Chris Poole

Christopher Poole, also known by his online pseudonym moot, is an influential American Internet entrepreneur and developer, best known for founding the imageboard 4chan in 2003 when he was just a teenager. He served as the head administrator of the site until January 2015, when he stepped down and sold it to Hiroyuki Nishimura, the founder of 2channel.12

Early Life and Education

Born around 1988 in New York City, Poole became involved in online communities during his teenage years, participating in forums like Something Awful and the Japanese textboard 2channel. He briefly attended Virginia Commonwealth University before dropping out to focus on 4chan.12

Career Highlights

• 4chan: Established on October 1, 2003, 4chan combined elements from anime culture and online community interaction. The site gained notoriety for its controversial content but also became a significant part of Internet culture.12
• Canvas: After leaving 4chan, Poole launched Canvas in 2011, which was a platform for users to create digitally modified images. Unlike 4chan, Canvas required users to identify themselves via Facebook.12
• Google: In 2016, Poole was hired by Google to work on the social network Google+, where he remained until his departure in 2021.24

Philosophy and Impact

Poole is a strong advocate for Internet anonymity and has spoken publicly about its importance. He contrasts sharply with figures like Mark Zuckerberg, who promotes transparency online. His views on anonymity were highlighted during his TED talk in 2010 and various interviews.13

Personal Life

Despite being a prominent figure in the online world, Poole has maintained a degree of privacy regarding his personal life. His identity remained largely anonymous until it was revealed by The Wall Street Journal in 2008.1

Poole's legacy is complex; while he has been associated with the more controversial aspects of 4chan, he has also contributed significantly to discussions about Internet culture and community dynamics.