
| + | ==Some History== | ||
==The December 2009 Hiatus== | ==The December 2009 Hiatus== | ||
Revision as of 16:12, 8 April 2015
Bored at Butler, or B@B (with various capitalization schemes, a choice of "at" or "@", and various domain name suffixes) is a hangout for bored people.
The website was considered to be Columbia's version of 4chan. It was "the last resort, when there's no one on aim, no one on fb, nothing new on the net." The most common word was "sex."
The website was set up by Jonathan Pappas CC '06, a Sigma Phi Epsilon brother from West Virginia. He said that the site "illustrates what many college students would say if they weren’t culturally pressured to be socially acceptable. That was the idea to it. Take a college student, strip them of their identity and see what they have to say."[1]
Originally set up to entertain procrastinating students at Butler Library, the website soon spread to other universities. After Columbia asked Pappas to stop using its crown logo due to the controversial language that often appeared on the site, Pappas used it as an opportunity to transform what had become a growing "Boredat" empire. (In March of 2013, Dartmouth did the same thing[2].)
There are now boredat pages for various different schools, the most active other than Columbia and Dartmouth being Carleton College's iteration [3]. There is also a "Global Board", where students from different schools can troll each other about which one of their institutions of higher learning is objectively better than the other.
Boredat is a registered LLC in the state of California[4].
Contents
Demographic analysis
Under b@b's old system, anyone accessing the site from a Columbia I.P. address could post comments anonymously. The system has since been revamped to include email verification so that troublesome users can receive Jae's banhammer. Your account and email are never actually linked, or so Jae claims (just like the NSA aren't creating an archive of all those dick pics you snapchatted.)There seem to have been cases in the past on the Dartmouth board, where police investigations were involved, that forced Jae's hand[5]. Since then there have been various personalities and users over the years and on the order of about 50-100 unique user log ins on a given day.
- Many B@B visitors happen to be fucking idiots. And some aren't fucking idiots. They're just idiots themselves. Just good old, plain jane idiots. Damn straight.
- Many B@B visitors happen to be pretending to be fucking idiots for #thelongtrell , but they're probably actually not self aware enough to realize that pretending to be dumber than you are for the lulz is still pretty damn dumb.
- Some large segment of B@B visitors are Columbia gay men, looking to hook up with each other in the stacks or equally sketchy areas. It has been suggested that, while straight couples nearly never hook up, more than a few gay students have found temporary love thanks to the anonymous message board.
- Conversely, straight hook ups never happen on b@b.
- Since the b@b revamp there have been cases of b@b personalities dating, and the board has developed its own mythology of cliques and gossip.
- As in all chat rooms, most of the "women" are men. And a few of the femanons are pretending to be men to avoid unwarranted attention.
Frequent discussions
- Words like "fuck," "dick," "pussy," and oddly enough "shaving"
- Barnard jokes
- Barnard girls are ugly/fat/lesbians vs. Columbia girls are ugly/fat/lesbians
- GS students (they're old, they smell, and they're annoying)
- Midterms (midterms are a bitch; I don't want to study for midterms; I'm going to fail all of my midterms)
- What's the average GPA?
- Is my GPA high or low? (answer: anything below a 4.2 makes you a failure at life)
- Manhattanville (Should Columbia buy all of Harlem and build a huge student center + park + new dorms there?)
- specsucks
- copypasta
- actual student concerns about privilege and social justice.
- people trolling shitlibs.
- I have no life! / You have no life!
- I'm fucked! / You're fucked!
- I hate my life! (there's a good chance I'll jump under a moving car next week)/What's the best way to kill yourself? There have been cases of students on b@b literally talking other students off the ledge, so it has served a similar function to nightline.
- How do I get laid?
- Should I ask the girl opposite from me out?
- Talking to girls (has anyone tried yet?)
- Who wants to have sex in the stacks (answer: nobody, ever)
- Relationship advice (why do you guys always go for the boobs first?)
- Should I shave? How?
- Should I trim? Oh shit I accidentally cut off my balls!
Some History
The December 2009 Hiatus
As of December 2009, the entire Boredat Empire has been shut down. In an open letter, Pappas explained that a recent slew of racist and homophobic comments pushed the content on the website beyond tolerable. Pappas hinted that he would like to "build" the empire again with the help of coders from various Ivy League schools, and that the shutdown was "temporary", he offered no guarantees.
Boredat went back online January 3, 2009. It is currently in beta and still has a few bugs.
2012 Reboot
In the 2013-2013 academic year, Boredat returned, with a new feature—personalities, or pseudonyms. The site gained a devoted core of 20 or so personalities, plus anonymous users. It stayed popular at Dartmouth. And now some Carleton students are joining.
External links
- Bored@Butler
- The New Yorker, "The New Bathroom Wall"
- The Blue and White on the new b@b
- The Dartmouth, "Bored at Baker lets students opine on anything, anon."
- U.S.News, "Tired of Writing Stupid Papers? Post Something Stupid to a Website..."
- Daily Pennsylvanian, How BoredatVanPelt Are You?
- Harvard Crimson, "He Was Pretty Bored, Too"
- Daily Pennsylvanian, "Sex in the stacks? Message site attracts the distracted"
- Daily Princetonian, "Students alleviate boredom on blog"
- Harvard Crimson, "Bored at Lamont"
- Yale Herald, "Around the Ivies"
- Cornell Daily Sun, "Blog Fights Library Boredom"
- IvyGateBlog.com, "Students United by Internet, Soul-Crippling Boredom"
- The New York Observer, "Ivy League Logs"
- A history of b@b, on the site's devblog
References
- ↑ See also, John Gabriel's Greater Internet Fuckwad Theory, as expressed in "Green Blackboards (And Other Anomalies)", Penny Arcade, 19 March 2004. For the more academically inclined, see John Suler, "The Online Disinhibition Effect", CyberPsychology & Behavior, Volume: 7 Issue 3, pgs. 321-326 (July 28, 2004), Revised, August 2004
- ↑ http://thoughtposter.blogspot.com/2011/10/cant-use-letter-d.html
- ↑ https://carleton.boredat.com/
- ↑ http://thoughtposter.blogspot.com/2013/03/boredat-llc.html
- ↑ http://jezebel.com/dartmouth-student-encourages-rape-of-classmate-on-anony-1518380538
