The basis of this idea would be what we talked about before: A Web site made to look like a simulated locker. The inside would house a section for uploading pictures as well as an area to store books. The books would, in actuality, would be links to differnt groups. For instance, the "Hilary 2008" book would sit on top of the "Haverhill High School Football" book. Each book would house different articles and topics, similar to a message board. Each layer would hold a different set of disscussions. Users could link to articles, videos and pictures. On the door of the locker would be what looked like a newspaper clipping. The clipping would change regularly and would be news delivered to each user based on the groups he or she (she) has chosen as well as a section for top stories. Top stories would apear on everyone's clippings (maybe based on geography?) and would encourage users to gain interest in different subjects and join groups (get books) to talk about them. The stories (could be video) would be writen or broadcast in such a way that younger audiences could activly engage in them and reallt take something out of them. This might be becuase it is easier to read, or because more background is given.
Just a start... any ideas?
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8 comments:
I reallly really like the idea of group being books in the locker. What I was struggling was with the news thing - with my idea of the newspaper clippings, I feel like you would have to use RSS feeds to know what each person wanted or for their general area (and lete's face it, what 12-year-old girl wants to deal with RSS feeds? At least not the ones we're targeting at). So a broader scope on the news thing would probably be the answer.
As for your question of how to get people to come to the site .. that's why I was thinking that the Locker could somehow be an application or something (I'm not good with all the technological wording with everything) that were added to all the existing tween sites out there (think back to the gazillion we all posted). But then again, you get into the whole competition thing. I just really don't think it's necessary for another site ... or I guess more importantly why are they going to join a news one over another one. It all goes back to the whole idea of you have to catch them with the news when they're not looking.
Also, should we combine our posts because they're about the same thing? I'm alraedy confused looking back and forth at them both, and I'm writing one of them. Just a thought...
I didn't really invision it as RSS feeds, more as a Pandora-like thing. By choosing groups, the girls would choose what the wanted to recieve news about- it would all be mechanical. They say they like it, so its sent to them- automatically.
And you are right. How are we going to pull a Daily Show on them? I was sort of thinking, maybe stupidly, that the site would be hooked up to another, like Flip and Teen Vouge. So, in that case, girls who read Teen Vogue because it makes them look older would see the site and think it was cool and use it. Only problem, kids aren't reading the news already. The locker aspect would allow kids to post pictures and decorate and things which they might think is cool. I guess the draw of being able to really choose the content isn't all that cool either. We could always consider marketing it to adults who would then force kids to use it, haha. We could also market it to those parents who do not allow kids to use myspace and other sites, as an educational alternative.
I guess I really envision a combination of Flip and a news site in locker form (corny) where girls will be drawn to the site because they can do whatever they want with the locker, as well as leave notes for each other (which is an idea I loved, Andrea).
I don't know, any more thoughts?
Okay, after reading the comments ideas from me, Kate, and Jordan ... we all have the same problem: we've come up with what the three of us seem to think are pretty decent ideas geare toward these MS girls based on what we found already exists last week ... but we all seem pretty clueless on how to infuse the news into that (although Jordan took a stab at it wiht the highlighting / my content thing). I still say, however, and I think Kate's agreeing ... we can't send them out to find the news. We can't make them responsible for getting the news. Because that's status quo ... and they're not doing it. The news has to already been present on the site / flip book / locker already so they have no choice but to watch it.
what if you sent them out to write the news? to find the news in their own life/school? instead of finding news on the internet - let them be news creators. Remember - the whole let people tell the stories they think are important, let htem tell the news professionals what they (the consumer) thinks is important as news.
then the news goes out from them - to other users, to the general news public
Would that help any with the issues you're discussing (and good job with the back and forth - thanks)
I really like Kim's idea about sending them out to get the news - then, if they are using it on a social networking site that allows themt to be connected through networks (think Facebook, but maybe like your town or your school instead of "Boston") you could use someone elses news. It could be incorporated with my school newspaper idea somehow (that ideas under my original post).
Maybe this is silly, but if we send 14 year old girls out to write the news, I see it turning into a real fiasco...
I think that before long it would be gossip-driven clique-like behavior brought to a whole new level. I can totally see some mean chick writing an article about how the weird girl in English class has a moustache or how how so-and-so was dumped because she was a prude. You know what I'm saying? It's a cool idea to have them write the news, but how do you regulate it and make it responsible and not "I <3 Justin Timberlake 4eva !!"??
Haha, I agree. I think it would be cool and certainly innovative to have girls write the news, but it could get very Cady Heron and Regina George, very quickly. The idea of girls posting there own stuff is really exciting to me, just I don't really see it playing out with any significance. Instead, I'm thinking we could get them in a bunch of ways. Market the site, as strange as this might sound, as a sort of consolation prize. Sure, mom and step-dad won't let you on myspace, but they are letting you go on Locker Stocker. You can still write notes to your friends and set the site up how you want to. I'm envisioning picking music, like myspace. I'm also envisioning a note book, which would be like a flip book, and girls could even link to their actual flipbooks from the Locker.
I don't really see how the sire lends itself to becoming an application on another site. I've been trying and can't.
I love you all, Kathryn Kozlowski.
again - you guys have to give up control. The news organizations can't keep control of what is news. The users get to decide.
and who decided paris hilton was news? the news organizations. so maybe the little kids won't do much worse
how about tying it in with some writing education/girl scout badge project to get htem writing better news?
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