Three months after it was shut down by UCSD officials concerning the legality of the use of “”UCSD”” in its name, the student-created Web site formerly known as UCSDuncensored.com has returned with a new name as of Jan. 19. Designed by two UCSD students to enhance communication among UCSD community members, the site is officially relaunching at http://SDuncensored.com.
UCSDuncensored.com, co-founded by Earl Warren College senior Joe Mahavuthivanij and Thurgood Marshall College junior Boaz Gurdin, was launched during Welcome Week of fall quarter 2003. The site featured various forums that allowed students to post messages, comments and questions regarding UCSD.
“”UCSD needed an online community in which peers could connect with each other and express ideas,”” Mahavuthivanij said.
The site also features forums for each college and for individual student organizations.
“”I think having such a site is a superb idea,”” said Revelle College junior and Revell College Television chair Jan Melom. “”Not only can it provide student interaction, but it also can supply free, large-scale publicity for other student organizations.””
Shortly after the initial launch, the Student Policies and Judicial Affairs office requested that the site be terminated on grounds of a copyright violation of the California Education Code. According to section 9200 of the code, the name “”University of California”” cannot be used by any student organization or business without specific permission granted by the UC Board of Regents. The same rule also applies to the initials “”UC”” or “”UCSD.””
At the time of the shutdown, an estimated 150 users were registered with the site, which generated anywhere from 2,200 to 2,300 hits a day, according to its creators.
After prosecution by university personnel, Mahavuthivanij and Gurin began talking with the A.S. Council. By allying with the council, the architects of UCSDuncensored.com had hopes of coming to be regarded as an official university-sponsored organization.
“”UCSDuncensored.com worked with the A.S. Council for several months in hopes of fabricating a partnership contract that would include the outlining of responsibilities for each organization as well as dictated profit sharing from sales of advertisements,”” Mahavuthivanij said.
The site’s creators hoped the unification with Associated Students would assist in negotiations with the UC Regents to keep the controversial name, but no legal solution was reached by the targeted relaunch date of the first week of winter quarter. After multiple delays, Mahavuthivanij and Gurdin decided not to wait any longer and sought to independently put the site back online.
“”It was extremely difficult to get the approval to launch by the beginning of winter quarter, especially with all the bureaucracies,”” Gurin said. “”The more important issue was having space for a community online, rather than the name ‹ it was a tradeoff.””
Although the A.S. Council and SDuncensored.com are not currently operating under any contract, both parties are still in talks and are hopeful about future interactions.
“”Associated Students is currently looking for an independent committee to partner with,”” said Jeremy Cogan, A.S. commissioner of enterprise operations. “”We would love to have an official online community partnership, with something similar to Sixth College’s online forum.””
Cogan said he is currently circulating a proposal for approval of the project to A.S. Advisor Paul Dewine, Assistant Vice Chancellor of Student Life Carmen Vasquez, and Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Joseph W. Watson.
Mahavuthivanij said that the site creators still hope to fulfill their original goals of keeping the old name and spreading the word around campus of the site’s existence, which the A.S. Council could help do by advertising the site through student mailboxes, e-mail or on campus posters.
With the exception of the name change and a redesigned logo, all features of the site appear as they did before the shutdown; former posts, threads, and user information are all still intact. Three new forums entitled “”Guy Talk,”” “”Girl Talk,”” and “”Love”” have been added, and old forums included a textbook swap forum still exist.
Gurin and Mahavuthivanij plan to post flyers advertising the name change around Library Walk and Price Center during the beginning of Week 3.
