www.djforums.com

DJ Forums, or DJF, is an online message board for DJs, Producers, and lovers of Electronic Dance Music. A repository for informatoin such as tutorials and reviews, DJF also incorporates an active message board comprised of over fourteen thousand members and half a million posts and over a quarter million hits each day.

The creators of DJF have set the site up as the Center of Electronic Music Culture, mostly spreading through word of mouth, search engines, and user loyalty. Representatives from major equipment vendors visit DJF regularly to gague the responses of new products and to find out what innovations DJs and producers want.

DJF also runs www.faderwave.net, an internet radio station devoted to promoting DJF members. Between Faderwave, the forums, reviews, tutorials, news, and chatroom, DJF has set itself up as the premire DJ and Producer society online.


www.questionablecontent.net

Questionable Content, or QC, is a forum and t-shirt sales business based on an original webcomic staring sexually frustrated indie-rock fans trying to make a life. QC exists solely because of word of mouth and memoribelia sales. The indie nature of the comic aids in the undergroudn image they try to promote as well as the word of mouth spread of the comic.

QC relies on the indie subculture as well as well developed characters, sardonic humor, and music-based inside jokes to develope a cult following.

Unlike DJF, QC's aim is not intended to become the best or most pervasive of anything. QC is simpler and much more humble in its ambitions, and it's success is also more limited.


Both sites rely partly on word of mouth to gain followers; both have a cult following; and both are based at least partly on music. But, the ways they go about reaching their public are different: one tries to be the best one-stop-shop for information in regards to a specific type of performance, while the other entertains faithful readers with round characters and sardonic quips.

Both have achieved their purpose, though--by the numbers--the indie comic is much less successful than the music performers' and creators' society.