Reflection Blog #3 Assignment

Into the virtual world of information pools, where user-generated content thrives amid strong social group identification (Flanagin et al., 2013), My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic fans are like partygoers. Many dive right into the vast tangle of networks afforded to the fan base, commenting or interacting with others on sites such as Equestria Daily or Bronibooru.

Most of these fans, and many more, also contribute anything from fan art to music—using numerous social media platforms from Tumblr to Twitter to spread the word about their creations. YouTube, alone, is overflowing with original (and often of professional-quality) animations, some of which now fall under the categorical heading of “PMVs.” If you want to see a good example of this, try watching the PMV “Children of the Night”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW5n3k2VgZE

Others are largely lurkers, venturing into these hospitable communities in the purest spirit of what Reijo Savolainen termed “everyday life information seeking” (2009). They enjoy the creative wealth afforded by fellow fans, and delight in relaxing with or admiring the artistic projects related to MLP: FIM as a whole—but they may not choose to contribute more than the occasional comment, or they might shoot other people links to resources they have enjoyed.

With this said, I have found creative individuals sit at the very core of the MLP: FIM fan base. And this drive towards user-generated content, combined with easy access to social media platforms, make it a formidable information community that actually extends far beyond Equestria Daily to a huge group of sites dedicated to the show—and which often make reference to one another or work in close conjunction.

To get another perspective on the MLP: FIM (and for this particular blog post), I chose to interview someone dear to my heart*, who first introduced me to the show and was nice enough to answer my emailed questions in his usual thoughtful way.  

Here is how our interview went:

Me: If I remember correctly, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic premiered on the Hub Network back around 2011. How did you first find out about the show, and do you happen to know how soon after it aired that fan sites like Equestria Daily or Bronibooru appeared?

Anon: I found out about the show in this way: I was browsing the Something Awful forums in the very early morning (insomnia), looking for something to read, when I found a strange thread in the TV subforum. It was called something like "My Little Pony - No, Seriously" or possibly "My Little Pony - Why is this Good?!?!" It was something along those lines, anyway. I would go and check the Something Awful archives to see the actual name, but they changed it to (I think) "My Little Pony: Rainbow Dash has been a bitch for the last three episodes."

Equestria Daily was probably around within the first five or six episodes of the first season, but I could be wrong. I'm going to ballpark it at January or February 2011.

Bronibooru is a little later, I think around March 2011 judging by what I can find on the site itself. See, there's something called Ponibooru that actually came first, and Bronibooru is a kind of reaction to it. The people who made Bronibooru wanted a version of Ponibooru that had better moderation and a rule about keeping things PG-13. As for Ponibooru, I don't know much about it. I avoid it because, well, it sort of weirds me out.

 

Me:  When or where did you first hear the term “Brony” connected to the show? Was it through an on-line community?

Anon: February or March 2011, and yeah, an online community -- either Something Awful or the new board that came out of it, the one I still go to, "MLPonies.com."

Me: Do you think the ability to interact in on-line communities is one major reason the MLP: FIM fan base got so huge, aside from Lauren Faust’s deft handling of the fourth incarnation’s storyline and characters? Do you think it would have been as popular, or reached as many people, if it hadn’t?

Anon: For your first question, naturally, and for your second question, naturally not.

 

Me: What do you think distinguishes the MLP: FIM fan base from those of other fandoms?

Anon: Honestly? Nothing, or nothing truly unique. IPs for girl's things have gotten popular among men before. The internet has taken things and then run away with them before. Even the massive amount of professional-quality fanworks (remixes, stories, original music, paintings, drawings, sculpture, etc) is also in other fandoms, like Sonic the Hedgehog.

Well, there might be the social activism elements. MLP:FiM was conceived and designed by a feminist who wanted to convey a couple of ideas, the biggest ones being that little girls are worth making a TV show for (most people in the cartoon industry seem to disagree with her on that on the grounds that "little girls don't buy toys"), and that there are many perfectly valid ways to be a girl (brash and brassy, girly-girl, intellectual, hyper and cheerful, artist, athlete...). Combined with the culture of tolerance that has developed among bronies, you get a group of people who have strong opinions on the marginalization of gender and sexual minorities along with, from what I can tell, mentally ill people.

 

Me: What do you like the most about being part of the MLP: FIM community, especially when it comes to accessing materials or interacting with people on-line? Do you think you would have been comfortable, at least at first, with discussing your involvement in MLP: FIM on sites beyond those devoted to that fan group?

Anon: The massive amount of fanworks. I don't know why, but this community seems to attract creative people, many of them professionals.

It's not something I bring up in general, online or offline, except around people I already know are interested in the show. I've never gotten into an argument with anyone about whether it's kosher for an adult male to watch a cartoon for girls, and I like it that way; it'd ultimately end up being an argument over competing value systems and that never goes anywhere.

 

Me: On that note, what do you think are the biggest challenges for men or women in the fan base? Do you believe the ability to interact on-line makes it easier for people to get involved without the fear of being judged for their interests (for whatever reason)?

Anon: The biggest challenge among My Little Pony fans? Well, considering their/our typical age range, probably the increasing gap between how much money a person in their 20's can reasonably be expected to make per year on the one hand, and rising college tuitions on the other. If you mean "as it relates to being an MLP fan," I guess the obvious answer is reconciling the enjoyment of a show for little girls with the fact that a brony is by definition not a little girl.

Me: Have you ever discussed or met up with groups interested in MLP: FIM off-line, or participated in similar activities regarding the show?

Anon: Nope, at least not people I met online, since they're all too far away. My own community is mostly on the East Coast or in other countries, and the closest (that I'd want to go out of my way to hang out with) is in Texas.

Me: What type of content do you tend to search for related to MLP: FIM, and how do you go about it?

Anon: Stories and art. For stories I go to FiMFiction.com or my forum, and for art I go to Bronibooru or my forum. I'm not sure how much detail to go into here, but for stories on FiMFiction I usually tell it to filter for non-mature content only, then ask it to go in order of how many favorites it's gotten versus total views, then look for story descriptions that don't have typos and sound interesting. As for art, I usualy just go to Bronibooru and browse straight through what's come out most recently.

Me: Is there anything you would like to find more of in the MLP: FIM on-line community (such as information on the show, particular types of fan creations, etc.), or anything you feel many of the current fan sites lack? Is there anything that frustrates you about the fan base, or the content for certain websites dedicated to the MLP: FIM?

Anon: Better editing in stories; also FiMFiction, the most well-organized MLP fanfic site I know of, isn't all that well-organized. Frustrates me about the fanbase? Well, I'm not sure what all this shipping is for, but I guess that's not a frustration so much as a minor annoyance. Content for websites dedicated to MLP:FiM? Yeah, the "mature" stuff on FiMFiction sounds disturbing from what I've heard about it. I suppose they're not hurting anybody and I do appreciate that I can filter all that out with a toggle that's always on by default, but uh... wow.

Oh, and the stories written in second-person present.

 

Me: Is there anything else you would like to share concerning on-line communities for MLP: FIM, or advice for people interested in getting involved in it?

Anon:  As to the first, nothing comes to mind. For the second... don't let advertising demographics curate what you enjoy. Why should Coca-Cola and the Axe Body Spray marketing department get the casting vote on what you do with your spare time? As for violating gender roles and intended age groups, so what? Cultural norms change every decade. And as any children's literature class can demonstrate, worthwhile children's fiction is exactly as complex and engaging as the audience makes it.

*My interviewee asked to remain anonymous, so I have replaced any instances of his name in the original posting with "Anon."

--

What helped during this interview was the fact that I also consider myself a part of the MLP: FIM fan base, so it was possible to ask questions that reflected other issues that affected the information community as a whole—such as breaking societal norms—aside from how members gather or use its available resources.

That is a fact I plan to continue studying in terms of the MLP: FIM information community, using Equestria Daily as one of the main hubs for that information (amid a wide variety of similar sites). And I plan to keep enjoying this information pool as long as possible.

 

 

References

- Duo Cartoonist. 2014, 9, 26. Children of the Night [Video File]. Retrieved from             

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jW5n3k2VgZE.

 

- Flanagin, A. J., Hocevar, K., & Samahito, S. (2014). Connecting with the

  user-generated web: How group identification impacts online information     

  sharing and evaluation. Information, Communication & Society, 17(6), 683-

  694. Retrieved from

  http://www.comm.ucsb.edu/faculty/flanagin/CV/Flanaginetal2013(ICS).pdf.    

 

-Anonymous (personal communication, September 25, 2014).

- Savolainen, R. (2009) Everyday Life Information Seeking. Encyclopedia of Library and

  Information Sciences, Third Edition. 1780. Retrieved from

  http://libaccess.sjibrary.org/login?url=http://www.tanfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1081/E-

  ELIS3-120043920#.U2FyPVfcfro.

Dear Friends in LIBR 200,

Hi. I am writing this blog post to you because today I learned an important lesson about making decisions. For LIBR 200, Professor Greenblatt asked for each one of us to find an exemplary information community to research for valuable experience (while preparing for our final class paper).

The very first possibility to occur to me was Equestria Daily, since this was a site to which I'd been dedicated (as a respectful lurker) over several months. Although I've also been an ardent fan of the show ever since the four incarnation aired (introduced to me by none other than my witty boyfriend). It was a place where creativity reigned, alongside an active breakdown of gender and various other stereotypes.

So I picked that and announced my decision to do it.

At the same time, because creative writing is also my passion, the prospect of National Novel Writing Month was also tempting. That contest helped me to explore my love for that craft in a new way, and the Office of Lights and Letters has done a great deal to promote literacy programs for people of all ages and backgrounds.

The choice was so hard, and in true "heat of the moment" style (this was quite a literal thing as well, since it's so muggy where I live right now), I decided to change my information community to National Novel Writing Month.

Wisely, Professor Greenblatt expressed some concern over whether there were enough scholary or peer-reviewed articles to use concerning NaNoWriMo, alongside making sure there were members of that information community who I could interview.

The latter would have been fine, since there were various writers on the site with whom I could interact if needed. 

But the former proved far more difficult to manage, especially when I began searching through the articles on Google Scholar and elsewhere. I even got into an on-line chat session with a librarian at the King Library to look through the various databases available for possible articles, like JSTOR and Project Muse.
Note: For your reference, here is the webpage of SJSU databases in question: http://library.calstate.edu/sanjose/databases

Unfortunately, I had no luck finding specific articles for NaNoWriMo (most of the ones I did find were more personal accounts than scholarly works).

This got me to thinking that my first choice of Equestria Daily was, in reality, probably the best choice for me to make. A lot of creativity happens there, including creative writing. They even have an event that mimics National Novel Writing Month, although the subject must be (of course) MLP-related. So it would be a win/win situation.

I should have checked out what academic resources were available to support my research for each information community.

With this in mind, here is a reiteration of why Equestria Daily fulfills the requirements for a good information community, with a slight addition at the end:

1. Exploits the information sharing qualities of technology

Equestria Daily functions as a website and virtual environment for any visitors. The homepage has a stream of postings, each labeled according to the topic they cover. However, the site also makes good use of other social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook to allow community members different ways to access or contribute information.

2. Collaboration among diverse groups

On Equestria Daily, users participate in the community by contributing fan creations, arranging meet-ups at conventions related to MLP, and comment on each other’s work in constructive and genial manner. These submissions clearly come from people who handle similar content in new ways (such as relationships between different characters, possible story lines, and story concepts based on an MLP framework) but also hail from a variety of lifestyles and locations. 

 

3. Formation around user needs

The homepage for Equestria Daily contained all the postings that have ever been placed there. However, there are also nicely labeled sections so visitors can see materials related to specific interests, such as fan art, comics (fan and official), music, etc. All the pages contain a side bar containing the hottest or biggest topics currently available on the site, and even a countdown clock to events like the release of comic issues or site events.

 

4. Helps to overcome trust barriers

I am more of a lurker at this point on the Equestria Daily site, checking it on occasion to see what new things are afoot (or “ahoof”, as the information community there might say). But the great thing about Equestria Daily is the level of privacy afforded to visitors and even contributors. Those who comment on any postings can do so anonymously, only volunteering more personal information when they choose. Even most contributors to the site remain largely unknown, except for the works they produce, or their actions within the fan community as a whole.

 

5. Fosters social connectedness

One wonderful thing about Equestria Daily is the friendly community atmosphere it fosters. The MLP fans who contribute and comment on different resources available are a kind and understanding group. This is because the show they follow emphases this same compassion and diversity, which is why many of them came to the series in the first place. Also, due to how pertinent the strong storytelling, characters, and animation are for fans, Equestria Daily tends to focus on encouraging these creative aspects of the fan base. So various artists can discuss their works and get stronger, mingle with other fans, and form friendships.

6. Has Specific Academic/Scholarly/Peer-Reviewed Articles for Additional Support

Although Equestria Daily is, in itself, a resource for the users who participate in the information community. There are also various scholarly articles elsewhere anaylzing or examining the MLP fanbase, and the show's impact on various media and cultural norms.

In the future, I will make sure I can access or gather all the information required before making a decision for a class project. Also, I should have more confidence in my decisions and not change them without careful consideration. That way, those who hear or read my choices won't get confused as to where I stand.

Thank you.

Your Faithful Friend and Fellow Student,

Joyce Jacobo


  


 
 

Of Ponies and National Novel Writing Month

Of Ponies and National Novel Writing Month

When considering a possible information community on which to concentrate throughout this semester, the first one that occurred to me was Equestria Daily—with its creative MLP fan base, consisting mostly of older fans. And this would indeed have been a good choice, especially with regard to the vast wealth of resource generated by the site administrators and participants.

However, at the back of my mind there has also been another possibility: National Novel Writing Month, sponsored by the Office of Lights and Letters. This website, named for its most famous contest held during November, encourages people from many different backgrounds to sign up for “30 days and nights of literary abandon,” while fundraising for various literacy programs or good causes.

With these points in mind, and given how close literature and creative writing is to my heart, I would like to devote my research for LIBR 200 to the information community fostered by this on-line site for writers instead. There are also several resources I would enjoy using—some of which come from the list of articles/books suggested in the readings for the third module—and I’d enjoy connecting with other writers who participate in NaNoWriMo to discuss the good things that happen on the site.

And as for the different ways in which National Novel Writing Month fulfills the blog requirements for the characteristics of an information community:

1. Exploits the information sharing qualities of technology

National Novel Writing Month makes good use of technology when carrying out these various programs and fundraisers. Its annual contest in November requires all participants to sign up and enter their intended project on their site, which also has multiple forums where writers/marathoners can discuss their writings or give each other advice. NaNoWriMo also includes a “shopping page,” where any purchases or tax-deductible donations made go towards various literacy fundraisers.

2. Collaboration among diverse groups

A major aspect of National Novel Writing Month is to bring together people from a variety of backgrounds to enjoy some creative writing in a friendly and productive environment. Although adults compose the bulk of the visitors and participants, children and teenagers can also find a lot of help in their creative endeavors. They also have a separate section of the website dedicated to writing marathons aimed at younger age ranges. They even help coordinate with libraries or similar locations to help give participants quiet writing environments, among other services. 

 

3. Formation around user needs

Various forums teeming with discussions among administrators and fellow writers make users feel like they’re joining miniature writing circles. During November, the site contacts and has well-known authors deliver brief written pep talks to participants. In addition, the Office of Lights and Letters work in coordination with different self-publishing sites and writing programs to help their visitors revise or strengthen their work.  

 

4. Helps to overcome trust barriers

While each participant on the site must create a profile, the most information they need to provide is their name (or a pen name). During November, the tentative title for their latest writing project, and its word count, come into play. But for the most part, writers volunteer any other personal information—and since the site is geared towards encouraging the creative efforts of all users, everyone can interact without needing to get too personal (in terms of privacy or security).  

 

5. Fosters social connectedness

National Novel Writing Month is an on-line site that encourages writers to come together, discuss their works, and reach a set word count (during November or their Camp NaNoWriMo sessions) without any real pressure. Enough said.

 

 

Equestria Daily as an Information Community

According to Fisher & Durrance’s Information Communities, the need for people to connect with one another around certain focal points or subjects is an important one and draws those in need to particular resources (often on regular and continuous basis).

With this said, I have decided to make Equestria Daily my information community of choice. This website and on-line community relates to everything involving My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, the fourth incarnation of the Hasbro franchise aimed at young girls. The first three generations of it had the gender stereotypes and similar issues that tended to characterize shows for this age group and audience. But one driving force behind MLP: FIM was to dispose of such stereotypes while developing a strong show with good storytelling and complex characters.

Those facts, coupled with its appearance during all the recent advances and emphases on technology, have caused an explosion of fan-related communities and creations—which allow people of a wide age range to interact and connect.

Equestria Daily is one of the largest of these information communities, and I will go through each of Fisher & Durrance’s characteristics of information communities to show why:

 

1. Exploits the information sharing qualities of technology

Equestria Daily functions as a website and virtual environment for any visitors. The homepage has a stream of postings, each labeled according to the topic they cover. However, the site also makes good use of other social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook to allow community members different ways to access or contribute information.

2. Collaboration among diverse groups

On Equestria Daily, children and adults participate in the community by contributing fan creations, arranging meet-ups at conventions related to MLP, and comment on each other’s work in constructive and genial manner. These submissions clearly come from people who handle similar content in new ways (such as relationships between different characters, possible story lines, and story concepts based on an MLP framework) but also hail from a variety of lifestyles and locations.  

 

3. Formation around user needs

The homepage for Equestria Daily contained all the postings that have ever been placed there. However, there are also nicely labeled sections so visitors can see materials related to specific interests, such as fan art, comics (fan and official), music, etc. All the pages contain a side bar containing the hottest or biggest topics currently available on the site, and even a countdown clock to events like the release of comic issues or site events.

 

4. Helps to overcome trust barriers

I am more of a lurker at this point on the Equestria Daily site, checking it on occasion to see what new things are afoot (or “ahoof”, as the information community there might say). But the great thing about Equestria Daily is the level of privacy afforded to visitors and even contributors. Those who comment on any postings can do so anonymously, only volunteering more personal information when they choose. Even most contributors to the site remain largely unknown, except for the works they produce, or their actions within the fan community as a whole.

 

5. Fosters social connectedness

One wonderful thing about Equestria Daily is the friendly community atmosphere it fosters. The MLP fans who contribute and comment on different resources available are a kind and understanding group. This is because the show they follow emphases this same compassion and diversity, which is why many of them came to the series in the first place. Also, due to how pertinent the strong storytelling, characters, and animation are for fans, Equestria Daily tends to focus on encouraging these creative aspects of the fan base. So various artists can discuss their works and get stronger, mingle with other fans, and form friendships.

 

There are other reasons, but those are things I will explore in my research paper later on. :D