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