When Aaron Schmidt stressed the need for a people-oriented user experience (UX), he touched on an important need shared by everyone who participates in an information community--basically when it comes to on-line interactions. Technology in a virtual environment becomes a means to connect, and so creating a journey map of touchpoints (as he calls them) to make access to a communtity's resources easier makes as much sense as a creating a hospitable place (like a library) in the physical world.
Equestria Daily as an information community calls to mind Richard MacManus' article on Five Signs of a Great User Experience, where he emphasizes the need for social media platforms to help provide users with fast and easy-to-use content. Taking into account both Schmidt and MacManus' observations, one can see why this particular website or source excels. Members who search for Equestria Daily and click onto its homepage will receive instant access to a stream of the latest updates and messages related to a wide variety of fan materials they may enjoy, including comics, animations, and news (related to the show).
But in many ways, Equestria Daily is a launching point towards other resources provided by similar information organizations. From the member of the MLP fan base I interviewed for Reflection Blog #3 (with whom I keep in close contact), and my own personal experience as a member of this information community, I have come to realize that although one can enjoy a wealth of resources on Equestria Daily proper, there are several outgoing links to such on-line places as Tumblr, Twitter, and Youtube.
Without the coordination of the services provided by these different organizations, user experience on Equestria Daily would be considerably narrower and less attuned to the MLP fan base as a whole--because this participatory culture demands a variety of different mediums (and Equestria Daily become something of an intermediary in that case.
So while members can comment on the postings and resources located on the site, they also use and rely on on it to access fan creations elsewhere. This fact is also recognized by many fans who post stories on the MLP fan fiction site, Fimfiction.net, and on DeviantArt. Having the administrators on Equestria Daily include postings that include links to fans' work on external media platforms is a point of honor or special recognition within the fan base.
Members can create original resources on Equestria Daily, submitting .gif images and artwork. But most materials like fan fictions or animations usually get placed on external resources first, although the site will sometimes show these in full view without the need for visitors to leave the page.
I believe this speaks highly for the user experience available on Equestria Daily. Administrators and members alike depend on a variety of resources, while using the website as a launching point. And, as argued by MacManus, it is also great because it is easy to get addicted to using the site. Since members can access all types of resources through Equestria Daily, they are saved the time of searching through different pages elsewhere to find what they want.
Overall, I am happy to report that community perceptions of Equestria Daily for the MLP fan base are sky-high--and it will continue to be a vital resource within this organization.
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