9GAG

From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Jump to: navigation, search

Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

9GAG
9GAG new logo.svg
Type Private
Founded April 12, 2008; 16 years ago (2008-04-12)
Headquarters Hong Kong
Country of origin Hong Kong
Area served Worldwide
Founder(s) Ray Chan
Key people Ray Chan (CEO)
Slogan(s) Go Fun Yourself
Website No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.
Alexa rank Increase 197 (March 2016)[1]
Type of site Entertainment
Advertising Banner ads
Registration Optional (required to submit, comment, or vote)
Available in English, German
Current status Active

9GAG is an online platform and social media website. Users upload and share user-generated content or other content from external social media websites. Since the website was launched on April 12, 2008,[2] it has grown in popularity, reaching more than 28.4 million Facebook likes,[3] 5.99 million Twitter followers in December 27, 2015[4] and 29.6 million followers on Instagram in May 2016.[5]

In December 2015 it had 164 million visitors: 7.82% from Germany, 7.02% from the United States, 5.35% from France, 4.77% from Brazil and 3.93% from Turkey.[6] As of 2015 the company had raised $2.8 million in total funding. Investors included 500 Startups, Benjamin Ling, BoxGroup, Adam Rothenberg, David Tisch, Freestyle Capital, James Hong, Philip Kaplan, Scott Banister, Stapleton Inc, and Y Combinator.[7]

History

The website was co-founded in 2008 - 2009 by University of Hong Kong student Ray Chan, his brother Chris Chan, and others, 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, Ray Chan declined to explain where the name "9GAG" is derived from.[8]

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. [9] 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.[10] 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,[11] including True Ventures and Greycroft Partners. In August 2012, 9GAG received another US$2.8 million in funding from Silicon Valley venture capitalists, including True Ventures and Greycroft Partners, as well as individual investors like Christopher Sacca, Kevin Rose, and Naval Ravikant. This funding was able to support 9GAG's engineering team growth both in Hong Kong and in Silicon Valley.[12]

Mobile app development

9GAG has a mobile application on iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, and for BlackBerry 10.[13][14]

In July 2012, 9GAG launched an app for iOS and Android. The mobile application serves as a streamlined version of the web-based content.[15] In summer 2014 9GAG launched 9CHAT. 9GAG users are able to log in to their account and write to others by sending them a message. 9CHAT also added support for the creation of groups in different sections.[16] January 2015, 9GAG launched its first game called 9GAG Redhead redemption.

Content

  • The website's content is generally referred to as "internet memes", and is upvoted, downvoted, and commented on by users.[17]
  • Similar to other social media websites like 4chan, Reddit and Digg, 9GAG utilizes user-generated memes that are shared with the entire 9GAG community. While memes have different categories, they are typically displayed as humorous images, or comic strips, with captions conveying certain messages.[18]
  • Most of 9GAG's content is presented in the form of image memes, whereby animal-related image memes (e.g., Advice Animals or Good Advice Mallard) tend to be popular.
  • These image memes are typically formatted, whereby a given image has both top and bottom captions. While the top caption describes a certain situation, the bottom caption usually complements the top caption by presenting a humorous follow up message to the original situation.
  • Memes are commonly presented in a 4x4 comic strip.
  • A featured section shows current, popular content. As of January 2016, sections such as Fallout 4, Star Wars, Anime and Manga, One-Punch Man and others have been added.

Authorship

9GAG users may also re-post content (possibly without any consent from its respective authors) on other websites (e.g. 4chan, Newgrounds, Reddit, SomethingAwful, FunnyJunk, YTMND, 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. As stated by 9GAG co-founder Ray Chan, "9GAG does not create memes or rage comics, but helps spread them." 9GAG also adopted 4chan's "legion" and “hearth of the internet” nicknames.[19][better source needed][20][better source needed]

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/9gag/
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ http://9gag.tv/
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ http://9chatapp.com/
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

  • No URL found. Please specify a URL here or add one to Wikidata.
Retrieved from "https://infogalactic.com/w/index.php?title=9GAG&oldid=723013328"