CMPT-276 Web App Project
Down To Anything (DTA) is an exciting new social video and photo platform for challenging others. Users engage in fun and interactive activities and share them with the world. Inspired by viral video and photo challenges that have swept the internet in the past years, the best challenge-fulfillers can gain recognition and accumulate points for fulfilling challenges.
Currently, challenges are scattered among various social media platforms which pose two problems. First, challenge-based online activities do not have a centralized platform. Therefore, challenge seekers miss out on content that is appealing. Down to Anything will act as inspiration to formally receive recognition for completing challenges in particularly thrilling, entertaining, or impressive videos. Second, people who are uninterested in challenges can be overwhelmed by them on social media. With DTA, challenges are centralized for easy access, and those who are uninterested will not be bothered on their social media.
Our target audience is primarily adventure-seekers without fear or shame. However, DTA is available to anyone with access to a camera and the internet. DTA provides entertainment by allowing watching the best challenges without participating. We anticipate an audience between the ages of 13 and 30, depending on the initial user base. Our content creators will be old enough to afford cameras and know how to upload/edit videos, while a wider age range is expected to merely browsing the site. College or high-school-aged people will likely upload videos, as this age group currently participate in online challenges.
Primarily, our website will allow users to vote on challenges that they wish to see fulfilled by using an upvote/downvote system. Users then submit their video uploads as entries to the challenges. Once a challenge has one entry, the community will be able to vote for the ‘best’, which scores points for the uploader. Increasing point levels results in badges and achievements to incentivize further challenge fulfillment. A detailed user page lists their points, videos (sortable by popularity or date uploaded), and any affiliation with a team or group.
The users can browse through videos and search based on criteria. The users will be able to see the most popular videos or use specific search terms to narrow the results. This search will act as a filter that either returns videos of a certain type, or excludes them (for example, removing anything involving alcohol).
Admins are able to execute control over the content that is uploaded on our website. If a particular challenge is deemed inappropriate or somehow against the spirit of the website, we will be able to remove it. Similarly, an admin can remove users who breach our terms of service.
Groups of challengers can accrue points for a team rather than individually. This will encourage team challenges (e.g. ‘Most Daring Location for a Human Pyramid’), and hopefully inspire a fraternity and competitiveness. We have discussed a system where a team or person could tag another team or person in a challenge they themselves have completed as a personal challenge, as has been the trend with viral challenges in the past. These challenges could impart more points, and would further incentivize people to generate content.
Additionally, we have discussed location-based challenges. These may be of the form ‘Best Party Trick at SFU’ and require videos to be uploaded while physically at a specified location. This is one of our wish-list items that we want to implement if feasible, and if we have enough time. Currently, whenever a ‘viral challenge’ spreads across the internet, the procedure is ad-hoc. People upload to either YouTube or a native video-player (like Instagram or Facebook Video) and must send a link to their video, or tag the people they want to see it, as well as the people they hope to challenge. At most, quality of challenge fulfillment is based around views or likes. With DTA, competition is added, where people will be able to boast to friends about holding the top position or for knocking a reigning champ from 1st place. This encourages participation and imparts a social reward. DTA will develop a community of active users who come for entertainment.