Deans order JuicyCampus.com blocked; site closes days later
Petersen: 'There's a fine line between filthy humor, and malice'
John Krudy
Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: News
JuicyCampus.com, a Web site notorious for facilitating gossip between college students, is closing down today due to declines in its advertising revenue related to the economic slump, according to a statement released Wednesday. Hillsdale College administrators blocked the site in December after student complaints.
Juicy Campus first appeared on the Internet in Aug. 2007, but did not get much traffic from Hillsdale students until late in the fall 2008 semester. The site cloaked IP addresses, and allowed students to anonymously post allegations about students at their school. Juicy Campus was unavailable for comment, but its blog said neither censorship by schools nor legal action were responsible for the site's demise.
"JuicyCampus' growth outpaced our ability to muster the resources needed to survive … The current level of revenue generated is simply not sufficient to keep the site alive," the site read. Banners on the site said Feb. 4 would be the last day message boards would be available.
Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said he and other administrators, including Dean of Women Diane Philipp and Provost Robert Blackstock, learned of the site and talked with some of those mentioned on its message boards after two female students sent them complaints during finals week.
"There's a fine line between filthy humor, and malice," Petersen said, visibly frustrated by the site's content. "I was shocked. I felt bad for the people on there - it seemed abusive and untrue."
He said he and Philipp talked with five to 10 students who were mentioned, though none who posted.
A female student said she and her friend e-mailed the deans after learning of forum posts on Juicy Campus accusing them of promiscuity and surgical enhancement. She said she understood the concerns of students worried about censorship, but wanted to preserve her reputation.
"I agree, but it's like a gossip column," she said. "I don't want a future employer Googling my name and seeing that, since it's false."
Juicy Campus first appeared on the Internet in Aug. 2007, but did not get much traffic from Hillsdale students until late in the fall 2008 semester. The site cloaked IP addresses, and allowed students to anonymously post allegations about students at their school. Juicy Campus was unavailable for comment, but its blog said neither censorship by schools nor legal action were responsible for the site's demise.
"JuicyCampus' growth outpaced our ability to muster the resources needed to survive … The current level of revenue generated is simply not sufficient to keep the site alive," the site read. Banners on the site said Feb. 4 would be the last day message boards would be available.
Dean of Men Aaron Petersen said he and other administrators, including Dean of Women Diane Philipp and Provost Robert Blackstock, learned of the site and talked with some of those mentioned on its message boards after two female students sent them complaints during finals week.
"There's a fine line between filthy humor, and malice," Petersen said, visibly frustrated by the site's content. "I was shocked. I felt bad for the people on there - it seemed abusive and untrue."
He said he and Philipp talked with five to 10 students who were mentioned, though none who posted.
A female student said she and her friend e-mailed the deans after learning of forum posts on Juicy Campus accusing them of promiscuity and surgical enhancement. She said she understood the concerns of students worried about censorship, but wanted to preserve her reputation.
"I agree, but it's like a gossip column," she said. "I don't want a future employer Googling my name and seeing that, since it's false."
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