In an apparent attempt to jumpstart its lagging social networking efforts, Google has hired the founder of the often controversial 4chan image-sharing hub.

Christopher Poole, the founder of 4chan, announced in a post on Monday that he has joined Google, though he does not specify what he will be doing for the company.

“When meeting with current and former Googlers, I continually find myself drawn to their intelligence, passion, and enthusiasm...,” Poole wrote. “I’m also impressed by Google’s commitment to enabling these same talented people to tackle some of the world’s most interesting and important problems. I can’t wait to contribute my own experience from a dozen years of building online communities...”

Bradley Horowitz, vice president of streams, photos and sharing at Google, confirmed the hire on his Google+ page.

When asked what Poole’s title and role at Google will be, a company spokesperson would only confirm the hire.

Poole, known in the online world as moot, helped to make 4chan a well-known image-based bulletin board on which users generally post anonymously.

The site, which originally focused on fans of Japanese anime, gained a lot of notoriety for being an uncensored, brazen and risqué spot on the Internet after it was blamed for leaking stolen naked photos of female celebrities and originating memes considered racist and homophobic.

Poole, who is in his late 20s, left the site early in 2015 after the brouhaha that erupted over the repeated sharing of the hacked nude photos of actress Jennifer Lawrence.

Source: Computer World