Rotten.com: Difference between revisions

Jump to: navigation, search
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 14: Line 14:
The website was first registered in 1996 by a developer named "Soylent".<ref><nowiki>https://www.salon.com/2001/03/05/rotten_2/</nowiki></ref><ref>knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/rottencom</ref> He wrote a program that could easily identify unregistered internet domain names consisting of a single dictionary word. After some searching, he found that the word "rotten" was one of these unclaimed names, and later went on to register Rotten.com.<ref name=":1">web.archive.org/web/20050516235424/<nowiki>http://www.rotten.com/FAQ/</nowiki> (<u>NOTE</u>: This link contains graphic images!)</ref> Rotten.com postured itself as an online free speech platform, in a time where [[wikipedia:Internet_censorship|internet censorship]] laws and regulations had begun to restrict access to material online.<ref name=":0">web.archive.org/web/20191005094145/<nowiki>https://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/10700/rotten-history-shock-site/</nowiki></ref>
The website was first registered in 1996 by a developer named "Soylent".<ref><nowiki>https://www.salon.com/2001/03/05/rotten_2/</nowiki></ref><ref>knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/rottencom</ref> He wrote a program that could easily identify unregistered internet domain names consisting of a single dictionary word. After some searching, he found that the word "rotten" was one of these unclaimed names, and later went on to register Rotten.com.<ref name=":1">web.archive.org/web/20050516235424/<nowiki>http://www.rotten.com/FAQ/</nowiki> (<u>NOTE</u>: This link contains graphic images!)</ref> Rotten.com postured itself as an online free speech platform, in a time where [[wikipedia:Internet_censorship|internet censorship]] laws and regulations had begun to restrict access to material online.<ref name=":0">web.archive.org/web/20191005094145/<nowiki>https://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/10700/rotten-history-shock-site/</nowiki></ref>


The site received a lot of attention and coverage following an incident in which the site posted alleged images of medical personnel recovering [[wikipedia:Diana,_Princess_of_Wales|Princess Diana]]'s body from her fatal car accident. This picture was eventually revealed to be fake.<ref>web.archive.org/web/20050516235424/rotten.com/about/press.html</ref> The website was also one of the first websites to publish images of jumpers from the September 11 terrorist attacks, under the title "Swan Dive".<ref>esquire.com/news-politics/a48031/the-falling-man-tom-junod/ (<u>NOTE</u>: This article contains graphic images!)</ref> The site hosted a picture, named "Motorcycle" because it arrived as "motorcycle.jpg". The picture featured a man with his face blown off because of an attempted shotgun suicide. A attorney wrote to the site to take down the picture, however the attorney did not provide enough details for the request<ref name=":2" />.
The site received a lot of attention and coverage following an incident in which the site posted alleged images of medical personnel recovering [[wikipedia:Diana,_Princess_of_Wales|Princess Diana]]'s body from her fatal car accident. This picture was eventually revealed to be fake.<ref>web.archive.org/web/20050516235424/rotten.com/about/press.html</ref> The website was also one of the first websites to publish images of jumpers from the September 11 terrorist attacks, under the title "Swan Dive".<ref>esquire.com/news-politics/a48031/the-falling-man-tom-junod/ (<u>NOTE</u>: This article contains graphic images!)</ref> The site hosted a picture, named "Motorcycle" because it arrived as "motorcycle.jpg". The picture featured a man with his face blown off because of an attempted shotgun suicide. A attorney wrote to the site to take down the picture, however the attorney did not provide enough details for the request<ref name=":1" />.


The website has also had multiple legal threats. In March 2000, the website received a legal threat from The Coca-Cola Company because of an image on the site featuring a Coca-Cola bottle up a woman's anus<ref>web.archive.org/web/20080219061733/rotten.com/legal/desist-coke.html</ref>. On May 17th, 2000 the Pillsbury Company sent a legal threat to Soylent Communications because of a image, featuring the Pillsbury Doughboy in a oven looking at a woman cooking their species<ref>web.archive.org/web/20080215160253/rotten.com/legal/desist-pillsbury.html</ref>.
The website has also had multiple legal threats. In March 2000, the website received a legal threat from The Coca-Cola Company because of an image on the site featuring a Coca-Cola bottle up a woman's anus<ref>web.archive.org/web/20080219061733/rotten.com/legal/desist-coke.html</ref>. On May 17th, 2000 the Pillsbury Company sent a legal threat to Soylent Communications because of a image, featuring the Pillsbury Doughboy in a oven looking at a woman cooking their species<ref>web.archive.org/web/20080215160253/rotten.com/legal/desist-pillsbury.html</ref>.