I've always wondered why people use tripcodes. The answer I've thought of is "good communication", where you prevent people from getting confused when replying in thread or thinking some other anon's thoughts and opinions are yours. In a way, it feels similar to starting of your post with "OP here". It seems like selecting usernames with passwords on hobby forums circa 2008.

The question is why it so often ends up with
>attentionfagging

Do you guys think it has something similar to the relationships youtuber/twitch streamers have with a dedicated fanbase? Where commenters tend to post the most inane messages to get the attention of the streamer, and streamers often intentionally mess up to make their audience react and give them attention?