Plastic was launched in January 2001 by Automatic Media,[1] a conglomerate that included the pioneering webzines Feed and Suck.com.
[2] In keeping with Automatic's model of small, low-cost websites, Plastic launched with a staff of only four, amongst them Suck co-founder Joey Anuff as editor-in-chief.
[3] When Automatic Media folded in June of that year, several of the editors stayed on, working for free.
On November 2, 2001, the site was sold for $30,000 to Suck co-founder Carl Steadman,[4] who became its sole owner.
The site used a modified version of Slash, the content management system developed and distributed by Slashdot, and it was almost entirely member-driven.
The site's topics included "etcetera", "filmtv", "media", "music", "politics", "scitech", and "work".
Registered Plastic members also had the option to post anonymously, which allowed them to make controversial or offensive comments without fear of losing karma.
The moderation system did not encourage these practices, and the top karma bands typically included several self-described conservative members.
No designated place existed on the site for discussion of these links, but users frequently responded directly to the poster of the QL through private messages.