4Chan.org Suffers DDOS Attack

4Chan.org, a series of image boards known for controversial content, has been shut down by a distributed denial of service attack.

I know what you're thinking: What else is new? Hackers and others who can't stand its messages have frequently targeted the image forums on 4Chan.org. But as a fan of 4Chan, it saddens me to see such a funny (though oftentimes off-color) collective go offline again - yet I know that this won't be the last time it happens.

A DDOS attack occurs when one party targets a Web site and excessively floods the site's server(s) to the point that regular and new visitors cannot access it.

The culprit, according to MikeAbundo.com, is Joe Biaso, a 16-year-old hacker. Known as "pacifico," Biaso posted a video that shows him taunting 4Channers to try and telephone him and e-mail him.

"Have your fun, haven't gotten much lately," Biaso said in the video.

Suspecting Biaso as the one responsible for the attacks, 4Chan members have posted personal information about Biaso on the Internet, including his address.

A blog run by 4Chan creator Christopher Poole announced that the mega-image site was down because of the DDOS attack. The 4Chan status blog noted that the DDOS attack was ongoing.

"Remember kids: DDOS is cruise control for cool," the most recent blog post read.

The DDOS attack was first reported on Monday, July 21. As of today 4Chan.org is still out of service.

4Chan has faced DDOS attacks in the past. In December 2007, the site suffered a DDOS attack on a smaller scale and returned online within a few hours.

4Chan has also made headlines through its members known as "Anonymous." Early this year, members of Anonymous protested worldwide against the Church of Scientology, after learning that a video of Tom Cruise endorsing the church had been pulled from YouTube because of copyright issues.

Media outlet Fox News also reported on Anonymous' activities, calling them "hackers on steroids."

Established in October 2003, 4Chan is a collective of images posted by individuals from all over the world, sometimes establishing what are known as "memes." Memes, also known as "Internet phenomena," are sometimes catchy and outrageous phrases that are tagged to a photo (oftentimes edited via means like Photoshop).

Some memes include "Divide By Zero," a calculation that would certainly bring about fantastic destruction and chaos. Another famous meme is the "O RLY" meme, which abbreviates the phrase "Oh, really?" and often tags a photo of a white owl.