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Today fandoms primarily communicate and interact through online media. For the consumption of cultural products digital technologies are actively used as well. These technologies are accessible and available to overseas fans through various digital platforms. Their affordances and functions such as subtitling and live-chat allow for access and participation. With the help of online media, fans feel closer to their idol, even if they are geographically far away. BigHit uses a worldwide platform strategy with Weverse, where they try to remove linguistic constraints.
Idols use various online media platforms to communicate with their fans, for example YouTube, Twitter and Instagram, where they use linear communication. Other Platforms like VLive, Weverse and Universe are spaces designed for direct communication between fans and artists with services such as private messaging or live-chats.
This page shows the different social media sites and their function, as well as a heuristic analysis of the plattform Weverse.
YouTube
Idols use the platform to upload videos (behind the scenes, vlogs, shows) and do livestreams. Fans can also upload videoedits and fan videos.
Subtitles can be added in different languages and there is an option to to translate comments.
(screenshots from the YouTube channel of Ateez https://www.youtube.com/@ATEEZofficial, taken on 2022.12.2)
Idols can upload text, pictures and videos, which the fans can like, retweet and comment.
There is an option to translate the text via Google Translate. However, this does not work with text on a picture or spoken language in a video.
(screenshot from the Twitter account of BTS, https://twitter.com/BTS_twt, taken on 2022.12.2)
Idols can upload pictures and videos with text captions. Fans can like and comment on them as well as upload pictures themselves.
The caption can be translated, just like with Twitter.
(screenshot of the Instagram page of Blackpink, https://www.instagram.com/blackpinkofficial/, taken on 2022.12.2)
TikTok
Idols can upload short videos like dance challenges and fans can like and comment on them.
Captions can be translated, as well as comments.
(screenshot of the TikTok page of K/DA, https://www.tiktok.com/@kda_music, taken on 2022.12.2)
Weverse
Idols can post text and images as well as stories. There is also an option to do livestreams and for membership users there is exclusive content.
Everything that is written down can be automatically translated, but there are no subtitles for past live streams, which can be watched like videos.
(pictures of the Weverse app in the Play Store, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.benx.weverse, accessed 2022.12.2)
Universe
Idols can post pictures and text like on Twitter. But there is also exclusive content like on Weverse.
Universe also has a Private message service, where fans can pay a monthly fee to chat with their idol.
Everything written can be automatically translated.
(pictures of the UNIVERSE App in the Play Store, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ncsoft.universeapp&pli=1, accessed 2022.12.2)
Weverse: Heuristic Analysis
Weverse: Heuristic Analysis
Our group did a heuristic analysis to see if the application Weverse is userfriendly. The following section shows our findings for the section of the app that is free.
When using the app, the menus and options do not get explained to the user. Menu titles are brief yet long enough to communicate. Menu choices are logical, distinctive and mutually inclusive. Menus are broad (many items on a menu) rather than deep (many menu levels) and users can go back to previous menus.
Only and all information essential is displayed on screen.
The response time of the application is good, but if there are observable delays the user is not informed of the system´s process. If there are problems, the user can get help at the “Customer Support”, where there is a FAQ as well as the option to contact the support team. Error messages suggest the cause of the problem but do not inform the user of the error´s severity.
Field labels and fields are distinguished typographically and are consistent. Icons are concrete and familiar and there is a good contrast between the image and the background color. Icons and menus are clearly indicated when selected. However, the user cannot choose between iconic and text display of information and there are no multiple levels of detail available. The icons in use are very minimalistic. The possibilities of individualization of the own user profile are also very restricted to the name and profile picture.
The system performs data translations for all the written text. Special words, like names of members, fandom, and group, are correctly translated to English, which is one of the main languages the app runs in. The user can also choose different languages to translate text to, but with those is does not correctly translate the names. Also, for the livestreams, which can be watched later as a video, there are no subtitles available.
Color is being used to elevate the posts of idols. The automatic color coding is consistent throughout the system but cannot be turned off.
In general, the application is good and intuitive to use.
Sources
Sources
Timokhovich, Alexandra and Nikuradze, Olga. “Digital Trends in the Consumption of South Korean Music Industry Cultural Products.” in XXIV International Conference “Culture, Personality, Society in the Conditions of Digitalization: Methodology and Experience of Empirical Research”, KnE Social Sciences, 2022, 20–28.
DOI 10.18502/kss.v7i2.10271Song, Minzheong. A Study on the Business Model of a Fan Community Platform “Weverse.” International Journal of Advanced Smart Convergence, 10(4), 2021, 172–182.
DOI: 10.7236/IJASC.2021.10.4.172Yoon, Kyong. “K-Pop Trans/Nationalism.” In Routledge Handbook of Asian Transnationalism, 2022, 394-405.
DOI: 10.4324/9781003152149-36.Kusuma, Ade, Purbantina, Adiasri P., Nahdiyah, Vina and Khasanah, Ucik U. “A Virtual Ethnogpraphy study: Fandom and Social Impact in Digital Era.” ETNOSIA: Jurnal Etnografi Indonesia. 5(2), 2020: 238 – 251.
DOI: 10.31947/etnosia.v5i2.10898
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