You Win the Internet!

About

You Win the Internet (or alternatively, You Win an Internet) is a popular catchphrase used in imageboards and discussion forums to express great approval of another post or to convey sarcasm at someone else’s extreme stupidity. The awarding of an Internet is typically done via text reply, but it can be substituted with one free internet coupon:

Origin

The earliest usage of “You Win the Internet” can be traced back to a discussion thread posted on October 26, 2004 on SomethingAwful’s FYAD forum as documented in this archived text file.^[1]

According to the comments section in a WebSnark article^[2] posted in February 2006, “You Win the Internet” actually stems from another popular comment made by a user known as “bombscare” in IRC chatroom circa 2002.

BombScare: i beat the internet
BombScare: the end guy is hard

Spread

Bombscare’s comical comparison of the Internet to a videogame was first registered in the Quote Database (QDB)^[3] and later included in a popular copypasta that spread across IRC related communities.

The first Urban Dictionary^[4] entry for the phrase “You Win the Internet” was registered on September 13th, 2006:

A phrase ment to convey that you did something online very well. Whether it is making a really good website, making a good YTMND or pulling off an incredible move in an online video game.

-Urban Dictionary

Usage & Variations

• In 4chan imageboards, “You Win the Internet” is often used as a sincere thanks when another user posts an exceptionally good image, identifies the source of a desired image, or posts a requested torrent. There are several variations of the catchphrase and coupon images in circulation, including the singular “You Win an Internet”, “One free internet for you” or alternatively, a ridiculously high number.

• There is also a single serving site^[5] dedicated to winning the internet, originally launched in December 2008.

External References

^[1] FishMech – FYAD.txt / Posted on 10-26-2004

^[2] WebSnark – Put Another Way / Posted on 2-6-2004

^[3]QDB (Quote Database) – #4278 / Date of post unknown

^[4] Urban Dictionary – You Win the Internet / 9-13-2006

^[5] YouWinTheInternet.com – You Win The Internet! / Launched on 12-21-2008