4chan Modern Era
The unnamed modern era starts around the end of enthusiasm for Operation Payback (around the time of the collapse of AnonNews and AnonOps).
16 - moot re-enables forced_anon and sticky number IDs that follow a poster for 24 hours - a forced tripcode, in other words - enabling them to be tracked across threads. The header is changed to "Old /b/", old-timey instrumental music is played and the mods drop the banhammer like all hell. The name and subject fields are disabled.
17 - moot announces the creation of /mlp/, a blue board dedicated to My Little Pony. Some speculate that moot is going to use it as a trap in the same way he did the furry board and group ban all who posted in it, but as of 3/8/12 this has not occured. moot has stated that it is NOT a trap, and MLP threads on /b/ have slowed down massively. /mlp/ has a single stickied thread, posted by moot, that reads as follows:
Ponies,
We fucked up and turned our back to one of the largest subcultures in 4chan's history. This was not out of malice, but ignorance, and responding to general upset from the rest of the community when pony threads began to overwhelm their respective homes. Ponies haven't had a real home outside of /b/ and /co/ until today.
So we're trying to make this right, and give the ponies the home they've deserved from day one. I honestly have no idea what to do with this board and will be relying on you all to set the culture and help come up with its rules and provide suggestions for janitors. I think a lot of you are tripfriends, so hopefully one stands out that would make a good one.
I would ask that you try to centralize all pony related threads here in /mlp/, and direct fellow ponies from /b/, /co/ and others to this board.
Friendship sure is magic,
mootykins
7 - 4chan's header is changed to the words "NO SCRUBS ALLOWED" and below that "SEE ABOVE". The song No Scrubs by TLC is played in the backgroud. Much :stopmusic: faggotry ensues. The layout is returned to normal on [ongoing]