Juicy Campus, the popular but controversial gossip Web site, has had the last bits of juice squeezed out of it.
With little revenue and not enough venture-capital funding, the site was taken offline permanently yesterday.
Founder and CEO Matt Ivester attributed the shutting of the site to plummeting online ad revenues and the overall "economic downturn," according to a press release from the company.
The site, which launched a year and a half ago, allowed users to anonymously post "gossip items" about others in what Ivester called an "interesting, entertaining and fun" platform.
Many users, though, didn't find it so innocent - multiple lawsuits were filed against the company over content posted on the site.
One woman from the University of Delaware filed a lawsuit against Juicy Campus in an attempt to find out who was behind the disparaging posts about her.
The company was also under investigation in New Jersey for potentially violating the state's Consumer Fraud Act, but no charges were brought forth.
Despite the lawsuits - and some colleges banning the site outright- Juicy Campus had been drawing more than a million visitors each month and had expanded to 500 campuses across the nation.
One reason for the site's popularity may have been a sense of curiosity on the part of college students around the country.
College freshman John Plaisted said he enjoyed reading all the posts about other students.
While the entertainment factor of the site was no doubt a draw, many others found the content offensive and inappropriate.
"I've heard of so many people who were [written about] on the site," said Wharton sophomore Meera Ragavan. "But it hurt a lot of people."
Ivester declined to comment for this article.
However, in the press release announcing the site's closure, he acknowledged the bad portions of his creation.
"While there are parts of Juicy Campus that none of us will miss - the mean-spirited posts and personal attacks - it has also been a place for the fun, lighthearted gossip of college life," he wrote. "I hope that is how it is remembered."
Under the "Shutdown FAQ" on the Juicy Campus blog, Ivester assured former users that their IP addresses would not be released without a lawful subpoena.
He also denied that the lawsuits and public backlash were reasons for the site's demise.
Regardless, there seemed to be a collective sigh of relief with the site's shutdown.
"At least the economy is contributing to something," said Wharton sophomore Ayesha Samant.
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.
