Post Ending In X

2005Forum game / participatory thread formatdeclining

Also known as: Post Ending In · Gets To Name My X · Dubs Decide

Post Ending In X is a 2005 4chan /b/ forum game where the original poster delegates an absurd decision—naming pets, children, or legal names—to whichever reply's post number ends in a chosen digit.

Post Ending in X is a participatory game format from 4chan's /b/ board where the original poster declares that whichever reply has a post number ending in a specific digit sequence gets to decide something, usually something absurd like naming the OP's pet, child, or even their legal name1. The format exploded across /b/ in the mid-2000s and became so pervasive that moot implemented auto-bans for the phrase "Thread ending in" on December 29, 20071.

4chan memespost number memesimageboard memesearly internet memesparticipatory video memes

Overview

The game works like this: someone on /b/ creates a thread announcing that the first reply whose post number ends in a specific sequence of digits (like 34, 77, or 00) gets to decide something for the OP. The stakes ranged from trivial to supposedly life-altering. A typical thread might read "post ending in 34 gets to name my cat," and hundreds of replies would flood in, each hoping their automatically assigned post number would hit the target1.

The humor came from the collision of randomness and consequence. Since 4chan assigns sequential post numbers automatically, nobody could control what number they'd get. The winning post was almost always something obscene, offensive, or deliberately unhelpful. The OP was then "obligated" to follow through, though whether anyone actually did was always the real joke1.

Post Ending in X grew directly out of 4chan's GET culture, which itself was imported from 2channel (2chan), Japan's largest text-based bulletin board2. On 2channel, users competed for milestone post numbers like 2GET (first reply) and 1000GET (last reply in a thread), treating these as small trophies2. When 4chan adopted the concept, the focus shifted to /b/'s global post counter, where users scrambled for round-number milestones like 100,000GET or 1,000,000GET2.

Post Ending in X was a democratized spin on this obsession. Instead of chasing once-in-a-lifetime milestones, any user could create a thread where a common number pattern (like ending in 7 or doubles) would "win." This made the game accessible to every thread, every minute of the day1.

Origin & Background

Platform
4chan /b/ (derived from 2channel GET culture)
Key People
Unknown
Date
~2005-2006

Post Ending in X grew directly out of 4chan's GET culture, which itself was imported from 2channel (2chan), Japan's largest text-based bulletin board. On 2channel, users competed for milestone post numbers like 2GET (first reply) and 1000GET (last reply in a thread), treating these as small trophies. When 4chan adopted the concept, the focus shifted to /b/'s global post counter, where users scrambled for round-number milestones like 100,000GET or 1,000,000GET.

Post Ending in X was a democratized spin on this obsession. Instead of chasing once-in-a-lifetime milestones, any user could create a thread where a common number pattern (like ending in 7 or doubles) would "win." This made the game accessible to every thread, every minute of the day.

How It Spread

By 2006-2007, Post Ending in X threads had colonized /b/ to an extreme degree. At peak saturation, opening all ten pages of active /b/ threads would reveal at least one "post ending in (#) gets to name my (x)" thread on every single page. The format was repetitive by design, and the sheer volume of these threads drew criticism from older users who considered it part of "The Cancer That Is Killing /b/".

The game occasionally spread to other boards. On /lit/, a user ran a "post ending in X" variant where the winning number decided what book the OP had to read. Post #82042 landed on *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*, a fitting result given that 42 is famously "the answer to life, the universe, and everything" in that novel.

On December 29, 2007, moot and his admin team took action. 4chan's backend was configured to auto-ban anyone posting the text string "Thread ending in" for three days, regardless of context. The system was indiscriminate, handing out bans even when the phrase appeared in completely unrelated discussion.

As a secondary measure, 4chan censored the last three digits of all /b/ post numbers, displaying them as "XXX" (e.g., 123456XXX). Users quickly discovered they could still see the full number by hovering their mouse over the post number, but the extra step reduced casual participation. After the crackdown, the format migrated to smaller boards like Tinychan, where it actually fit in better with the existing post culture.

How to Use This Meme

The format typically follows a simple template:

1

Create a thread stating the rules: "Post ending in [number pattern] gets to [decide something]"

2

The "something" is usually naming an object, pet, or making the OP do an embarrassing task

3

Other users flood the thread with replies, each one a roll of the dice on their post number

4

The first post matching the target number pattern "wins"

5

The OP is expected (but rarely obligated) to follow through

Cultural Impact

Post Ending in X was one of the earliest examples of imageboard users turning the platform's infrastructure (sequential post numbering) into a game mechanic. The format influenced the broader "dubs" and "trips" checking culture that still exists on 4chan and its offshoots, where users call attention to repeating digits in post numbers with replies like "nice dubs" or "checked."

The admin response to these threads was also notable. The auto-ban system implemented in late 2007 was one of the more aggressive moderation tools 4chan deployed against a specific meme format, and the post number censorship on /b/ was a technical countermeasure that affected the entire board's functionality.

Fun Facts

The auto-ban system was so strict it would ban users who typed "Thread ending in" even in threads discussing the ban itself.

4chan's GET culture was inherited from 2channel, where 2GET (first reply) and 1000GET (last reply) were the prized positions, adapted for 4chan's imageboard format.

One of the more famous "post ending in" outcomes happened on /lit/, where the game led someone to *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy* via post #82042, making the number 42 (the book's famous "answer") do double duty.

At its peak, the format was described as being played "over 9,000 times a day," itself a reference to another 4chan meme.

Derivatives & Variations

GET threads:

The parent format where users compete for milestone post numbers (100,000GET, 1,000,000GET). These predate Post Ending in X and originated on 2channel[2].

Dubs/Trips checking:

A related practice where users point out when someone's post number has repeating digits, often replying with "checked" or similar acknowledgment[2].

Roll threads:

A broader category of threads where post numbers determine outcomes, including "your post number is your X" formats[1].

Frequently Asked Questions

Post Ending In X

2005Forum game / participatory thread formatdeclining

Also known as: Post Ending In · Gets To Name My X · Dubs Decide

Post Ending In X is a 2005 4chan /b/ forum game where the original poster delegates an absurd decision—naming pets, children, or legal names—to whichever reply's post number ends in a chosen digit.

Post Ending in X is a participatory game format from 4chan's /b/ board where the original poster declares that whichever reply has a post number ending in a specific digit sequence gets to decide something, usually something absurd like naming the OP's pet, child, or even their legal name. The format exploded across /b/ in the mid-2000s and became so pervasive that moot implemented auto-bans for the phrase "Thread ending in" on December 29, 2007.

4chan memes post number memes imageboard memes early internet memes participatory video memes

Overview

The game works like this: someone on /b/ creates a thread announcing that the first reply whose post number ends in a specific sequence of digits (like 34, 77, or 00) gets to decide something for the OP. The stakes ranged from trivial to supposedly life-altering. A typical thread might read "post ending in 34 gets to name my cat," and hundreds of replies would flood in, each hoping their automatically assigned post number would hit the target.

The humor came from the collision of randomness and consequence. Since 4chan assigns sequential post numbers automatically, nobody could control what number they'd get. The winning post was almost always something obscene, offensive, or deliberately unhelpful. The OP was then "obligated" to follow through, though whether anyone actually did was always the real joke.

Post Ending in X grew directly out of 4chan's GET culture, which itself was imported from 2channel (2chan), Japan's largest text-based bulletin board. On 2channel, users competed for milestone post numbers like 2GET (first reply) and 1000GET (last reply in a thread), treating these as small trophies. When 4chan adopted the concept, the focus shifted to /b/'s global post counter, where users scrambled for round-number milestones like 100,000GET or 1,000,000GET.

Post Ending in X was a democratized spin on this obsession. Instead of chasing once-in-a-lifetime milestones, any user could create a thread where a common number pattern (like ending in 7 or doubles) would "win." This made the game accessible to every thread, every minute of the day.

Origin & Background

Platform
4chan /b/ (derived from 2channel GET culture)
Key People
Unknown
Date
~2005-2006

Post Ending in X grew directly out of 4chan's GET culture, which itself was imported from 2channel (2chan), Japan's largest text-based bulletin board. On 2channel, users competed for milestone post numbers like 2GET (first reply) and 1000GET (last reply in a thread), treating these as small trophies. When 4chan adopted the concept, the focus shifted to /b/'s global post counter, where users scrambled for round-number milestones like 100,000GET or 1,000,000GET.

Post Ending in X was a democratized spin on this obsession. Instead of chasing once-in-a-lifetime milestones, any user could create a thread where a common number pattern (like ending in 7 or doubles) would "win." This made the game accessible to every thread, every minute of the day.

How It Spread

By 2006-2007, Post Ending in X threads had colonized /b/ to an extreme degree. At peak saturation, opening all ten pages of active /b/ threads would reveal at least one "post ending in (#) gets to name my (x)" thread on every single page. The format was repetitive by design, and the sheer volume of these threads drew criticism from older users who considered it part of "The Cancer That Is Killing /b/".

The game occasionally spread to other boards. On /lit/, a user ran a "post ending in X" variant where the winning number decided what book the OP had to read. Post #82042 landed on *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy*, a fitting result given that 42 is famously "the answer to life, the universe, and everything" in that novel.

On December 29, 2007, moot and his admin team took action. 4chan's backend was configured to auto-ban anyone posting the text string "Thread ending in" for three days, regardless of context. The system was indiscriminate, handing out bans even when the phrase appeared in completely unrelated discussion.

As a secondary measure, 4chan censored the last three digits of all /b/ post numbers, displaying them as "XXX" (e.g., 123456XXX). Users quickly discovered they could still see the full number by hovering their mouse over the post number, but the extra step reduced casual participation. After the crackdown, the format migrated to smaller boards like Tinychan, where it actually fit in better with the existing post culture.

How to Use This Meme

The format typically follows a simple template:

1

Create a thread stating the rules: "Post ending in [number pattern] gets to [decide something]"

2

The "something" is usually naming an object, pet, or making the OP do an embarrassing task

3

Other users flood the thread with replies, each one a roll of the dice on their post number

4

The first post matching the target number pattern "wins"

5

The OP is expected (but rarely obligated) to follow through

Cultural Impact

Post Ending in X was one of the earliest examples of imageboard users turning the platform's infrastructure (sequential post numbering) into a game mechanic. The format influenced the broader "dubs" and "trips" checking culture that still exists on 4chan and its offshoots, where users call attention to repeating digits in post numbers with replies like "nice dubs" or "checked."

The admin response to these threads was also notable. The auto-ban system implemented in late 2007 was one of the more aggressive moderation tools 4chan deployed against a specific meme format, and the post number censorship on /b/ was a technical countermeasure that affected the entire board's functionality.

Fun Facts

The auto-ban system was so strict it would ban users who typed "Thread ending in" even in threads discussing the ban itself.

4chan's GET culture was inherited from 2channel, where 2GET (first reply) and 1000GET (last reply) were the prized positions, adapted for 4chan's imageboard format.

One of the more famous "post ending in" outcomes happened on /lit/, where the game led someone to *The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy* via post #82042, making the number 42 (the book's famous "answer") do double duty.

At its peak, the format was described as being played "over 9,000 times a day," itself a reference to another 4chan meme.

Derivatives & Variations

GET threads:

The parent format where users compete for milestone post numbers (100,000GET, 1,000,000GET). These predate Post Ending in X and originated on 2channel[2].

Dubs/Trips checking:

A related practice where users point out when someone's post number has repeating digits, often replying with "checked" or similar acknowledgment[2].

Roll threads:

A broader category of threads where post numbers determine outcomes, including "your post number is your X" formats[1].

Frequently Asked Questions