Degree Name
Master of Science
Graduate Program
Mass Communication and Media Arts
Advisor
Narayanan L Iyer
Abstract
This research project reviews the current structure of message boards as well as online music discussion and analyzes the current communication flaws in the system while introducing a new system. This study gives a design review of Hip-Hop message board sites and conducts interviews with users of music message boards. The review and the interviews show indicates that comment filtering and receiving feedback on post were most important. The study then proposes a original alternative message board layout that uses topics that are relevant for longer periods of time than many of the current events topics that are used in current message board systems, as well as offers new structure to comment filtering and feedback systems. The proposed message board has a Hip-Hop Music theme, however the layout of the site is capable to be used in multiple different genres.