Entering the Virtual Realm

Welcome to Deviantart, (Deviantart, 2013). One of the worlds largest sharing and well known social platforms for artists, photographers, designers and creative writers. Users can easily navigate through this platform, be it beginners or professional. Deviantart allows users to upload and share images among friends or peers, their identities can either reflect their own personas, or use their real names so their 'art' can be recognized. Deviantart is a very easy and enjoyable social platform that will keep you surfing for hours. I'v been a member of this social network for a long while now and  through interaction, I've also observed and noticed other users as they interact  with each other on a daily basis.

Regarding this social network, I've keep my own identity anonymous by creating a tag name for myself. This is not because i want to be recognized but because i want to protect my identity and information from others who stumbles across my page. yet regardless of how i address myself, that does not stop me from meeting and socializing with new peoples. I especially enjoy this social platform because it allows the user to comment images they like, critic each other, allow users to follow each other and virtually gift one another on special events. Connections are easily made through similarity of interests between the vast genres of  visual media. Yet getting side tracked can easily happen, but by breaking down images into categories and sub categories, users can then limit their search to particular genres or style to their liking. 

The feelings of staying connected and being able to enjoy and share the same moment with a friend or a complete stranger is like "the two of us are sharing a New York Times over coffee and bagels on Sunday." as Turkle mentioned (Turkle, 1995, p.247).  Also by travelling through a mass of cyber space, Deviantart displays their contents to the desire of one's liking, similar to that of window shopping (Barnes, 1997). 'The act of window shopping through the intangible electronic malls of the Internet fulfils an aesthetic need more than a tangible one.'

 As you can see, the means for to users connect with each other is through visual displays, and located on the left bar are the options for users to navigate with ease and  follow through with interests. 

As a user myself with a page, it allows me to display my contents to visitor that comes and goes as a controlled factor, this function is also mapped out in graphs which records the activities of users entering and exiting, very similar to the functions of Youtube or Facebook. Deviantart also keeps statistic records of view counts of images and hierarchy image according to most viewed and favoured. There is also free options of private mailing, participating in events or joining social groups with similar interests.   

Reference: 
Barnes, G. (1997). Passage of the Cyber-flaneur. Retrieved from http://www.raynbird.com/essays/Passage_Flaneur.html

Deviantart (2013). Retrieved from http://www.deviantart.com/

Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the Screen: Identity in the Age of the Internet. New York; America. Simon and Schuster Paperbacks.

Winterflames AKA. Mai Pa Vang