POOL'S CLOSED

About

Pool’s Closed is a catchphrase associated with raids carried out by 4chan’s Anonymous who obstruct areas in the virtual game Habbo Hotel. Wearing identical afros and business suits for their avatars, users formed a human blockade obstructing the game’s pool entrance.

Origin

Beginning sometime in 2005, rumors began to spread on 4chan’s /b/ board that Habbo’s social moderators were racists abusing their ban powers against Black-avatar users. In July 2005, a group of 4chan users decided to raid Habbo by checking into the game as Black characters in suits and forming blockades around the entrances of popular hangouts. The avatar design was made to symbolize a rich black man.

Impromptu Blockaders

It was known among some users that there were technical limitations with Habbo Hotel. One of the limitations was that avatars could not walk through each other to reach places. This issue was exploited as users from /b/ began to block avatars wanting to enter Habbo’s virtual pool. This caused much frustration to the newcomers in Habbo and was a source of amusement. After many blocking raids to Habbo’s pool area (and banning of 4channers by the mods) the raids became more organized. Instructions on how to make an avatar appeared on 4chan:

Raids to block the pool were organized on 4chan until posts about “raiding” became banned. Even a piece of software dubbed the “Pool Tool” was created and downloaded for tips on how to unban a character, spam phrases and say things uncensored.

Among some of the phrases were “Pool’s closed due to AIDS” and the word “harbl” (4chan’s slang word for penis). Both of these words became banned eventually.

Spread

July 12th 2006

The raids continued until July 12th 2006 when the phenomenon peaked. People from Encyclopedia Dramatica, 4chan, YTMND and various sites planned a secret attack on Habbo Hotel (US site). A digital poster surfaced on the internet explaining the date/time of the raid. This kind of organization was a first for 4channers.

As the day arrived hundreds upon hundreds of “nigra” (a slang term for “nigga/negro” by 4chan’s /b/) avatars flooded Habbo Hotel. Phishing sites were created by opportunists and Habbodiscussion closed its forums. Eventually Habbo Hotel went offline for awhile too. This marked a successful event and every year on the same day raiders anonymously log onto Habbo Hotel. They blockade the Hotel’s pool from entry while shouting “Pools closed” to users trying to enter.

As a result of the 2006 raid, avatars that are black with an afro and a suit are automatically banned.

Afroduck and Swastigets

The afroduck character began when a user stood behind the duck statue at the pool area in the game. It became sort of a mascot for raiders.

“Swastigets” are swastikas made by the “nigra” avatars. They aren’t racist but were intended to anger the moderators of Habbo Hotel. It’s a display of fake racism.

Mascot

The mascot of Habbo raids was a black man with an afro and arms crossed. The original picture came from clipart and was modified.

Real Life Implications

The Habbo Hotel raids by 4chan’s /b/ began to become so popular that they gained a real life presence. In Finland people rallied together outside Sulake’s (the company that owns Habbo Hotel) headquarters in afro wigs and suits, forming a real life “swastiget”. In the center was someone cosplaying Suiseiseki (from the anime Rozen Maiden).

As time went on people would go on to cosplay the Pool’s Closed avatars at conventions. As an inside joke, people would print the Pool’s Closed mascot on a paper and take pictures of it at their pools.

During 2007 and 2008 people met up and went to screenings of “Snakes on a Plane” in afro wigs and suits. There was a small “protest” at Anthrocon 2007 (see videos) which was neither successful nor notable. In London a few people met together and hung out in pedalboats.

In 2006 a Second Life griefer group formed called Patriotic Nigras. Their name was inspired by the raids.

In The News

In early 2008 a Texan named Mary Alice Altorfer came across a “Pool’s Closed” sign in her neighborhood. Not knowing the meaning behind the sign or its mascot she telephoned her local news station saying it was discrimination. Because the Pool’s Closed mascot was black she interpreted that the pool was closed for her bi-racial grandchildren. She thought the sign had a racist meaning. As word got out Altorfer’s news video became an internet sensation. People personally called her and the station explaining that it was an internet joke but Altorfer refused to believe the truth. She began to receive hateful calls and threats as 4chan’s Anonymous retaliated against her. In the end everything subsided and the videos became a source of internet humor.