My first choice of a potential feminist online space was the digital network/social media presence for the podcast Thirst Aid Kit. I felt that this site would serve as a valuable exploration of Black women creators, articulation of desire, media criticism, and attempts to decolonize attraction. While I still believe all of that, I am also aware that this site isn’t really active at the moment; TAK was put on indefinite hiatus due to the major Buzzfeed layoffs, so the space I would be navigating currently looks more like an archive than something that is growing and changing daily (unless you consider the lack of change as change itself). I am considering exploring other avenues in light of the feedback that I might grow disinterested or hit a wall when it comes to my digital ethnography. I was considering exploring the game The Sims, and how its premise allows for articulations of identity and community. I’ve played the game enough myself to call myself a fan (though my skills when it comes to mods and cheats are very basic), but I’m aware that there’s a lot of discussion and connection over the game. There’s challenges, streams, debates—I want to learn more about this, and I thought this might be a solid opportunity to do this research in a space that’s more active than the social network around a podcast. My current concern is, if I retrack my project this way, whether I should use one of the more “official” forums like those EA or thesims.com, or if exploring more unofficial/offroad channels would provide richer commentary on these themes.
Building & Linking Principled Sites in Collaboration
