Gamergate scandal convinced 4chan founder Moot to leave the site

This past January, when Christopher "Moot" Poole announced that he was stepping down as chief of online message board 4chan, he was vague as to what had led to his decision. But Rolling Stone's David Kushner reports that the extremely volatile "Gamergate" movement gave Poole the resolve he needed to leave the site he founded.

In an interview, Poole says that when both Gamergate and a separate controversy surrounding a number of nude celebrity photos came to life on 4chan last September, it was "probably the most stressful month of my life." As he explains, "Week after week after week after week, there's this new controversy ... I kept getting drawn back in."

"Week after week after week after week, there's this new controversy."

Poole decided to ban Gamergate from the site, which is known to host all matter of extremely questionable content — especially on its infamous /b/ message board. He cited that the movement's leaders tried to use the site to reveal personal data about its enemies, and in some cases, even tried to launch attacks on those they disagreed with. Both were violations of 4chan's policies. The decision to ban the movement from the site put Poole in the crosshairs of the Gamergate lynch mob.

While it appears the stress surrounding Gamergate convinced Poole to give up his role as 4chan's only administrator, he had considered leaving the site for at least a year before these controversies flared out of control. Since its inception over 11 years ago, Poole, who's now 27, has been consumed by managing his creation. And despite 4chan's massive traffic — it counts 20 million visitors per month — the site hasn't been a massive financial success. Ultimately, Poole decided it was time to find other, less stressful ways to make the most of his life.