The Patriot Talks With Juicy Campus Founder Matt Ivester
Bill Flanigen
3/4/09 | Interview
In the interest of a balanced discussion about JuicyCampus-the recently deceased gossip-fueled internet craze that spread across America's college campuses-we sat down with Matt Ivester, the site's creator prior to its downfall. Anonymity, cruel lies, and the dynamics of social life on the internet were up for discussion. Uninformed readers might think that publishing this interview is tantamount to an endorsement of Ivester's ideas and his work. The interview is provided so that readers are able make up their own minds about JuicyCampus and its effect on George Washington's student community. A free market of ideas is as useful to society as a free market in goods and services, and that our market will have no coercion or paternalism. We believe that criticism of JuicyCampus is strong and valuable enough to withstand the presentation of alternative viewpoints. Here, Mr. Ivester may speak his piece, and readers can judge Ivester and JuicyCampus for themselves.
The GW Patriot: Why did you create JuicyCampus? Did the idea come to you when you were in college, or was it after?
Matthew Ivester: Totally after [college]. I quit my job because I knew that I wanted to do something in technology. I grew up in Silicon Valley and I've always been very passionate about the internet and technology. I've always been very entrepreneurial. So I started thinking of websites that I could build. And I started brainstorming around the college space because I felt like I had a distinct advantage being only a couple years out of school over someone who's forty years old and might have more business experience. So I guess I was brainstorming college ideas and it occurred to me that my favorite stories were the stories from my college days, were the things we would reminisce about with my friends-whether it was stupid stuff we did while we were drunk, great parties we went to, or mean professors we had. And I realized that everyday on every college campus every group of friends has these same great stories. So why not create a place online to share those stories?
The GW Patriot: Why did you create JuicyCampus? Did the idea come to you when you were in college, or was it after?
Matthew Ivester: Totally after [college]. I quit my job because I knew that I wanted to do something in technology. I grew up in Silicon Valley and I've always been very passionate about the internet and technology. I've always been very entrepreneurial. So I started thinking of websites that I could build. And I started brainstorming around the college space because I felt like I had a distinct advantage being only a couple years out of school over someone who's forty years old and might have more business experience. So I guess I was brainstorming college ideas and it occurred to me that my favorite stories were the stories from my college days, were the things we would reminisce about with my friends-whether it was stupid stuff we did while we were drunk, great parties we went to, or mean professors we had. And I realized that everyday on every college campus every group of friends has these same great stories. So why not create a place online to share those stories?
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