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The Idea

A week ago, on a whim, we launched ClaremontConfessions.com.  We adopted the idea for an anonymous confession board and a few hours later we launched this site.  It’s been fun.  It has also been mean and hurtful at times—we’re very sorry that we couldn't control that better.  As the site grew from dozens to thousands of visitors overnight, we lost control of what was meant to be a good project.

When we started Claremont Confessions, we envisioned something completely different than what it devolved into.  The goal was to make a site where Claremonters could vent, rant, and talk to their peers about things that might otherwise be considered taboo.

Our original philosophy was that if people were going to write anonymously on the internet, it would be better to do so in a controlled, semi-private environment than on an unmoderated, public site (as was already happening and gaining momentum at the time).  We also thought it would help to steer and moderate the discussion.

We can draw a parallel to alcohol rules at the 5Cs—many schools allow alcohol on campus in a closed, controlled environment to discourage binge drinking.  Although this may result in higher beer consumption than the alternative (students buying alcohol and binging behind closed doors), the system works pretty well.  In this case, the negative consequences outweigh the benefits.  Too many people were hurt by others under the veil of anonymity.

The Content

Some posts were funny.  The topics entitled “Jewish girl seeking hot kosher injection,” “confession: i make HELLA copies in Poppa,” “I've been flashing Scrippsies since 1926,” and “I take other people’s orders at Frary,” were clever and hilarious.

Some were honest and informational.  We liked “Are men at the 5Cs actually interested in relationships,” “None of my friends realize I come from a poor family,” and the one about the Queer Resource Center because they actually served the purpose of the site.

But a few posts ruined the site for everyone.  The racial epithets, homophobic remarks, and hateful quips resurfaced again and again.  Posts about the "biggest slut on campus" and dozens of comments attacking specific couples or individuals shocked us.  Are we really that immature?

The Future

Maybe we’ll reopen the site with different safeguards and policies in the near future.  Maybe not.

Maybe what we need is a higher level of discourse about relevant topics to the Claremont Consortium.  Maybe we could throw in an independent course evaluation site, a 5C Wikipedia-style reference, an advice column, and some other stuff.

Ideas?  Comments? E-mail admin@claremontacb.com or post below.

In the meantime, check out some other 5C sites: The Forum, TSL, Claremont Independent, Port Side, etc.