8chan /cow/ is the latest in a series of lolcow imageboards that predates 8chan. The anonymous posters here can be called /cow/boys, /cow/ards, or (historically) spergs.
A lolcow is a fool who is unwittingly funny or can be goaded into being funny. Potential lolcows may reveal themselves in any number of ways, including rants, arguments, criticism, and artwork.
Rules
Global rule
Do not post, request, or link to any content illegal in the United States of America. Do not create boards with the sole purpose of posting or spreading such content.
Board rule
New threads must have a subject and pertain to established or potential lolcows. Off-topic discussion is permitted on Fridays in >>2.
Guidelines
Posting
Posting about potential lolcows is encouraged. For potentials, new threads should introduce them by their names or handles, why they have potential, and any relevant information (such as where they can be trolled). Groups of potentials, such as Kiwi Farms users or personal lolcows, instead belong in generals, which are long-term, recurring threads about each group.
Posts calling for invasion of lolcow-related web sites are discouraged, but not forbidden. Other boards (>>>/i/, >>>/hax/, >>>/raid/, >>>/war/, and of course >>>/baphomet/ and >>>/baph/) exist exclusively for this purpose.
New threads for topical questions are discouraged. For example, "what if" questions about lolcows, questions if one's friend is a lolcow, or questions about /cow/ itself are often ignored or mocked.
Necrobumping, or bumping old threads, is discouraged. Necrobumps should, at the very minimum, contain news relevant to the thread. If you want to necrobump a thread that's six months old or older, instead create a new thread and link to the old one.
Due to both our itinerant history and our content's taboo nature, we encourage saving as much content as possible as screenshots, videos, text files, and archived web pages.
If you were banned from the board, you may appeal your ban on the ban page. If you would like a timely response, you may contact JEWS by email or through IRC.