The Alt-Right Created a Parallel Internet. It’s an Unholy Mess. “I believe in the idea, but I’m disappointed in the platform.” In another message, he wrote: “I barely use it as there are few active users, and few essential features even after a year.” Gab, which claims to have more than 300,000 registered users, was supposed to be an alt-tech success story. According to Mr. Wilson, a major credit card company, which he declined to name, kicked Hatreon off its network last month, preventing many users from funding projects on the site and all but killing the company’s prospects for growth. Not only do they have to build a compelling product and attract users — a steep challenge even in the best of circumstances — but they must do it without access to mainstream funding sources, such as venture capital firms and angel investors, which provide much of the fuel for other tech start-ups. Mr. Wilson’s product, a crowdfunding site called Hatreon, was meant to give alt-right personalities and others a way to raise money for projects deemed too risqué for mainstream crowdfunding platforms such as Patreon and Kickstarter. Today, visitors to Hatreon are greeted by a message saying that “pledging is currently disabled while we upgrade our systems.” Mr. Wilson, who does not describe himself as alt-right, said he has accepted that building a viable alt-tech business might be impossible, given the practical constraints.
