MMEXP: Community Model

Luke drew a small prototype for our community model and we went through the list of things we thought were important to include in order to make a master list of points each shape should include. The "individual" and the "community" bubbles will be covered in the paragraph we wrote up as part of our written community proposal, but those other four circles needed new body copy. I wrote four paragraphs to sum up those aspects in our community system.

INFLUENCE:
Our community is highly influenced by user-driven content. Through the use of a rating system, users will be able to rank dives that they have visited, and other members will be able to have a unified list of new dives they have yet to experience. This ultimately has the power to effect dives. Poorly rated establishments based on community member input will directly effect other users desire to visit.

INTEGRATION AND FULFILLMENT OF NEEDS:
The members of our community have a few subjective needs that we hope to fulfill. Members hope to find a good regular hangout complete with good food, drink, and entertainment that is comfortable and reliable. Those things can be accomplished with the user rating system and the "trust ability" of our members. Members may also want to meet new people or support the local economy and having a list of local dives is a good way to experience new locations within your own city.


MEMBERSHIP:
Membership to our community is effected by physical boundaries (such as location, age, mode of transportation, and budget), emotional safety (the ability to "trust" users opinions), relationships (user-user, user-friends, user-establishment, establishment-community), and symbols. We discovered that beyond the visual aesthetic of existing establishments, there are no existing symbols. Through the creation of our identity, we hope to create a symbol that will unify the community to a greater extent.

HISTORICAL CONSCIOUSNESS:
Historical consciousness relates to the ability for members to find themselves in the public image. Our members will be able to have public profiles that showcase their contribution (uploaded photos, ratings, etc.) to the community and other members will be able to judge their "trust ability" in our system. The history of the individual establishments is also related, as are the discovery stories our members post about their dive finds (this includes first impressions).