[pengaru]

4chan didn't even exist yet when goatse emerged

[deathlight]

It seems plausible to me that the, ahem, "spread" of the image was greatly increased through the efforts of 4chan.

[themaninthedark]

** Kadmium changes topic to 'Our hearts are extended to the 18 victims of the recent internet fraud'

http://bash.org/?434593

[nomat]

Hey I'm on that website! IRC used to be so fun and weird back in the day. hanging out on slashnet took up most of my free time in junior high.

[Semaphor]

Back in School, goatse was extremely well known. That was several years before 4chan. I hadn’t even heard of goatse in a 4chan relation until now.

[eyelidlessness]

Maybe widespread but it was already pretty wide open before there was a gap for 4chan to even exist.

[incompatible]

I think it was popularized back in the days of Slashdot.

[tingletech]

it does not date to alt.tasteless on usenet? (edit: w/r/t goatse)

[disillusioned]

I was going to suggest Something Awful but you might win, though Wiki pegs it (heh) at 1999...