Understanding Feminism For The Non Feminist.

Understanding Feminism For The Non Feminist is a website dedicated to redefining the ideology associated with feminism in today’s popular culture. In our society, young women are usually too afraid or embarrassed to identify as feminists because of the negative connotations that are associated with the term. However, Understanding Feminism aims specifically at debunking those inadequate perceptions in the pursuit of building communities where women are seen as valuable figures, instead of second class citizens.

Original Image From http://understandingfeminismblog.wordpress.com

Understanding Feminism is modeled after a number of sites (not all feminism related) such as Bitch Media, Ms Magazine, Rookie Mag, Into The Gloss, Auto Straddle and Feministing. The site aims at building and fostering dialogue about feminism through different platforms. With a Twitter page, Understanding Feminism uses the hashtag #understandingfeminism to curate the conversation and bring attention to the site. The idea of the hashtag isn't limited to only twitter but also other sites as well. 
The use of sites like memegenerator.net to create original images in relation to the conversation.  In the piece by The New York Times: Riding The Hashtag in Social Media Marketing  Gary Vaynerchuk; CEO of Vayner Media has made a living out of brand promoting using social media believes that we should take advantage that the internet has given us in order to produce original content.

"The Internet had reduced the cost of publishing to next to zero, and he beseeched viewers to produce content of genuine value."

How does Synergistic Storytelling and Collaborative Authorship Apply to Understanding Feminism? 

In Searching For The Origami Unicorn Henry Jenkins uses The Matrix as an example of storytelling through different platforms. The Matrix is a movie, but the idea of using different outlets to tell a story is applicable to a number of things, even a site like Understanding Feminism. The actual website can be compared to the movie The Matrix for added emphasis. The site is the foundation of the story, this is where the conversation starts. The idea of synergistic storytelling and collaborative authorship is how the conversation is continued through different outlets.

Facebook

Facebook Logo. Image from blueskyresumes.com

For most sites that I follow and observe Facebook is a place where posts are displayed constantly. According to How Do You Use Facebook and Twitter for News? 30% of Americans get their news on Facebook, this is similar for Twitter also but the difference between the two sites is their user base and the frequency of users on them. According to this piece by Business Insider

"Twitter is smaller than Facebook because Twitter is for the elite, while Facebook is for the masses"

Sites are most likely to use Facebook to promote longer and more meaningful conversation, unlike twitter there are no character limits and users are free to give lengthier comments which thereby promote conversation about the topic at hand.

Twitter

Twitter Logo. Image from prconversations.net

Twitter is usually described as a micro blogging site. Posts are limited to 140 Characters and as a twitter user I describe the site as a mobile site. If you ask people, how they use twitter or how often they use it their answers usually correlate. People use twitter on the go. 

People's tweets are usually about mundane things like how how ABC Family is showing back to back  screenings of The Notebook, or about how they are stuck in traffic and need to pee. News outlets and websites need to find a way to infuse serious conversation or promotion amidst a sea of tweets about lipgloss. The great thing about both sites and the internet in general, is that you chose who you follow. You can create your own personal news feed based on your own interests, so if a user is following your site then they are interested. The next part is to continue the idea of synergistic storytelling with 140 Characters. This is where things like the hashtag are implemented. Unlike Facebook, Twitter creates conversation in more of a real time manner. Because of the way Twitter is used as a site (on the go, mobile) hashtags are the virtual equivalent of carrying on a real life conversation in real time. For example, when the conversation between Melissa Harris Perry and Bell Hooks was taking place, Understanding Feminism readers could immediately engage in this conversation with the hashtag #understandingfeminsm sharing immediate reactions thoughts to different users. 

Foursquare 

Foursquare Logo. Image from Foursquare.com

The idea of checking in to places and sharing that with your followers might not seem very relevant to the idea of storytelling. But on the contrary it is, As the writer for Understanding Feminism, if I choose to check in to a place and share it with my readers/ followers., it must be relevant to the conversation that the site is trying to propel. Checking in to a feminist convention and sharing that with my followers is definitely an example of a use of foursquare. 

Instagram 

Instagram Logo image from waxingunlyrical.com

Instagram is the most visually enticing out of all, social media outlets. Posting images that have to do with the site are ways to generate page views and continue the conversation on a different kind of platform, so instead of tweets and texts, Instagram uses images. 

In general, the use of all these outlets is a clear example of Transmedia Storytelling; "A story unfolding across multiple media platforms with each new text making a distinctive and valuable contribution to the whole" 

Like Jenkins mentioned in Searching for The Origami Unicorn 

"The brothers (Wachowski) personally wrote and directed content for the game, drafted scenarios, for some of the animated shorts, and co-wrote a few comics. For fans, their personal engagement made these other Matrix texts a central part of the "canon" (Jenkins, 113) 

With these sites and channels, readers are able to not only able to continuously keep up with the conversation in whatever way is most convenient to them, they are also able to collaborate and take ownership in some way as well.

Bibliography

Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. Henry Jenkins
How Do You Use Facebook and Twitter for News?
Business Insider
Bitch Media
Ms Magazine
Rookie Mag
Into The Gloss
Auto Straddle
Feministing

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