9GAG, Inc. operates an online platform and social media website. Users upload and share content either user-

generated or found on other social media websites. 9GAG, Inc. is based in Mountain View, California. Since the

website was launched on April 23, 2008, it has grown in popularity, reaching more than 26

million Facebook “likes”[2] and over 5 million Twitter followers in September 2015.[3]

Contents

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1 Historyo 1.1 Mobile app development

2 Content 3 Website culture 4 Reception and data

o 4.1 Authorship controversies

5 References 6 External links

History[edit]

The website was cofounded in 2008 by the University of Hong Kong student Chris Chan, with the intention of

creating an alternative online platform to email on which users could easily share humorous photos or videos.

The website began as a "side project" during a time period when Facebook wasn't available in Hong Kong. In a

2012 interview, Chan declined to explain where the name "9GAG" is derived from.[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 on solely 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

behemoths,[7] including True Ventures and Greycroft Partners. The company later released an iOS iPhone

application.

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.[8]

Mobile app development[edit]

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

In July 2012, 9GAG launched an app for iOS and Android. The mobile application serves as a streamlined

version of the web-based content.[11] In summer 2014 9GAG launched 9CHAT. 9GAG users are able to log into

their account and write to a stranger by sending them a message. 9CHAT improved by allowing the creation of

groups in different sections. It's possible to write with more people at the same time. [12] January 2015, 9GAG

launched its first game called 9GAG Redhead redemption.

Content[edit]

The website's content is generally referred to as "internet memes", and is upvoted, downvoted, and

commented on by users based on its popularity at a given time.[13]

Similar to other social media websites like 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.[14]

Content is separated into the following general categories of hot, trending, fresh, TV, girl, comic, NSFW,

cosplay, geeky, timely, meme, WTF, and a few others such as cute, food, Gifs. The website allows users to

up-vote or down-vote memes, followed by long comment threads where users comment on the image/video

content and on each other's comments.

Most of 9GAG's content is presented in the form of image memes, whereby animal-related image memes

(e.g., Advice Animals or Advice Dogs) tend to be the most popular.

Other popular image memes include the Confession Bear, Overly Attached Girlfriend, First World Problems,

Awkward Penguin, Scumbag Steve, Bad Luck Brian, Socially Awkward Penguins, and several others.

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.

The "Rage Comic" was the first meme to be presented in this fashion, depicting an irritable circumstance

where the last image frame displays the letters "FU" (i.e. the first two letters of the word "fuck"). [citation needed]

Rage comics were later spun off to include memes under "Everything Went Better Than Expected" and

"Forever Alone" categories, amongst others.[citation needed]

Polandball  comics have recently become particularly popular.