Perhaps to some, but make no mistake that people laughing at that time were laughing alongside bonafide white nationalists. It isn't by happenstance that memes and jokes often centred around white nationalism and nazi iconography.Oh, for sure. But I'd say back in the day it's mostly a LOL SO IRONIC edgy way. Not that that's any better. But it wasn't the state it is now.
The issue with being ironic about something is that it soon attracts the wrong kind of people who think you're being sincere and then believe they're in good company, then they start to overwhelm what was once there.
But I will say, /b/ was always a shithole, but was also always the board every other board hated.
When a board has this issue for over a decade and a half then it is appropriate to refer to it critically as a whole. If people choose to visit and use the site despite this knowledge it doesn't matter what board they frequent, they're knowingly pitching their tent in the campsite of white nationalism.