The Internet can be a great tool for communication, and yes, we love that fact most of the time. But sometimes the web can be a harmful and harsh medium for those who wish to exploit others and harass them in a public forum for all to see. We have all heard of cyber bullies and now these types of people have a perfectly legal and legitimate way to publicly and anonymously humiliate whomever they choose, via a nasty web site called JuicyCampus.com. The Gorilla has been hearing a lot of buzz about this site lately since it is causing hoards of controversy. The website is a free service for college students and is supported by advertising. It was originally meant to be used as a way to network within the college community. It was a way at first, for students to find study partners, discuss current campus events and happenings, and to share cool places to hang out etc.
Now the site has turned into a nasty “dish all you know” gossip site, which focuses primarily on exposing campus bad girls (and some boys) in the most hateful disgusting and disturbing way; all the while naming specific names. So, who do they think they are, and more importantly, how can they get away with this? New Jersey State Attorney Anne Milgrim is currently addressing that very question at this time and is in the process of subpoenaing documents for the site. She claims that the site is in violation of the state’s Consumer Fraud Act by the suggestion that it “does not allow offensive material,” but does not provide any enforcement of that rule and there is no way for users to dispute the material or report it. The site is being investigated following reports that a college student was being harassed by the comments and the posting of her personal information, including her address.
“There’s an unbelievable amount of offensive material posted and absolutely no enforcement,” said Milgram, noting insults about students’ appearance, race, and sexual history, as “just the tip of the iceberg.” The Gorilla went to the site and was stunned by its content. It ranged from racial slurs to religious persecution, and included explicit sexual comments and descriptions as well, and even went as far as posting phone numbers and names of people. The site has expanded recently to include over 50 college campuses, including Princeton University. Students at many schools have responded with outrage and disgust at seeing peers smeared in such a way. The student government at Pepperdine University in California voted overwhelmingly to request a ban on the site even though the university has a policy against banning websites. So what does the owner of JuicyCampus have to say? Well, he seems relatively unconcerned by the backlash stating, “like anything that is even remotely controversial, there are always people who demand censorship. However, we believe that JuicyCampus can have a really positive impact on college campuses, as a place for both entertainment and free expression.”
Really? And what “positive impact” does this site have the Gorilla wonders? Other than the fact that quite obviously the guy is making a lot of money on advertising perhaps! If the negatives outweigh the positives, maybe it’s time to close the doors. This is a case of “free speech” gone amuck!