View source for Kuro5hin

{{Short description|Technology-related discussion website (1999–2016)}}
{{multiple issues|
{{primary sources|date=August 2012}}
{{More citations needed|date=July 2012}}
}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}} {{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox website
| logo = Kuro5hin logo.png
| logo_size = 200px
| screenshot = 
| caption = 
| url = kuro5hin.org
| commercial = 
| type = 
| registration = 
| owner = [[Rusty Foster]]
| num_users = ~10,000 (2005)
| employees = 
| launch_date = {{start date and age|1999|12}}
| current_status = Offline ({{end date|2016|5|1}})
| dissolved = {{end date|2013|10}}
| revenue = 
| author = 
}}

'''Kuro5hin''' ('''K5'''; read "corrosion")<ref name=":0">{{Cite magazine|url=http://archive.wired.com/techbiz/media/news/2002/06/53386|title=It Takes a Village to Save a Site|last=Boutin|first=Paul|date=2002-06-21|magazine=WIRED|access-date=2016-08-13}}</ref> was a collaborative [[Internet forum|discussion website]] founded by [[Rusty Foster]] in 1999, having been inspired by [[Slashdot]].<ref>name=":0" Retrieved July 18, 2016</ref> Articles were created and submitted by users and submitted to a queue for evaluation. Site members could vote for or against publishing an article and once the article had reached a certain number of votes, it was published to the site or deleted from the queue.<ref name="pcmag">{{cite news|url=https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1854553,00.asp|title=Google's ad network spreads the wealth: here's how Google's AdSense program can make money for your Web site. (INTERNET BUSINESS).|last=Murphy|first=David|date=20 September 2005|work=[[PC Magazine]]|issue=16|volume=24|page=74|access-date=5 August 2019|archive-date=5 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190805045332/https://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1854553,00.asp|url-status=live}}</ref> The site has been described as "a free-for-all of news and opinion written by readers".<ref>{{cite news | title=Kuro5hin. (Internet/Web/Online Service Information) (Brief Article). | work=[[PC World (magazine)|PC World]] | date=August 2001 | last=Brandt | first=Andrew | volume=19 | issue=8 | page=96}}</ref> Around 2005, its membership numbered in the tens of thousands.<ref name="pcmag" />

On May 1, 2016, the site was closed down permanently with all content taken offline.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://idle.slashdot.org/story/16/05/01/1459249/rip-kuro5hin |title=RIP Kuro5hin |access-date=1 May 2016 |publisher=Slashdot.org |archive-date=2 May 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160502021705/https://idle.slashdot.org/story/16/05/01/1459249/rip-kuro5hin |url-status=live}}</ref> Foster stated at the time that it might return in the form of a static archive at a later date.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11612648|title=Hey so this is Rusty|access-date=2 May 2016|publisher=Hacker News|archive-date=5 June 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605094503/https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11612648|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Overview==
All content was generated and selected by the users themselves, with the exception of site news written by the administrators. Registered users would submit stories to the ''submissions queue'' where other users would vote +1 FP (''front page''), +1, 0, or −1. If the story reached a predetermined threshold score, it was posted to the front page or to the relevant section, depending on the proportion of "FP votes". If it failed to make the threshold, other factors (such as number of comments, type of comments, and their ratings) could still cause the story to be posted to a section or to the front page. Otherwise, it was dropped.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/07/27/script_kiddies_fell_kuro5hin/ | title=Script kiddies fell Kuro5hin | work=The Register | date=27 July 2000 | access-date=30 August 2012 | author=Orlowski, Andrew | archive-date=3 October 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003020849/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/07/27/script_kiddies_fell_kuro5hin/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/060831miller/ | title=Five rules for building a successful online community | work=OJR: The Online Journalism Review | access-date=2012-08-30 | archive-date=2012-08-26 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120826032808/http://www.ojr.org/ojr/stories/060831miller/ | url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | title=''Trust in E-Services: Technologies, Practices, and Challenges'' | url=https://archive.org/details/trusteserviceste00song | url-access=limited | publisher=Idea Group Publishing |author1=Song, Ronggong |author2=Yee, George |author3=Korba, Larry | year=2007 | page=[https://archive.org/details/trusteserviceste00song/page/n79 65] | isbn=9781599042077}}</ref>

One feature of the story queue was ''edit mode'', in which a story was protected from voting for a period of time during which the author could make changes. Comments could still be made on the story to suggest changes before voting began. These comments were distinguished as being ''editorial'' or ''topical''.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

A further section was known as the ''diaries''. Having no editing or moderation vetting, diaries were essentially [[Blog|weblogs]].<ref name="dotcom">{{cite web | url = http://www.dotcomscoop.com/article.php?sid=163 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20031204002943/http://www.dotcomscoop.com/article.php?sid=163 | archive-date = 2003-12-04 | title = Interview with Rusty Foster of Kuro5hin.org | work = Dotcom Scoop | date = January 28, 2002}}</ref> and formed the source of most of Kuro5hin's content by volume. However, unlike the edited article sections, they were not widely syndicated. Other users would also comment on these diaries in the same way as stories but without the editorial or topical stipulation.{{Citation needed|date=June 2023}}

==History==
{{expand section|date=March 2020}}
Foster named Kuro5hin—pronounced ''[[rust|corrosion]]''—as a [[pun]] on his first name.<ref name=":0" /> The site was powered by the Scoop collaborative system, originally written by Foster himself,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/07/27/script_kiddies_fell_kuro5hin/|title=Script kiddies fell Kuro5hin|work=The Register|access-date=2017-08-10|archive-date=2017-08-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170810092023/https://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/07/27/script_kiddies_fell_kuro5hin/|url-status=live}}</ref> with the motto "Technology and Culture, from the Trenches".

In July 2000, the site was temporarily closed due to comment spam and denial-of-service attacks.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.geek.com/news/kuro5hin-closes-its-doors-for-good-565486/|title=Kuro5hin closes its doors&nbsp;— for good?|date=2000-07-27|work=geek.com|quote=[...]  spam (unwanted content) and DoS (Denial of Service) attacks, flooding the server with commands and fake information. The attacks led the volunteer staff to finally call it a day.|access-date=2013-10-19|archive-date=2013-10-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020101959/http://www.geek.com/news/kuro5hin-closes-its-doors-for-good-565486/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In January 2002, [[SourceForge, Inc.|OSDN]] ended the advertising affiliate agreement with Kuro5hin.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/10/31/va_drops_linux_name_boots/ | title=VA drops Linux name, boots out Kuro5hin | work=The Register | date=31 October 2001 | access-date=30 August 2012 | author=Orlowski, Andrew | archive-date=3 October 2012 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121003115618/http://www.theregister.co.uk/2001/10/31/va_drops_linux_name_boots/ | url-status=live }}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Internet}}
* [[Adequacy.org]]
* [[Advogato]]
* [[Digg]]
* [[MetaFilter]]
* [[Plastic.com]]
* [[Reddit]]
* [[Slashdot]]
* [[Techdirt]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/*/www.kuro5hin.org Wayback Machine archive of Kuro5hin]

[[Category:American social networking websites]]
[[Category:Defunct social networking services]]
[[Category:Internet forums]]
[[Category:Slashdot]]
[[Category:Internet properties established in 1999]]
[[Category:Internet properties disestablished in 2016]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in the United States]]