2channel, the Japanese textboard, was launched in a college apartment in Conway, Arkansas on the campus of University of Central Arkansas by Hiroyuki Nishimura.
The website operates on its own innovated forum software which marks a major departure from 1980s bulletin board systems. Its software manages over 600 active boards such as "Social News", "Computers", and "Cooking", making it one of the most comprehensive forum in Japan.
The service has gained great influence in Japanese society, comparable to television, radio, and magazines. 2channe is operated under Packet Monster Inc., a company based in Telok Ayer, Singapore.
