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Erin Dietel-McLaughlin WR 13300 7 October 2011 Comparison of Image Sites Means to Attract Users With the increase in Internet use, many types of websites have arisen. Websites are created to meet the needs of people and these websites change as peoples interests change. For example, Google started off as a simple search engine that looked for information or websites. Now Google provides maps, documents, peoples contact information, email services, and numerous other services. People can use social sites to connect with friends, music sites to find their favorite artists and songs, information databases for research, and other various sites for whatever is need. Some websites target the same audiences and interests but use different methods of attracting their audience. Some sites develop dependence on each other as ways to build connections between people. Two big image websites that seem to target the same audience are deviantART and Photobucket. Both contain large libraries of images as well as ways for users to develop their own identities and communicate with one another. Although deviantART and Photobucket have similar purposes, the two websites use different means and target different interests of their audience. DeviantART was founded in 2000 and according to its bio, deviantART was created to entertain, inspire, and empower the artist in all of us. Rather than showing the name in large letters or take up the whole screen, the main page shows the most popular images or newest images also known as deviations. These deviations consist of photographs, fan art, or even literary works of the members of the site known as deviants. Deviants can create their page

Vega 2 and edit the format of the page to reflect their interests. The main premise behind deviantART is to serve as a source of reference for artists as well as serve as a place where artist can show off their works. The site uses the common factor of art to build connections between users and allow people to build their identities around art. Photobucket was founded in 2003 and is considered the premier destination for uploading,
downloading, sharing, linking and finding photos, videos and graphics. Many of the images and videos on Photobucket are placed in categories so visitors can look for images based on interest. Hovering over an image or clicking on it gives the viewer the option to share their find on a social network or look at the posters page. All pictures and videos have a section where comments can be left and if the viewer is a member, they can copy the image or video to their own album. Members can create albums where their pictures can be stored and can be made public or private. Photobucket allows users to store large amounts of images and videos in a library that can be easily accessed later. Even though the site does not directly build connections between users through normal social networking themes, Photobucket uses existing social networking sites to build those connections and allow the site to focus on storing and sharing peoples images and videos. DeviantART and Photobucket have undergone many revisions as the years have passed but both have stuck behind their origins. With the rise of social networks, Photobucket adapted to allowing users link their images and videos to their social networks. DeviantART upgraded the way their users communicate with each other and how they develop their identities on the site. Critic William Deresiewicz argues in his article Faux Friendship as the traditional face-to-face community disappeared, we held on to what we had lost-the closeness, the rootedness-by clinging to the word [friendship] (54). Deresiewicz believes that as people turn to the internet communities, we are becoming more separated and not really building connections with people, we just claim we have friends. DeviantART, however, attempts to disprove this by hosting conventions where users can meet face-toface and continue to build their friendships. The two sites simplified their interfaces and looked for more

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ways to attract users either by adding new features or improving existing methods. For example, deviantART and Photobucket utilize their main pages differently, have different purposes for the user page, and view the symbolism of color schemes differently. When one takes a closer look at deviantARTs main page, the page is dominated by deviations. Users can change whether they see the most popular deviations or the newest deviations as well as other options. Having the main page devoted to the deviations, deviantART focuses on promoting art of the well know members as well as give newer members a chance to be seen by visitors. Other options like categories and tabs to purchase prints, deviantART gear, and even groups that have been made by deviants are shown next to the deviations. Visitors can use the categories or groups to search for art that follows their interests rather than see a vast assortment of art. At the very bottom of the main page, visitors can find community news, polls, the number of days deviantART has been active, a deviousness award winner, as wells as links to Twitter and Facebook and more information about the site and its policies. DeviantART uses a user-friendly main page to attract visitors and rather than selfpromote the site through stats or information, the site focuses on the work of its members to advertise the site. On the other hand, Photobucket limits the main page to showing the features of the website and some categories of media. An advertisement-like section uses phrases and images to convince visitors to click on the sign up button. Under this section, a counter that shows a real time number of photos and videos on Photobucket. Three different lines of categories divided between Popular, Competition, and Trends with more categories of images inside these lines. The site treats the main page as a page as an advertisement for a product. Similar to deviantART, Photobucket has links to Facebook, Twitter, and Photobuckets own blog alongside a short description of the site and links to the sites policies, support, and downloads. The site uses a combination of features, statistics, and images on the main page to attract new members. Besides using the main page to attract members, deviantART and Photobucket use profile pages as a way to attract members. DeviantART deviant pages are customizable and look very similar to a

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profile page found on most social networks. Deviants can show their favorite works of art in their personal gallery or even show off their favorite deviations from fellow deviants. A deviants page can consist of anything ranging from site news, deviantIDs, journals, friends, watchers, webcams, to comments. A member can choose to create their own online identity and display their connections. As John Suler points out in his article, Identity Management in Cyberspace, in cyberspace, people choose a specific communication channel to express themselves. Suler indicates that when people want to create an identity for a website, they will use the media that best expresses what they want other to perceive as their identity. DeviantART provides users with various media from text based journals and literature deviations to visual deviations and deviantIDs to even flash based or recorded videos. By knowing that users look for customizable profiles and various ways to create their identities, deviantART built a profile page that caters to wants of the user rather than give a preset page where the user fills in the blanks. On the other hand, Photobucket gives users a limited profile page that focuses on the albums that the user has created. Rather than trying to create a social network through its site, Photobucket depends on other social networks to develop connections between users. All images and videos have links where a user can link the image or video to the users Facebook or Twitter page. Researchers Judith Donath and Dana Boyd state in their article Public Displays of Connection that most networking sites share a similar model of interpersonal links-they are mutual, public, unnuanced, and decontexualised .(31) They point out that people look for connections with others and social sites provide these connections by following these characteristics. Photobucket uses social sites which have mastered making links between people to create connections between its users rather than trying to balance providing images and videos as well as a social network. On the other hand, Photobucket does not ignore users who may not have a social network account and uses groups and categories to build connections between these users. A user can label their albums to indicate their interests and they can even follow other users to see more images from that user. Photobucket even allows users to choose themes for each individual album and an image for the background of the albums. Even though Photobucket does not provide users social network-like

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options for its users profile, the site does give users the ability to customize the appearance of their profile as well as develop their identities through images. Finally deviantART uses a relaxing color scheme to attract users. DeviantART uses various shades of a green and gray mix as its color scheme. The use of a green and gray mix allows the background to blend in while the deviations and links stick out to the viewer. The viewers attention would be more focused on the work of deviants rather than look of the site. Another purpose of the color scheme is to relieve stress to the eyes which are strained by bright vivid colors on computer screens. Viewers can spend more time on deviantART looking at art that interests them and look for connections with deviants that share their interests without having their eyes be worn out by a bright background. The color scheme as conveys a relaxing and inviting environment for users. Similarly, Photobucket uses blue and white as its color scheme to provide a friendly appearance to the site. Blue is usually seen as a soothing color and is balanced by the brightness of white. The color scheme is similar to the color scheme used by Facebook. Photobucket may want to remind users to look for connections with others through social sites and promote the site by linking Photobucket with Facebook. The colors blue and white are constant through the site but do not dominate the site. As mentioned earlier, the site does allow users to change the themes of albums and the background of these albums. The amount of stress on a viewers eyes depends on the types of images they are looking for as well as the preferences of the user. Unlike deviantART, Photobucket uses its color scheme to focus of the idea of connections with social networks and using the images and videos on the site to build those connections. Initially, deviantART and Photobucket seem to be similar and use the same methods to attract the same audience. The placement of the main bar for both sites is at the top of the page and both sites use categories for images and videos. Both sites also seem to attract people who are looking for pictures and videos that match their interests. Yet a closer look of the sites shows that the categories are different and the sites target different interest within the same audience. DeviantART tries to develop connections between people who enjoy creating art or even appreciate the same art, while Photobucket wishes to give

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people a place to organize images and videos and use social networks to connect with others. DeviantART breaks images down into their respective media and groups are used to bring together images or videos that are based on a certain interest. Photobucket groups images and videos together based on similarities may it be the media or theme. Even though deviantART and Photobucket use their main page, profile page, and color scheme to attract users, both sites have different views of how to use these features. DeviantART attempts to create a community by giving users the tools to connect with others and build their identity. Photobucket depends on existing social networks for its users to build connections and the users images and videos to build their own identity. DeviantART uses the main page to bring attention to the users and promote their art while Photobucket uses its main page to promote itself. DeviantARTs color scheme is soothing and welcoming for new users. Photobuckets color scheme is soothing as well but reminds viewers of the color scheme of other social networking sites. DeviantART tries to attract users by focusing on the users, their identity and their interest in art while Photobucket tries to attract users by targeting peoples interest with social networking sites and their need to store images and videos. DeviantART and Photobucket are only two websites in a sea of millions of websites. Even sites that seem to target the same audience and use similar means to gain users in reality are different. These sites also change as users interests change.

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Works Cited Deresiewicz, William. "Faux Friendship." (E)dentity. Ed. Stephanie Vie. V Series. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead P, 2011. 47-60. deviantART: where Art meets Application!. <http://www.deviantart.com> Donath, Judith, and Danah Boyd. "Public Displays of Connection." (E)dentity. Ed. Stephanie Vie. V Series. Southlake, TX: Fountainhead P, 2011. 29-43. Photobucket. <http://www.photobucket.com> Suler, John. "Psychology of Cyberspace - Identity Management in Cyberspace." Apr.-May 2000. 07 Oct. 2011 <http://users.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/identitymanage.html>.