Practicum post #8

As I write my final practicum post, I want to go over three concepts from class that were reflected in my study with the 90210 media fandom website: identity, virtual community, and participatory culture. Throughout the past few months, I created an identity on the 90210 discussion board, using jleigh22 as my username. My identity became one who was an avid fan of the show, loved the older seasons, and was a huge fan of soapnet in general. Through my posts, people were able to respond to my comments and the topics I posted, addressing me by my username, to really connect with what I had written. On this website, you were able to make your own identity and become whoever you wanted to be; since it was annoymous, you were able to write anything you want and construct the kind of member you wanted to be.

Writing on this message board allowed me to become part of this virtual community. People on the website truly cared what you wrote and would respond with as much passion and emotion as if you were talking about life or death situations (it was really funny actually). People were welcoming to new members and greeted people before they answered others responses. Newbies were encouraged, and no one ever felt left out or unwanted. The only way one was not treated so nicely was if you had no information backing up your statement.

The last concept of class that really related to my study on media fandom was participatory culture. The 90210 discussion board fits the definition of participatory culture because it is an online community of sharing information, where users are knowledged in the subject, and are voluntarily sharing their information with other people. This allows them to be in contact with people all over the world that otherwise, they would never speak to. Because it is easy to access, members are able to converse with each other and express their opinions freely.

My experience writing on this 90210 message board has taught me how much the online world can mirror the world we live in. People on this site formed relationships with each other in this online community where they are able to speak about a specific topic openly with no restrictions. I never was involved before with a media fandom site, and through my experience with the 90210 one, I really learned how popular and influential they can be on one's life.