Goatse, originally hosted on the domain goatse.cx, is perhaps the most notorious shock site image in the history of the internet. Emerging in the late 1990s and gaining massive notoriety in the early 2000s, the image became a staple of 'bait-and-switch' pranks where users would be tricked into clicking a link that led to the graphic visual. While the original site was shut down in 2004, the image remains a foundational piece of internet culture, symbolizing the lawless 'Wild West' era of the web. It has since been referenced in countless pop culture outlets and remains a gold standard for internet-based visual pranks and digital hazing rituals, often used to test the resilience of new forum users.