Shitposting is the best thing on the internet. Here’s some definitions of what shitposing is (according to different views), and why it’s such a cool and great internet culture thing.
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One of the best things that can happen to me on any given day is to find some really bad high-quality internet shitposts. I’ve felt like this since I was 9 and discovered the internet for the first time.
And I have to confess, the majority of my internet traces for the past 14 years is probably just a ton of shitposts on different forums, gaming platforms, websites, and social media. Mostly anonymously and half of those years are probably me being an internet catfish (because I had to pretend that I was older than I was) as well. And I still haven’t stopped. Don’t want to either. Well, I have mostly stopped with the catfish thing though.
Anyway, this post is not about me or my many successful shitposts over the years (although that is very interesting). But let’s get into the real stuff!
What is Shitposting? Definition
Shitposting has many definitions by different sources. Here’s a few of them. And then I’m gonna explain my own definition, because I actually also get to have my own if everyone else gets to have theirs.
Formal linguistic definition
According to Cambridge Dictionary (a more proper linguistic definition), shitposting is “not especially funny or interesting and does not make much sense”. And the example they use to illustrate shitposts is “I don’t want to see his shitpost any more”.
So, okay. It’s fair to say that the formal definition of internet shitpost is fairly negative and judgemental. This makes me think that either:
- The people who decide what words mean formally are boring people with no humour and who takes life too seriously
- The word shitpost is actually only meant for bad content, actually not funny stuff. But at the same time, people think that ugly, weird, not interesting, troll-y things are fun… So, we have a bit of a paradox here, don’t we?
Urban Dictionary definition
Urban dictionary is a really good source for any word definition. Especially for any slang, unofficial words or sub-cultural stuff. I trust urban dictionaries more than actual dictionaries because I think language and words should be made, decided, and used by the people as a collective.
Here’s a few definitions from Urban Dictionary on what shitposting and shitposts are.
This definition from 2008 seems to be the original/first definition of shitpost. So, perhaps, originally this is what shitposting as a word was really meant to refer to.
In this more recent definition, from 2020, you can see that the meaning has changed a bit to a more positive view. “Humorous posts”, instead of just pure shit.
These two definitions from the past few years also include some sort of humour into the definition, surrealism as well as lack of clear context.
It’s for example when someone is spewing out a random thought on their facebook page or tumblr blog. Or it could be someone posting an entirely random comment in a thread that’s totally off topic, but perhaps still interesting and funny to those who read it. There are even users who are “famous” on forums such as Reddit for their off-the-topic comments that entertain people, but are off-the-rails entirely from the main subject.
My definition of a shitpost
My personal definition of an internet shitpost (as a normal internet user, who also shitposts a lot) is that:
A shitpost is any content posted on the internet that does not need to be posted. The more unnecessary, weird, random, off topic, surreal, ugly, or low-effect, the more “shit” it is.
However, it does not mean that it isn’t funny, or doesn’t make sense, or isn’t interesting. A shitpost can actually be very funny, make so much sense (for you), and be extremely interesting. Finding a high-quality shitpost that you relate to can feel like hitting gold.
But a shitpost can also feel like spam, garbage, shit, and yeah.
The evolution of shitposts through times
I think historically, shitposts on the internet was off-the-tangent comments and posts on forums such as 4chan, Reddit, and similar sites. It was probably just a comment, posting on a thread, but that didn’t contribute to anything really. Like someone just spewing out shit from their mouth.
Then, I think it developed into stand-alone shitposts. Similar to memes, but not meant to be copied or duplicated. Just a random submission of something from a human mind.
And then, now, I think it has developed even more. Some forms of shitpost could even be seen as art (some say). For example, as mentioned, there are even internet users who are famous for shitposting. And there are even famous Instagram accounts that solely post “shitpost”, such as @affirmations.
Here’s a few examples of some modern day high-quality bad-quality ugly shitposts (but really good though)
I think a really good shitpost today plays on current internet slang, memes, trends, and other contemporary things. And some of the funnies shitposts I see show a high level of self-awareness while simultaneously making fun of ones own thoughts and being aware of how bizarre they are.
Why I love shitposts
The world is naturally a chaotic place, and we humans are just animals who happen to be born into a very structured and formal society.
But the contents of our brains can actually be so weird, bizarre, totally random, off-the-topic at any given moment, and not perfect. And I don’t like when that part of us gets ignored. So, I think shitposts are a very good representation of the weirdness of our brains, and that it humanizes the internet.
It’s so boring with too formal, bureaucratic, robot, and controlled environments. I want chaos! Authenticity! Human-ness! And that’s what shitposts bring to the internet. I love it, and hate it sometimes, but mostly enjoy it a lot.
Shitpost all you want! Fill the internet with as much crap as you just can. But, then, the internet can never be full…
PS. Actually, this is also kind of a shitpost when I think about it