Juicy Campus creator Matt Ivester said he never anticipated the amount of untrue and hurtful gossip found on the controversial Web site during a speech at Georgetown University Tuesday.
It was the first time Ivester has made a public appearance since the Web site went live in August 2007.
Juicy Campus created some controversy at AU when the site debuted a branch version at the university last month, The Eagle previously reported.
Insults toward other students, which occur frequently on the site, were not part of what Ivester expected, he said.
"I never anticipated the amount of mean-spirited attacks found on the Web site," Ivester said.
Juicy Campus was not intended to damage reputations, he said.
"I created Juicy Campus so people could talk about drinking, sex and drugs - you know, fun stuff," Ivester said.
At times Ivester reminded people he never claimed Juicy Campus was supposed to be anything other than what it is.
"I never said that [Juicy Campus] was anything but a gossip site," he said. "It's like Zoolander - stupid but fun."
Ivester focused heavily on the original idea behind the Web site's creation. He also spent time discussing the legality of Juicy Campus. Censorship is immoral and cannot be tolerated, especially on the Internet, he said.
"[Censorship laws] are most widely agreed on laws ever in law." Ivester said, prompting chuckles from the crowd.
After an opening speech, he took questions from the student audience. Students were limited to submitting their questions on pre-written cards.
Students were concerned over future repercussions Juicy Campus posts may have when applying for jobs.
"[Employers] are going to have to learn a sense of humor real quick." Ivester said. "There's no way they can take all of it seriously."
Brett Seifried, a junior in the School of International Service, did not see the speech but said Ivester could be lying when he said he didn't foresee students being vicious to one another on Juicy Campus.
"He must be willfully ignorant if he did not see that there were going to be mean spirited attacks," he said.
Bill Nunn, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences, said Juicy Campus is full of people who lie and make rumors up about fellow students.
"No accountability lends itself to the fact that people will start blatantly making things up," he said.
You can reach this staff writer at cszold@theeagleonline.com.
