Groups>> FriendWise.com
1. Which sites/groups did you study? Give site names and links to websites, online forums, other web presences.
The two social networking sites that I studied are Style Network's LookBooks for fashion and style communities and FriendWise which is a social networking site used for sharing information about different topics of interest relevant to the site user and gaining 'virtual' friends whose likes and dislikes are similar to different users. Groups>> FriendWise.com
2. Who started them? How long have they been around? LookBook's style and fashion site launched shortly after the In Style magazine incorporated a consumers' guide for all things forwardly fashionable. Although there is no exact date to when the social networking web site started up, In Style approximates the start time as late 2006 until the present. FriendWise social networking site began in 2006 by Richard Stephenson.
3. How do they operate? Be specific. Is one person in charge of the group? Does one person make all the decisions about what goes on the networking website? Other? Style's LookBook operates by the user to take photographs/visual asethetics of fashion material and upload the images from any visual medium including cellular telephones, internet and magazines and the social community decides if they like it or not. If a specific shoe, piece of jewelry or entire outfit are favored by the user, the option available is to add it to their own personal shared lookbook of style favorites. The fashion accessory is rated in terms of dislike or like. After it is added to individual lookbooks, there are options to look for the accessory online at stores, find complementary pieces to complete the look, and comment on why the piece was added, what could be paired with the fashion item for accentuated materialistic value and conversation can develop between two or more users who like the piece also. All the content on the site must be relevant to fashion lovers and can only be about fashion and nothing else. For the FriendWise social networking site, the owner of the site, Richard Stephenson determines what and who are permitted to access the site. Because Richard Stephenson created and copyrighted the FriendWise site, he is the sole proprietor who is in charge of all of the different groups contained within the site. He also makes all the decisions about what groups are on the site, what literature and content are permissible on the site and what is able to be advertised and posted on the FriendWise social networking site.
4. What audiences do they reach? Both social networking sites reach internet users who are interested in the broad topic of fashion, shoes, accessories, jewelry, and clothing and apparel and accessing 'virtual' communities where users can interact to gain an understanding of topics that pique their interest or for those who are concerned with expanding the knowledge of individuals who are unfamiliar with what social networking entails. The LookBook site reaches audiences who are avid followers of the fashion world. This site accompanies those who are regular readers of Vogue, Elle, W, In Style and other contemporary fashion magazines who have a social networking web site where followers can interact virtually with one another on their favorite hobby of pursuing fashion. The FriendWise social networking web site reaches audiences who are looking for a different alternative to MySpace, Facebook and Tagworld. There are a wide range of diffrent communities or groups detailed within the web site accessible to anyone who has interest in that specifc field of study. Within each broad community like 'Cities & Neighborhoods" there are options to specify which city the user would like to access to see what the topics of discussion are within that community.
5. How many members do they have? The Style LookBook community web site has approximately 66,000 users currently. FriendWise has a lot of members for its site. FriendWise has 59 groups or communities and within those 59 groups there are sub-groups ranging from 3 to 15. I would approximate that there are 100,000 users or more to this site depending on the community to which the users belong to, if they are involved in any of the sub-groups, if they have made their own group, and if they are members of other groups or sub-groups because of 'virtual' friend who wanted them to join a group because of favoritism or similarities.
6. How do the organizers communicate with club members? How do members of the online community communicate with each other? Do they send paper newsletters and info. Email announcements to members? Post announcements/info online? Offer chat area? Other? The social networking organizers communicate with club members within the virtual community also. There are options for the community member to email or live chat with the organizer to receive their input of what they think constitutes a fashion hit or miss. Also, Lookbook organizers communicate with club members by suggesting the user invite the social networking organizer to other sites within the Style LookBook forum/discussion/community to develop a relationship constructed specifically around the fashion industry. FriendWise social networking site is similar to Facebook in the way that the organizer is accessible to the social community users through email, direct and live chat, and online instant messaging. The organizer is accessible to the social community as a whole through Richard Stephenson allowing users to email him directly through the FriendWise site and post his picture and autobiographical information online for intrapersonal use in forming a more reliable virtual social networking community.
7. What events do they organize? Be specific. Give examples. Hold face to face meetings, online discussions? Other? Style LookBooks' events are not held online. Many or all of their events are held in department stores sponsored by the different magazines involved with the social community networking site. LookBooks' is mainly used for assessing whether the user likes individual fashion pieces and whether or not the user can construct a look based on those individual pieces. On FriendWise, the events link will facilitate whether the proposed events are meetings, fundraisers, social events, dates. Within the information about the events, it specifies whether or not the event is accessible through FriendWise or if the user actually has to go to a different location other than the computer and internet access.
8. What publications/cyberpublications do they publish? Be specific. Give examples. Style's LookBook has in print publications of In Style magazine and have affiliations with other fashion magazines such as Elle, Vogue, W, Harpers's Bazaar, and Rive. There is no reported information of in print publications or cyberpublications associated with FriendWise social networking community web site.
9. What else did you learn about these communities? I learned that initally some social networking sites may not have identification with the user's interests or hobbies but there is always room for additions and improvement. Originally I did not want to use FriendWise to complete this assignment because although its disclaimers says it has no affiliations with MySpace, Facebook or Tagworld, I felt that the site ironically mirrored MySpace in the way that individual specific groups can be made, friend requests/ virtual e-vites can be send out to other users to gain interest in visiting that site or becoming a regular users of that site.
10. What would you like to know about your two social networking communities/sites that you couldn't find on their websites. In your answer give specific information that you want from the website so you could feel more comfortable when you go to the group site. What other information would you need to help you feel you belonged in this community? For Style's LookBook I would like to know if they would consider adding a haute couture home furnishings community where users could comment or engage in virtual conversation about Versace couches or Ralph Lauren house slippers? Users who are opinionated and do not mind saying that they purchase from cosignment shops and thrift stores to save money right now during this economic downturn. I like the FriendWise site. I do not think anything else should be added to the site because there is an overload of choices from the menu already. I would suggest the site streamline itself so that illiterate computer users can have a basic tutorial instructing them on how to use the FriendWise site.
11. Which NCC competencies did this assignment let you practice? This assignment let me practice the group interaction and communication New Century College competencies.
'RVHC' Graphic is used in permission fromThe Shoe Goddess