Jennicam - the Final Days
±
December 11, 2003 Pioneer to Pull Plug on JenniCam - JenniCam is
fading to black.
By Alex Pham, Times Staff Writer
Seven years after she set up a Web camera in her dorm room to let
thousands of Internet users watch her brush her teeth, do her homework
and sleep, Jennifer Ringley is shutting down the site that became one of
the first sensations of the online age.
Ringley, now 27 and living outside Sacramento, posted the news on
http://www.jennicam.org , saying the site would go dark Dec. 31. She did
not give a reason, and attempts to reach her by phone and e-mail
Wednesday were unsuccessful.
But PayPal, a company that processed donations to her site, offered a
clue. In Ringley's quest to show every aspect of her daily life, she
frequently revealed too much for PayPal.
"There was some frontal nudity on the site that violates our policy,"
said Amanda Tires, a spokeswoman for PayPal, a Mountain View, Calif.,
subsidiary of online auction house EBay Inc. So PayPal canceled
Ringley's account. "Pretty straightforward," Tires said.
JenniCam had subscribers who paid $15 a month to get snapshots every
minute from live cameras. Ringley had insisted that the fees covered
only her expenses and that she made no money on the site, which she once
described as a "human zoo." (Visitors can get a free snapshot every 15
minutes.)
Exhibitionist art has been around for years, but Ringley was one of the
first to exploit the Internet's potential to turn the masses into
voyeurs. Those who logged on to her site were treated to the quotidian
(Jenni making her bed) and the salacious (Jenni romping in that bed with
her friend's fiance).
"JenniCam is one of the great examples of Web art," said sociologist
Julian Dibbell, who writes about Internet culture and is author of "My
Tiny Life." "Her exercise may not have been so high-minded, but it was
certainly more gripping and smarter than anything that came out of art
or television. It's certainly more honest and committed."
Vanity cams, Dibbell said, follow a history of exhibitionism and
performance art. For instance, Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon, in a 1964
performance called "Cut Piece" invited members of the audience to snip
off pieces of her clothing using scissors provided by the theater.
Whether JenniCam is art is up for debate.
"Certainly there's an entire porn industry that's popped up from that,
not to mention reality TV shows," said technology analyst Rob Enderle.
Whereas some regard Ringley's project as an innovative form of
expression and a precursor to reality television, others see the site as
light porn or just plain silly.
"As a young man, you went there thinking she's exploring all these
boundaries and potentials," said Justin Hall, who started one of the
first Web diaries in 1994. "But in the back of your head you're
thinking, 'Gee, I hope she shows her [breasts].' It was the pornography
of potential. It was a tease."
http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/28/34430.html
Reg seeks poetic JenniCam memorial
By Lester Haines
Posted: 10/12/2003 at 10:16 GMT
Darkness will fall on legendary webcam site JenniCam at the end of 2003
after seven years of chronicling the everyday life of Jennifer Rigley.
(...)
Oh dear. JenniCam is hardly web porn, it must be said. Here's how
Jenni's herself puts it: "I keep JenniCam alive not because I want or
need to be watched, but because I simply don't mind being watched. What
you'll see is my life, exactly as it would be whether or not there were
cameras watching. From minute to minute, it can be tough to see what
it's about. The site has existed now for about seven years. As a
chronicle, a long-term experiment, the concept becomes clearer."
Whether or not you believe that JenniCam has any real merit as a
"long-term experiment", it's certainly attracted a few fans over the
years. Type "jennicam" into Google and you'll see for yourself. We were
particularly tickled by Howard A. Landman's The Sonnets to JenniCam,
which include this eulogy to the site's birth:
A grin arose. Oh pure superabundance!
Oh Jenni smiles! Oh wide grin in the eye!
And all grew still. But in this very silence
a new beginning, sign and change was nigh.
Which is where you come in. Just write us a haiku or limerick lamenting
Jennicam's passing, and the best entry will win one of our truly
sensational new My job went to India and all I got was this lousy T
shirt" range, the must-have Xmas designer kit for former UK callcentre
operatives.
Send your entries to me, with "jennicam" as the subject. The deadline
for entries is midnight on Sunday 14 December, and the winner will be
announced on Monday with the usual fanfare of trumpets. To get the
creative juices flowing, here's a quick limerick we knocked up in an
office power coffee break:
There was a young lady called Jenny
Who displayed all her charms which were many
But PayPal declined
To show her behind
And she ended up without a penny
--
http://www.geocities.com/snuhsite
From: en_mog <en_...@hotmail.com>
Newsgroups: alt.tv.simpsons
Subject: Goodbye :-)
Date: Sat, 29 Apr 2000 08:05:45 -0500
If I have any integrity at all, I must leave. I welcome others to do so
as well if they refuse to be led by a group of unthinking drones that
are stuck in such a mindnumbingly
predictable pattern of
snuh/attack/snuh/attack/penises/attack/snuh/rectum/attack/.
snuh(thing) by Mr. Neutron Tue Dec 5 2000 at 02:42 utc
Snuh is meow, sans talent, humor, wisdom and moderation. A dickhead
named Dean Humphries pursued this bad joke until just about everyone on
Usenet hated him. Made an especially bad enemy out of the Queen of Cans
and Jars. Snuh is now considered the lowest form of Usenet Performance
Art.
-
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0# #0
0# #0
0# #0
0# #0
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0000000000000000000 Harvey Ball, 1922-2001 RIP :( 00000000000000
Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber
wrote:
>http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-jenni11dec11,1,3983876.story?coll=la-headlines-technology
>
>December 11, 2003 Pioneer to Pull Plug on JenniCam - JenniCam is
>fading to black.
>
>By Alex Pham, Times Staff Writer
>
>
<snip>
>JenniCam had subscribers who paid $15 a month to get snapshots every
>minute from live cameras. Ringley had insisted that the fees covered
>only her expenses and that she made no money on the site, which she once
>described as a "human zoo." (Visitors can get a free snapshot every 15
>minutes.)
"...covered only her expenses"? Um, like groceries, rent, car
payments, a trip to Holland, and stuff like that?
>"JenniCam is one of the great examples of Web art," said sociologist
>Julian Dibbell, who writes about Internet culture and is author of "My
>Tiny Life." "Her exercise may not have been so high-minded, but it was
>certainly more gripping and smarter than anything that came out of art
>or television. It's certainly more honest and committed."
>
>Vanity cams, Dibbell said, follow a history of exhibitionism and
>performance art. For instance, Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon, in a 1964
>performance called "Cut Piece" invited members of the audience to snip
>off pieces of her clothing using scissors provided by the theater.
Yep, Jennicam is right up there with Picasso's Guernica and van Gogh's
"Night Cafe". "Sociologist" Dibbell (who, according to his website,
has a degree in English literature and is a contributing editor at
"Wired") may be the last in a line of journalists who've been suckered
by Jenni.
Say, Dibbell, ever take a course in art history? And is it *really*
true that back in the day, Jenni hand coded her site 8 hours a day,
seven days a week?
Jennicam is to art as McG is to fine cinema.
>
>Whether JenniCam is art is up for debate.
>
>"Certainly there's an entire porn industry that's popped up from that,
>not to mention reality TV shows," said technology analyst Rob Enderle.
Bzzzt! Didn't MTV's "The Real World", long acknowledged as the
beginning of the reality TV craze, pre-date Jennicam? OTOH, Jenni's
shows from the dorm-room era predate porn cams. Not that that's like
Braque and Picasso inventing cubism, or James Joyce pioneering the use
of stream of consciousness in literature, mind you...
>
>Whereas some regard Ringley's project as an innovative form of
>expression and a precursor to reality television, others see the site as
>light porn or just plain silly.
>
>"As a young man, you went there thinking she's exploring all these
>boundaries and potentials," said Justin Hall, who started one of the
>first Web diaries in 1994. "But in the back of your head you're
>thinking, 'Gee, I hope she shows her [breasts].' It was the pornography
>of potential. It was a tease."
This was true for many viewers, but there's more. You'd think that
somebody who wanted to document their life publicly wouldn't go the
slacker/fame seeker route. Think of diarists from the past, like Sam
Pepys or In the end, Jennicam was a vanity project. Nothing more.
±
>
> On Thu, 11 Dec 2003 01:09:56 -0800, ą <h0plib...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >http://www.latimes.com/technology/la-fi-jenni11dec11,1,3983876.story?coll=la-headlines-technology
> >
> >December 11, 2003 Pioneer to Pull Plug on JenniCam - JenniCam is
> >fading to black.
> >
> >By Alex Pham, Times Staff Writer
> >
> >
>
> <snip>
>
> >JenniCam had subscribers who paid $15 a month to get snapshots every
> >minute from live cameras. Ringley had insisted that the fees covered
> >only her expenses and that she made no money on the site, which she once
> >described as a "human zoo." (Visitors can get a free snapshot every 15
> >minutes.)
>
> "...covered only her expenses"? Um, like groceries, rent, car
> payments, a trip to Holland, and stuff like that?
A girl needs to have some fun in life - all of that aided her oeuvre.
> >"JenniCam is one of the great examples of Web art," said sociologist
> >Julian Dibbell, who writes about Internet culture and is author of "My
> >Tiny Life." "Her exercise may not have been so high-minded, but it was
> >certainly more gripping and smarter than anything that came out of art
> >or television. It's certainly more honest and committed."
> >
> >Vanity cams, Dibbell said, follow a history of exhibitionism and
> >performance art. For instance, Yoko Ono, widow of John Lennon, in a 1964
> >performance called "Cut Piece" invited members of the audience to snip
> >off pieces of her clothing using scissors provided by the theater.
>
> Yep, Jennicam is right up there with Picasso's Guernica and van Gogh's
> "Night Cafe". "Sociologist" Dibbell (who, according to his website,
> has a degree in English literature and is a contributing editor at
> "Wired") may be the last in a line of journalists who've been suckered
> by Jenni.
>
> Say, Dibbell, ever take a course in art history? And is it *really*
> true that back in the day, Jenni hand coded her site 8 hours a day,
> seven days a week?
Put a frame around anything and it's art.
> Jennicam is to art as McG is to fine cinema.
She scored a few walk-on parts on the tube via her Net fame.
> >Whether JenniCam is art is up for debate.
> >
> >"Certainly there's an entire porn industry that's popped up from that,
> >not to mention reality TV shows," said technology analyst Rob Enderle.
>
> Bzzzt! Didn't MTV's "The Real World", long acknowledged as the
> beginning of the reality TV craze, pre-date Jennicam? OTOH, Jenni's
> shows from the dorm-room era predate porn cams. Not that that's like
> Braque and Picasso inventing cubism, or James Joyce pioneering the use
> of stream of consciousness in literature, mind you...
There was art there, just not much of it.
> >Whereas some regard Ringley's project as an innovative form of
> >expression and a precursor to reality television, others see the site as
> >light porn or just plain silly.
> >
> >"As a young man, you went there thinking she's exploring all these
> >boundaries and potentials," said Justin Hall, who started one of the
> >first Web diaries in 1994. "But in the back of your head you're
> >thinking, 'Gee, I hope she shows her [breasts].' It was the pornography
> >of potential. It was a tease."
>
> This was true for many viewers, but there's more. You'd think that
> somebody who wanted to document their life publicly wouldn't go the
> slacker/fame seeker route. Think of diarists from the past, like Sam
> Pepys or In the end, Jennicam was a vanity project. Nothing more.
I give her props - she was the first and is forever part of the Net's
history.
Jennicam was born during a time when everyone with a modem was just one
idea away from Internet millions.
Steve Leyland
respect is highly due to jennicam for that.
almost everyone online has heard of her site, and many have since
plagiarised it.
--
Steve Leyland
mhm32x16 Smeeter#24 WSD#41
flower: three 6 four 9 five 8 eight 9
Alcatroll Labs Inc (bongwater maintenance dept)
http://www.insurgent.org/~alcatroll/
=^MEOW MEOW ARMY^=
You pray nightly to the god of big tires.
http://www.freetommychong.org/
In a free society, a man should be free to do as he chooses so long as
he harms no-one. It is our firm belief that Mr. Chong has harmed
no-one, and is being unfairly targeted for prosecution because of his
celebrity status. In short, "this sucks", and we won't stand for it.
Join our movement to stop this travesty of justice! If you won't stand
up for Tommy Chong, who will stand up for you when YOU'RE being
unfairly imprisoned??
=====================================================================
"Warning to all: Steve Leyland is a trolling twat of the highest order.
Killfile the muppet now and move on. Even the briefest of searches on
his past UseNet posts will reveal the truth. You have been warned.
*plonk*"
Bastard Bear, uk.rec.motorcycles
======================================================================
"This sig is an abomination of all that is good and right about usenet.
Do the entire world a favor and REMOVE YOURSELF FROM USENET ALTOGETHER,
DUMBASS."
miguel, soc.singles
======================================================================
"I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen;
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.
And the gates of this Chapel were shut
And "Thou shalt not," writ over the door;
So I turned to the Garden of Love
That so many sweet flowers bore.
And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tombstones where flowers should be;
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys and desires."
William Blake.
======================================================================
"Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another
inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned; until
there is no longer any first-class and second-class citizens of any
nation; until the color of a man's skin is of no more significance than
the color of his eyes; until the basic human rights are equally
guaranteed to all, without regard to race -- until that day, the dreams
of lasting peace and world citizenship and the rule of international
morality will remain but a fleeting illusion, to be pursued but never
attained."
Haile Sellassie.
======================================================================
"First they came for the Communists, and I didn't speak up, because I
wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't
speak up, because I was a Protestant. Then they came for me, and by
that time there was no one left to speak up for me."
Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
======================================================================
"When the Earth has been ravaged and the animals are dying, a tribe of
people from all races, creeds and colours shall put their faith in
deeds, not words, and make the land green again. They shall be known as
Warriors of the Rainbow, protectors of the environment."
Native American prophecy
|\ _.-'~~""'~`'~)
/, ~-,__,,,.'~ ,-;;--''
|,4) ./ ' ; ;/'
'-~~;'@ ( ; ;
_.--'' _.-_..' .;.'
(,_..----''' (,..--''
Meow
±
She was the *first*, surely someone else would've eventually had the
idea for a pay camgirl site.
It's fair to say the majority of her subscribers were looking for T&A,
not art - she was done-in by bored teenage girls with Amazon Wishlists.
Steve Leyland
I only ever looked once when I found a hacked password somewhere, but what I
saw certainly wasn't pr0n.
I guess saddo guys with fat credit-card balances just want so much more
these days.
:
:
:
::
:: --
=^MEOW MEOW ARMY^=
Don't Panic. The Earth is just being demolished for a hyperspace bypass.
yack
ą <h0plib...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> I give her props - she was the first and is forever part of the Net's
> history.
>
she wasn't the first
Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber
I know the coffee pot was first, but wasn't there a girl with a webcam
(maybe Jamey Dee?) that predated Jenni?
±
Update us.
diana lyster
other camgirls have as much or more racy content on their sites.
ą <h0plib...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<3FD83464...@hotmail.com>...
Poopyhead©
wrote:
>if it really is paypal, then why are they picking on jennicam? lots of
>other camgirls have as much or more racy content on their sites.
>
It's coming. Now that PayPal is owned by Ebay I think you'll see a
lot more of this.
±
>
> if it really is paypal, then why are they picking on jennicam? lots of
> other camgirls have as much or more racy content on their sites.
I would imagine it's rather obvious she reported herself.
It was her parachute.
--
http://www.geocities.com/snuhsite
From: Starshine Moonbeam <silve...@tacoshells.com>
Newsgroups: alt.flame, alt.alien.vampire.flonk.flonk.flonk,
alt.usenet.kooks, alt.hackers.malicious, alt.drinks.beer
Subject: Re: PING Cocksmoker Phoenix Re: Nomination for November kook of
the month Re: New Poetry was Re: Gauntlet Thrown Down to Dean
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 07:15:40 -0600
Message-ID: <MPG.1a44b7e94...@news.alt.net>
The dogpile/pedolames were gonna work on Dowap. It's his weak spot and
you all keyed in on it. It was only a matter of time before he cracked.
-
0000# ##FUCK### ###YOU#### #0000
Bellig
easily open a merchant account and accept credit card payments or she can
even go to other PayPal-like sites and get their services.
I think the main reason for her closure is that the income is not sufficient
to close the expenses of keeping this site up as well as she needs her
privacy now and probably needs to get married and make a family.
Ever think of that??
"ą" <h0plib...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:3FD83464...@hotmail.com...
>
±
>
> PayPal closing her account is not the reason for the closure. She can
> easily open a merchant account and accept credit card payments or she can
> even go to other PayPal-like sites and get their services.
Ya think?
> I think the main reason for her closure is that the income is not sufficient
> to close the expenses of keeping this site up as well as she needs her
> privacy now and probably needs to get married and make a family.
>
> Ever think of that??
Yeah:
http://www.google.com/groups?selm=3FE99F8D.B0F29C09%40hotmail.com&oe=UTF-8&output=gplain
--
http://www.geocities.com/snuhsite
Shitfreak Jimmy Butterfield gets a running jump on next year's alt.flame
awards:
From: Starshine Moonbeam <silve...@tacoshells.com>
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 22:53:09 -0600
Message-ID: <MPG.1a371c9e4...@news.alt.net>
You wanna count shit? I'll give you shit to count.
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 18:38:59 -0600
Message-ID: <MPG.1a3a47021...@news.alt.net>
I'm anti-social. I don't like very many people at all.
Because I hate myself and want to die, one twinkie at a time.
Hey, guess what? I am sociopathic. I don't really give a whole big shit
about societal conventions. But I've said this before. I've said I was
crazy.
Date: Fri, 5 Dec 2003 18:39:29 -0600
Message-ID: <MPG.1a3a58625...@news.alt.net>
But I don't have a problem. I'm cool with the voices in my head.
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 22:53:40 -0600
Message-ID: <MPG.1a3725637...@news.alt.net>
Hasn't hurt me yet. You might want to get a few voices of your own.
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2003 22:52:24 -0600
Message-ID: <MPG.1a370609e...@news.alt.net>
I think flaming is war. Usenet's just the arena.
I'm the one with the bodies behind me.
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2003 07:15:40 -0600
Message-ID: <MPG.1a44b7e94...@news.alt.net>
The dogpile/pedolames were gonna work on Dowap. It's his weak spot and
you all keyed in on it. It was only a matter of time before he cracked.
-
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0000000## ##### ###### ##0000000
000000# ####### ######## #000000
00000# ######### ########## #00000
0000# ##FUCK### ###YOU#### #0000
Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber
wrote:
>Bellig wrote:
>>
>> PayPal closing her account is not the reason for the closure. She can
>> easily open a merchant account and accept credit card payments or she can
>> even go to other PayPal-like sites and get their services.
>
>Ya think?
>
>> I think the main reason for her closure is that the income is not sufficient
>> to close the expenses of keeping this site up as well as she needs her
>> privacy now and probably needs to get married and make a family.
>>
>> Ever think of that??
>
>Yeah:
>
>http://www.google.com/groups?selm=3FE99F8D.B0F29C09%40hotmail.com&oe=UTF-8&output=gplain
>
It could be that this was "Jenni's parachute". I'm not sure she's
enough of a strategic and tactical thinker to rat herself out to end
the cam, though. This is, after all, the girl who brought
"Wheeeeee!" and "Energy UP!" to the world...
Besides, it sort of begs the question: why didn't Jenni just say,
"look, it's time to move on, I'm ending the cam, so long and thanks
for all the fish."? There wasn't much of a fan base, and she's at
best a nanocelebrity (as opposed to being a niche celebrity, as she
was in the salad days). Other camgirls have pretty much come right
out and just said, "it's time to do other things".
I'm surprised the cam's demise got even a minor mention in the
mainstream press.
PlainBill
ToY,
Congratulations!!! You have finally admitted the truth - Jennicam
did not die until Jenni shut it down. Now go get a real life, you
laughable buffoon.
PlainBill
Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber
wrote:
PoorBill,
My condolences on the death of the cam. Must be hard, spin-doctoring
for a dead entity.
But take heart.... I hear Britney Spears is back on the market.
±
>
> On Thu, 01 Jan 2004 19:48:15 -0800, ą <h0plib...@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >Bellig wrote:
> >>
> >> PayPal closing her account is not the reason for the closure. She can
> >> easily open a merchant account and accept credit card payments or she can
> >> even go to other PayPal-like sites and get their services.
> >
> >Ya think?
> >
> >> I think the main reason for her closure is that the income is not sufficient
> >> to close the expenses of keeping this site up as well as she needs her
> >> privacy now and probably needs to get married and make a family.
> >>
> >> Ever think of that??
> >
> >Yeah:
> >
> >http://www.google.com/groups?selm=3FE99F8D.B0F29C09%40hotmail.com&oe=UTF-8&output=gplain
> >
> It could be that this was "Jenni's parachute". I'm not sure she's
> enough of a strategic and tactical thinker to rat herself out to end
> the cam, though. This is, after all, the girl who brought
> "Wheeeeee!" and "Energy UP!" to the world...
It makes sense - she can claim she was run out instead of having to
admit it wasn't making enough dough anymore.
> Besides, it sort of begs the question: why didn't Jenni just say,
> "look, it's time to move on, I'm ending the cam, so long and thanks
> for all the fish."?
But that wouldn't be her style, would it?
> There wasn't much of a fan base, and she's at
> best a nanocelebrity (as opposed to being a niche celebrity, as she
> was in the salad days). Other camgirls have pretty much come right
> out and just said, "it's time to do other things".
She's *Famous*, though!
> I'm surprised the cam's demise got even a minor mention in the
> mainstream press.
It got some play.
--
http://www.geocities.com/snuhsite