By "stifling independent thought", I meant creating an environment where an acceptable level of contribution is repeating a catchphrase or recycling a picture, and where you tend to adopt the most hostile posture possible toward people and things that you think are no good.
By "antisocial" I meant that most users don't seem to have much respect for other people in a general sense, and that the majority of content seems aimed to entertain peers instead of being independently interesting outside of the 4chan bubble. "Teenagers" (and college students) is pretty much a fact, but I figure it helps explain the rest; I cared a lot more about being cool and popular when I was a teenager, too.
Also, I'm not trying to characterize, for example, the 4chan photography board; I'm mainly talking about /b/ and other more chatty parts. For all I know 4chan has fine topical boards, but that's not why people are interested in talking about it.
Your argument fails in two ways. First, 4chan does not operate any kind of Karma system (although theoretically, it could) so considerations of what is acceptable are moot; justbecause you can post something obnoxious and tired there doesn't mean you'll get a positive response.
To me, the main metric of acceptability at 4can is whether something gets a lot of positive feedback, which will only happen if it's funny in the temporary context in which it exists (and everything is potentially funny in the right context; yes, everything).
The second point of failure is not recognizing the significance of anonymous posting. In one sense it allows vandals and the irresponsible to shelter behind the 4chan Guy Fawkes mask, but in another it means that there is no particular gain for posting - whether it's outrageous, intelligent, or funny.
A post there succeeds or fails on its own merits, such as they are and such as the audience is at any given time. Sure, you can post cliche or offensive stuff of the form 'niggers CP niggers', but the only response you'll get is from other people who think along those lines, and you'll quickly fall off the end of page 10 (or 15 or whatever it now). Post something outrageous like a naughty comic nobody has seen before, and you'll get some feedback...but that won't help you tomorrow. Or indeed, 10 minutes later. Your critiques of people posting outrageous material to be cool and popular would make sense if there were persistent identities on 4chan, but the vast majority of participants choose to embrace the disposable nature of 'anonymous'.
I'm not arguing that it's particularly deep, although it can be. Rather, I am arguing that your criticisms of its shallowness are meaningless in a context where identity is not commoditized. People talk a lot of shit there, as we all know, but they also discuss things that they wouldn't if it weren't so easy do so anonymously.
By "antisocial" I meant that most users don't seem to have much respect for other people in a general sense, and that the majority of content seems aimed to entertain peers instead of being independently interesting outside of the 4chan bubble. "Teenagers" (and college students) is pretty much a fact, but I figure it helps explain the rest; I cared a lot more about being cool and popular when I was a teenager, too.
Also, I'm not trying to characterize, for example, the 4chan photography board; I'm mainly talking about /b/ and other more chatty parts. For all I know 4chan has fine topical boards, but that's not why people are interested in talking about it.