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{{Infobox
{{Infobox
|name = Rotten.com
|title = Rotten.com
|Picture = Rotten.png
|image = Rotten.png
|Maker = Soylent
|imagecaption = Snapshot of '''rotten.com''', before closing down.
|Type = Shock site
|maker = Thomas "Soylent" Dell
|Release date = 1997
|type = Shock site
|Quote = the snapshot of '''rotten.com''', before closing down.
|date = 1996
}}
}}
[[File:Libra.JPG|thumb|320px|The library page.]]
'''Rotten.com''' was a [[shock site]] that collected pictures of dead people, diseases, deformed bodies, violent acts, perverse sex acts, and other [[wikipedia:Curiosity#Morbid_curiosity|morbid curiosities]]. It stopped updating in 2012, and was eventually closed in 2018.<ref name=":0" /> It was one of the first shock sites to be created on the Internet. Pictures were largely submitted by the site's userbase, but staff would occasionally buy images or take images themselves.<ref name=":1" />
'''Rotten.com''' was a [[shock site]], which collects real pictures of dead people, disgusting diseases, deformed bodies, and more, After a long closure, the site has been closed, this is the first [[shock site]] ever created on the internet, most of the pictures are sent by many people, asked in the question


The website was first registered in 1996, and was first hosted by a person "Soylent", he made a program that can easily identify unregistered internet domain names, only consisting of one word on a dictionary entry, after searching, he found a word ''Rotten'' was one of the unclaimed words on the domain, so he later went on to register with ''Rotten.com'', this is where it starts off, Rotten.com has based itself as an online free speech, in a time, when censorship rules had begun to restrict internet access from many people.
==History==
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 receives a lot of popularity, resulting in a lot of huge spikes for a couple of months, due to the post of medical personnel recovering Princess Diana's body from a car accident<ref>web.archive.org/web/20050516235424/rotten.com/about/press.html - a picture of Princess Diana</ref>, after a while, the picture was revealed to be fake, The website was also one of the first websites to publish images of the September 11th jumpers from the Twin Towers, under the title 'Swan Dive'.
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" />.


They are also known for the images used from the infamous article of [[Encyclopedia Dramatica]] known as [[Offended]] and [[The Pain Series]], which is a montage of vulgar content including medical photographs, animal cruelty, gruesome and surrealistically abhorrent images, and pornographic artworks.
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>.
=='''Infamous Images from Rotten.com'''==
*PenisBird, a picture that features a Bird, the image depicts a Scarlet Macaw standing on a man's penis, there is an animation version of this image, where the bird is animated to make it look like he was ejaculating on man's penis.<ref>web.archive.org/web/20030407100400/smoke.rotten.com/bird/</ref>
*Helicopter.jpg, the picture depicts a man with his head completely open with his brains busted out. The name implies that the man died from the helicopter accident, although it doesn't seem to resemble someone's death of a helicopter, it was very likely to be a shotgun. The release date of this image remains uncertain, the image is also featured on Ebaumsworld and also one of the [[The Pain Series|Pain Series]] images.<ref>web.archive.org/web/20040113023130/poetry.rotten.com/helicopter/<br>cdn.ebaumsworld.com/mediaFiles/picture/366987/787508.jpg</ref>


=='''Frequently Asked Questions'''==
Soylent Communications also registered a site, named '''trenchcoat.org'''<ref>web.archive.org/web/20000901050221/trenchcoat.org</ref> because of the [[wikipedia:Columbine High School massacre|Columbine High School massacre]]. The site depicted as the official site for the Trenchcoat Mafia. At the bottom of the page, there was a link titled "who to sue" which linked to the website of the [[wikipedia:Burlington (department store)|Burlington Coat Factory]]. This would result in a legal threat from Burlington<ref>web.archive.org/web/20080219054935/rotten.com/legal/desist-trench.html</ref>.
*'' Motorcycle.jpg ''<ref>web.archive.org/web/20050110102438im/rotten.com/FAQ/motorcycle-th.jpg </ref> is a very gruesome picture that was particularly used on gore sites, including [[Encyclopedia Dramatica]], [[The Pain Series]] and more, the owner got received tons of email after this, for being the most disconcerting things people have ever seen, on his "Frequently Asked Questions" page<ref>web.archive.org/web/20050516235424/rotten.com/FAQ/ - Frequently Asked Questions page</ref>, the owner answers this question, and describes the whole content of the shocking image, the owner asks that it was more likely to be attempted shotgun suicide, the man surprisingly lived after finish recovering, the attorney wrote a message that the owner demanding to take the picture down, but it was unable to provide enough details for us to comply with his request.
==PenisBird==
 
PenisBird''',''' also known as the "The Incident With The Bird" is a shock image hosted on Rotten.com and [[Encyclopedia Dramatica]]. The image displays a close-up picture of a naked man standing in the middle of a concrete parking lot with a [[wikipedia:Scarlet_macaw|scarlet macaw]] perched on the man's erect penis. Links to the image and ASCII versions were spammed on the [[wikipedia:Slashdot|Slashdot]] messageboards<ref>hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=6240&cid=977380</ref>. There is an edited [[GIF]] version of PenisBird which shows the macaw masturbating the man's penis with semen discharging from it<ref>encyclopediadramatica.online/File:Jackoff110we.gif</ref>.  
They also have a merchandise site that includes T-Shirts, mugs, mousemats, stickers, magnets, as well as their strange Dvds, mentioned on the FAQ page.{{Cite}}
==Rotten Library==
==='''The Rotten Library'''===
The Rotten Library was created in 2003 as an encyclopedia to supplement the website. The Library contained hundreds of articles written in a humorous fashion under 17 different headings, including culture, art, medicine, crime, travel, and the occult.
The Rotten Library was created as an encyclopedia to supplement the website. The Library contained hundreds of articles under 17 different headings, including culture, art, medicine, crime, travel, and the occult. Articles contained detailed research, timelines, and occasionally included previously-unseen images of various well-known events.
==Celebrity Morgue==
 
The Celebrity Morgue was created on March 6th, 1999 dedicated to dead celebrities with pictures of them dead or dying with information about their death. The site stayed up until 2018.
The site also has a Library page, which is an encyclopedia that supplements the website, the website consists of hundreds of article, about culture, art, crime, and more, the website doesn't contain gruesome images.<ref>https://www.rottenlibrary.net/</ref>
==Sports Dignity==
 
The Sports Dignity was another site hosted by Soylent hosting shocking or offensive photos related to sports, such as athletes flipping off the camera or exposing their genitalia.
=='''Reference'''==
==Rotten Dead Pool==
<u>NOTE</u>: The following links contains extremely [[graphic content]]!
The Rotten Dead Pool was a game released in November 2003, where players would pick around ten people who would die in the next 12 months. If a player was correct with celebrity dead, a point would be given. However, a player would not be given a point if it was incorrect. The Number 1 player before the site shutdown is named MitchellStirling, who had a total score of 7<ref>web.archive.org/web/20180104140228/deadpool.rotten.com/winners/</ref>.
==References==
<references />
<references />
== Link ==
==Videos==
*'''Wikipedia''': https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten.com
<center><youtube width="320" height="180">ndE7vOqmKuY</youtube><youtube width="320" height="180">Yy2QJTo6LY8</youtube></center>
<u>NOTE</u>: The following [[shock site]] contains extremely graphic images!
==Links==
* web.archive.org/web/20040113023130/rotten.com/
<u>NOTE</u>: The following [[shock site]] contains extremely [[graphic content]]!
*web.archive.org/web/20040113023130/rotten.com
*'''PenisBird:''' web.archive.org/web/20000815234302/smoke.rotten.com/bird/
*'''Rotten Library''': web.archive.org/web/20170824154553/rotten.com/library/
===Further reading===
*'''Wikipedia article:''' en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten.com (This article contains content derived from this page, which is licensed under [https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ CC-BY-SA].)
{{RetroScreamers}}
[[Category:Shock sites]]
[[Category:Shock sites]]
[[Category:Pornography]]
[[Category:Pornography]]
[[Category:Graphic content]]
[[Category:Graphic content]]
[[Category:1996]]
[[Category:1990s]]
[[Category:Hosts]]
[[Category:Hosts]]
[[Category:Gore]]
[[Category:Gore]]
{{Comments}}
{{Comments}}
[[Category:Soylent]]

Latest revision as of 18:20, 3 April 2024

Content Warning!
The following work contains content and material that some may find shocking. Reader discretion is advised.

Closed Website
This article is about a website that no longer exists. Links to its archive on the Wayback Machine or a saved copy are provided.

Rotten.com was a shock site that collected pictures of dead people, diseases, deformed bodies, violent acts, perverse sex acts, and other morbid curiosities. It stopped updating in 2012, and was eventually closed in 2018.[1] It was one of the first shock sites to be created on the Internet. Pictures were largely submitted by the site's userbase, but staff would occasionally buy images or take images themselves.[2]

History

The website was first registered in 1996 by a developer named "Soylent".[3][4] 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.[2] Rotten.com postured itself as an online free speech platform, in a time where internet censorship laws and regulations had begun to restrict access to material online.[1]

The site received a lot of attention and coverage following an incident in which the site posted alleged images of medical personnel recovering Princess Diana's body from her fatal car accident. This picture was eventually revealed to be fake.[5] 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".[6] 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[2].

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[7]. 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[8].

Soylent Communications also registered a site, named trenchcoat.org[9] because of the Columbine High School massacre. The site depicted as the official site for the Trenchcoat Mafia. At the bottom of the page, there was a link titled "who to sue" which linked to the website of the Burlington Coat Factory. This would result in a legal threat from Burlington[10].

PenisBird

PenisBird, also known as the "The Incident With The Bird" is a shock image hosted on Rotten.com and Encyclopedia Dramatica. The image displays a close-up picture of a naked man standing in the middle of a concrete parking lot with a scarlet macaw perched on the man's erect penis. Links to the image and ASCII versions were spammed on the Slashdot messageboards[11]. There is an edited GIF version of PenisBird which shows the macaw masturbating the man's penis with semen discharging from it[12].

Rotten Library

The Rotten Library was created in 2003 as an encyclopedia to supplement the website. The Library contained hundreds of articles written in a humorous fashion under 17 different headings, including culture, art, medicine, crime, travel, and the occult.

Celebrity Morgue

The Celebrity Morgue was created on March 6th, 1999 dedicated to dead celebrities with pictures of them dead or dying with information about their death. The site stayed up until 2018.

Sports Dignity

The Sports Dignity was another site hosted by Soylent hosting shocking or offensive photos related to sports, such as athletes flipping off the camera or exposing their genitalia.

Rotten Dead Pool

The Rotten Dead Pool was a game released in November 2003, where players would pick around ten people who would die in the next 12 months. If a player was correct with celebrity dead, a point would be given. However, a player would not be given a point if it was incorrect. The Number 1 player before the site shutdown is named MitchellStirling, who had a total score of 7[13].

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 web.archive.org/web/20191005094145/https://kernelmag.dailydot.com/issue-sections/features-issue-sections/10700/rotten-history-shock-site/
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 web.archive.org/web/20050516235424/http://www.rotten.com/FAQ/ (NOTE: This link contains graphic images!)
  3. https://www.salon.com/2001/03/05/rotten_2/
  4. knowyourmeme.com/memes/sites/rottencom
  5. web.archive.org/web/20050516235424/rotten.com/about/press.html
  6. esquire.com/news-politics/a48031/the-falling-man-tom-junod/ (NOTE: This article contains graphic images!)
  7. web.archive.org/web/20080219061733/rotten.com/legal/desist-coke.html
  8. web.archive.org/web/20080215160253/rotten.com/legal/desist-pillsbury.html
  9. web.archive.org/web/20000901050221/trenchcoat.org
  10. web.archive.org/web/20080219054935/rotten.com/legal/desist-trench.html
  11. hardware.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=6240&cid=977380
  12. encyclopediadramatica.online/File:Jackoff110we.gif
  13. web.archive.org/web/20180104140228/deadpool.rotten.com/winners/

Videos

Links

NOTE: The following shock site contains extremely graphic content!

  • web.archive.org/web/20040113023130/rotten.com
  • PenisBird: web.archive.org/web/20000815234302/smoke.rotten.com/bird/
  • Rotten Library: web.archive.org/web/20170824154553/rotten.com/library/

Further reading

  • Wikipedia article: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rotten.com (This article contains content derived from this page, which is licensed under CC-BY-SA.)
Rotten.com is part of a series on  
The Exorcist - Original Theatrical TrailerFaroe Islands (WDC)Jumyou Ga ChijimaruMonkey on Their BacksBudd Dwyer’s SuicideRicardo López's SuicideDumb AnimalsThe ScavengersBurger King Kids Club Commercial - The SimpsonsBowlgirlPeperami - RunningOFEX The ChaseChechClearEnvironmental Investigation Agency - TigersBME Pain OlympicsTeletoon at Night Bumper

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