I have started working on the social network sites for my project with LGBT Youth North West. The main ‘site’/blog (still under development), can be  viewed here, has been created using Tumblr.

Tumblr was selecting over other blogging platforms as it offers an easy to use content management system which is particularly attractive for non-technical users. This should help ensure the sustainability of the site at the end of the project.

In addition Tumblr has a wide range of quirky and customisable themes that have appeal to a young audience. It is hoped this will make it an attractive proposition for members of LGBT Youth NW to read and contribute to the the site.

One disadvantages of Tumblr is the lack of commenting functionality for posts. However this has been overcome by adding in global comment system Disqus. This is by no means perfect as it does mean having to work across more than one CMS – but it has offered a workable solution.

Other additional functionality has been added by integrating an RRS news widget, with a dedicated feed of LGBT news. While static buttons then link to other social media spaces that will be seeded with LGBT Youth NW content moving forward. Google analytics has also been added to track traffic to, from and around the site.

Image c/o db*photography licensed under Creative Commons.