ATTENDANCE: March 25, 2020
Here's a link to the wikipedia page about iVillage.
I realize that this was a brief mention in the book, but at the time, just about every woman I knew used iVillage, and I had a number of friends who worked there.
For the young women in the class: If this website were launched today, do you think you would use it? Do you think other women you know would use it? do you think we need a website like this today?
For the young men in the class: Are there niche websites out there for men? If you don't know, that's ok, but open to your input!
(NOTE: I will publish the four questions throughout our hour when I think conversation on a previous post has slowed. Feel from to "move along" when your ready.)
I really don't know about any niche sites for men.
ReplyDeletethought so but thought it polite to ask.
DeleteI would not use this website, and I don't think other women would either, because I feel like we would just text our friends if we need to talk about something or get advice. The only situation I feel like this would be needed is if someone was uncomfortable talking to their friends.
ReplyDeleteBut what if your friends weren't in the same situation? Like you're the only one of your friends with a kid? Who do you talk to? (Just wondering)
DeleteTrue, I just don't think I would feel comfortable talking to strangers about my life
DeleteI don't think that I would use this or other women I know would use it. I don't think we need a website like this today because now we just consult our friends and family rather than other random people.
ReplyDeleteErin Brady: I personally would probably not use this website. I also don't think that other women I know would use this. If I had something I wanted to discuss with other women, I would text my friends or family, rather than strangers on the web. For this reason, I don't think that a website like this is necessarily needed today.
ReplyDeleteRiley: Honestly, if it was launched today I don't think I would use it because I would much rather turn to people that I know and am comfortable with for advice than people that I don't know. I feel like many people would use it though and it would be important to have today but there are a number of other websites like Reddit to get advice from random people anyway.
ReplyDeleteI also don't know about any niche websites for men. - Aakash
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting that you would all speak to friends and family - which is a good thing! But what if it were a subject you couldn't talk to them about (for any reason). Are there internet sites where you would do that, like reddit or facebook or whatever? Just curious - when iVillage was big there wasn't texting available on cell phones.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had any issues this far in my life where I couldn't talk to my friends or family about it and I would feel weird talking to strangers about my life. That's true that texting wasn't available at this time, so I could see how more people turned to this option.
DeleteIf I had that need, anywhere anonymous would suffice.
DeleteI can see how this would have been bigger when texting wasn't available, but I probably would still prefer to speak to my friends and family.
DeleteI'm very happy that you all have good support systems, but not everyone does. However, I think your points about other platforms serving that function are well made.
DeleteI'm lucky enough to have a lot of people I could talk to, but if I was having a big problem and didn't know what to do, I'd honestly just google my predicament and see what comes up. If it's something I can't talk to my mom, best friend, or sister about, I wouldn't want to talk to a stranger about it
DeleteExcellent response - when iVillage was a thing, Google was not :)
DeleteI've used other platforms in order to talk to people about things I definitely would never bring up to my mom or friends. Chat rooms would provide a safer space where people could talk and convene about things, especially where they don't have access to a therapist or other support system.
DeleteErin Burke: I feel like I probably wouldn't use it but I could see Gen x using it or even Millennials. I think we have so many modes of communication now online that have forums like iVillage that it wouldn't be as successful as it had been. There are facebook groups and reddit and twitter threads that follow the same ideas of iVillage. I think that because these spaces exist, there isn't a call or need for a blog specifically dedicated to it.
ReplyDeleteWhich leads to the question - do any of you read/write blogs these days?
DeleteErin Burke: I had a tumblr for a bit but I really don't get too much into blogging. The only reason I have a facebook if to update my long distance family on things.
DeleteI think we all have facebook just to update that one Aunt who lives far away (and probably for a reason).
DeleteI don't think I would use it and I can't think of anyone who would. I would rather just talk to friends and my mom. I don't think there's much of a need for it today
ReplyDeleteThe mom in me love your answer.
DeleteIf there was something like iVillage I think I would browse it but in the book it made it seem like it was more for adult women with adult problems, which I do not have currently. I think my mom would definitely use it and other women would too, especially since now we're in quarantine. Due to quarantine I think it would be nice, and also with the political atmosphere in America I think a lot of women would like to share their opinions with each other and just overall have a supportive community for one another.
ReplyDeleteTrue, I didn't really take into account your age vs. the age we were when we loved iVillage. Your mom and me would be happy on iVillage today!
DeleteI found iVillage to be made for women who had more grown up issues and needed an outlet where other women would understand their problems. I think a website like this would be nice for my mom to have, but my mom still meets people through other websites and wouldn't necessarily need a chatroom like this. I do think women would be able to meet other women with more ease, yet it could potentially be a place for predators.
ReplyDeleteVery true re: predators and there wasn't much "policing" of the site back in the day.
DeleteThat's a very interesting point I didn't think of. Do you think back then predators were on iVillage pretending to be moms?
DeleteI definitely think there could've been. It might've been pretty easy to pretend back in those days.
DeleteDefinitely! I remember discussing just that problem with my friends who worked there but I don't remember any active response on the platform to deal with it.
DeleteI do not think that I would use this because I would think to use other sources first. Reddit seems to have a similar style of users creating the content on the website. I feel like iVillage, however, could be good for anonymous users or people who do not feel comfortable asking someone they know.
ReplyDeleteYou got my earlier point to a "T" - if you don't have people in your life you can talk to, a platform like iVillage may be the only answer.
DeleteI probably wouldn't use it because I like to talk to my friends or family about any topics, but I may have had a different opinion if I was around when it first came out. I don't really know anyone who would use it now only because there are so many other resources and social media sites that we have now. I think we already have ways of discussing now.
ReplyDeletei think i would probably use it, if not at first, since so many women were using it, friends would probably talk about it and it seemed like a really good safe environment to talk about issues that women face everyday, and don't feel comfortable talking bout on the wider web. although it was good for the time i dont know if we need it today since there are so many platforms for people to find their niches on.
ReplyDeleteI've posted the first question if you want to move along... do it in your own time :)
ReplyDelete