What are the Past Logs and Deletion Methods of 5chan (Formerly 2chan)?

On 5channel (formerly 2channel), there is a limit stating, “The maximum number of responses in a single thread is 1000.” Once this limit is reached, no further posts can be made in that thread, and the following message is displayed.

1001 1001 Over 1000 Thread
This thread has exceeded 1000.
Please start a new thread.

As more time passes, threads that have filled up to 1000 responses are treated as past logs and stored in the “Past Log Warehouse”. Similarly, threads that did not reach 1000 responses will also be stored in the Past Log Warehouse if there are no new posts for a certain period. This phenomenon is also referred to as “dat drop”, as will be explained later.

This article will explain how past logs are handled on 5channel (formerly 2channel), and how to delete these past logs.

What are the Past Logs of 5channel (formerly 2channel)?

Interestingly, until around 2013, past threads stored in the past log warehouse could not be viewed by conventional means.

5channel (formerly 2channel) only displays the following threads in the “All Threads” list, excluding past logs. The threads that appears on the All Threads list are;

• Threads that can still be posted to
• Threads that have recently reached 1000 posts

Basically, the only threads you can find by following links from the top page of 5channel (formerly 2channel) are the so-called current threads which appears like the above.

In the past, threads in the past logs of 5channel (formerly 2channel) could not be viewed without a dedicated viewer, and the posts within the threads did not appear in search engine results. In other words, even if a thread containing defamatory posts existed, if the number of responses to that thread reached 1000, the thread would be stored in the past log warehouse and could not be reached either by following from the top page of 5channel (formerly 2channel) or by searching for the text within the posts in a search engine. From this phenomenon,

The thread becomes a state where only a dat file that can be viewed only with a dedicated viewer is published, not a html that can be viewed from a browser.

This was also referred to as “dat drop” in this context.

Please note that this article is about 5channel (formerly 2channel).

Threads in the Past Log Archive are Now Normally Viewable

Even now, you can find comments on the internet saying, “If you are defamed on 5channel (formerly 2channel), you should increase the number of posts to make the thread fall into dat drop.” This seems to refer to the phenomenon mentioned above.

However, the current 5channel (formerly 2channel) allows threads with over 1000 responses, or threads that have not had new posts for a certain period, to be easily found through search engines and the like. Therefore, the method of “increasing the number of responses to cause a dat drop” is essentially meaningless as a measure against defamation.

Conversely, if there is a thread containing defamatory posts against you or your company, the fact that the thread is in the past log does not mean that “no measures are necessary”.

How to Search for Threads in the Past Log Archive

Search Method Using a Search Engine

Searching for threads in the past logs is simple.

Firstly, when you conduct a search on a search engine, the results will include both current threads and past logs. A straightforward search method is to use Google’s search formula and search for “keyword site:5ch.net”. This “site:5ch.net” means “search for pages within the 5ch.net domain that contain the keyword”. As mentioned above, the current 5chan (formerly 2chan) displays both current threads and threads in the past log archive on the search engine, so if you search using this method, “current threads or threads in the past log archive that contain the specified keyword” will be displayed in the search results.

Search Method Using a Dedicated Service

Alternatively, you can use web services or applications that are specialized for searching past logs. The most famous one is probably the web service called “5chan (formerly 2chan) Bulletin Board Full Text Search”. It’s very easy to use; just enter your search word, select “5ch.net (formerly 2ch.net)” for “Search Site”, and click “Search” to display the search results as shown below.

Search Method Using a “Copy Site”

Another option is to use a so-called “copy site” to conduct your search. For example, the site “Kakologβ” displays all threads that contain the keyword in a keyword search. This site supports not only 5chan (formerly 2chan), but also 2chan (2ch.sc) and “Open 2chan”, a 2chan-style bulletin board.

https://kakolog.jp/

Note that “Kakologβ” is not just a site with a search function, but also a site that holds and displays log data from 5chan (formerly 2chan) and 2chan (2ch.sc) by copying it. In this sense, this site itself can be said to be a “copy site” of 5chan (formerly 2chan) and others.

How to Delete Past Logs on 5channel (formerly 2channel)

If you find a post on 5channel (formerly 2channel) that constitutes defamation and the method of burying it is not effective, it is necessary to delete it, whether it is in the current thread or in the past log archive.

Format Requirements for Deletion by Email

The deletion request for 5channel (formerly 2channel), whether for the current thread or past logs, is done by email. The method is to send a deletion request email to the address [email protected]. At this time, the email title (subject) and attached documents are strictly defined as,

When raising an objection,
Subject: Deletion Objection
Content: URL
Response number
Reason for objection
Documents to support the reason if any
Documents for personal identification
should be attached

5channel Deletion System (http://qb5.5ch.net/saku2ch/)

If you do not send an email in this format, you will be rejected on formal grounds. Also, the “reason for objection” must not only state that “the post is disadvantageous to oneself or one’s company,” but also argue that it is “illegal” in relation to specific rights and legal interests, such as defamation and invasion of privacy, otherwise, it will be difficult to get the other party to take you seriously.

Criteria for Deletion

The criteria for deletion are the following

Possibility of deletion will be judged on the requested article
1. Honor
Indicates facts that lower the social evaluation of an individual or corporation.
2. Privacy
Names of people (even initials, if they can identify an individual), addresses, names of family members, combinations of telephone numbers, etc., that can be judged to infringe on an individual’s privacy.
3. Interest in living peacefully
Those that threaten to harm others.
Malicious death threats may be made public on the bulletin board.
4. Information that poses a realistic danger of causing harm to society For example, methods of making bombs, information suggesting drug trafficking

5channel Deletion System (http://qb5.5ch.net/saku2ch/)

It is stated that 1 is a discussion of the right to honor, and 2 is a discussion of the right to privacy. These are legal discussions, so it is necessary to clearly state why the post constitutes defamation.

Note that Deletion is on a Response-by-Response Basis

Furthermore, as is clear from the above format, deletion on 5channel (formerly 2channel) is basically on a response-by-response basis. In other words, claims that the entire thread is illegal are basically not accepted, and it is necessary to make the above claims for specific responses. Of course, it is possible to target multiple responses, such as “Responses 3, 5, 10, 12 are all illegal for these reasons.”

Deletion by Email is Difficult

However, even if you send an email that meets these format requirements, in reality, deletion on 5channel (formerly 2channel) is not easy. Claims such as why a certain response constitutes defamation are pure legal documents, and it can be said that there are many cases where non-experts cannot easily handle them. Also, on 5channel (formerly 2channel),

• Information about crimes
• Information about corporations
• Deletion of criminal records and history

are basically not accepted by email.

However, the fact that these are not deleted by email is a matter of 5channel (formerly 2channel)’s management policy. Whether it’s information about a crime, defamation against a corporation, or information about a criminal record or history, if certain conditions are met, it’s illegal and should be deleted. There are cases where deletion is possible through out-of-court negotiations through a lawyer or using a procedure called “provisional disposition” through a court.

Deletion of Past Logs through Provisional Disposition

Whether it’s a current thread or past logs, when seeking the deletion of 5chan (formerly 2chan) through the court, you will use a procedure called “provisional disposition”.

5chan (formerly 2chan) has an impression of “not easily deleted even if a lawyer is involved”, but if you win with a provisional disposition and the lawyer properly notifies the management, the deletion will be carried out. Therefore, illegal posts can be deleted at least ultimately by using the provisional disposition procedure.

Even in Provisional Disposition, the Target is by Single-Response Unit

One thing to note is that even in the case of deletion through the court, the target is not the thread but the response unit. In terms of legal construction, the “illegal post” that can be requested for deletion is a “post”, which is a response, not a thread, in the case of a bulletin board site. This is the same for 5chan (formerly 2chan), 2chan (2ch.sc), current threads, and threads in the past log warehouse.

Know-how is Necessary as the Opponent is a Foreign Corporation

5chan (formerly 2chan) is operated by a Philippine corporation, and there are certain “quirks” in obtaining corporate registration and having the case handled by a domestic court (in legal terms, this is called international jurisdiction). However, these are things that a lawyer who has handled many provisional dispositions against 5chan (formerly 2chan) would have as know-how. Instead of thinking “I couldn’t delete it even after sending an email, so I have no choice but to give up”, you should consult with a specialist.

IP Disclosure Requests Can Be Made for Posts in Past Log Archives

Furthermore, it is possible to request the disclosure of IP addresses even for threads in the past log archives of 5chan (formerly 2chan). The detailed specifications are unclear, but it seems that the post logs do not disappear simply because they have entered the past logs. However, in the case of extremely old posts, there may be cases where the logs do not exist.

Identifying the poster cannot be achieved simply by disclosing the IP address. It is necessary to request the disclosure of the name and address from the provider based on the disclosed IP address. This article will omit the details, but broadly speaking, the process is as follows:

1. Request the disclosure of the IP address from the site operator who holds the poster’s IP address (in this case, the operator of 5chan)
2. Identify the provider based on the disclosed IP address and request the provider to disclose the name and address of the person who used the IP address

This is the flow. And regarding point 2,

• Fixed-line providers only retain connection logs for about 12 months
• Mobile carriers only retain connection logs for about 3 months

There is a strict time limit. Since posts in the past logs have already passed a certain period of time, it can be said that there are many cases where the poster cannot be identified due to the above time limit. However, within the above time limit, there is no need to give up identifying the poster just because it is in the past log archive.