You find out about the Internet not just on the Internet but in 'real life' too. On Saturday I was at the pub having drinks with a friend for her birthday, and I started talking to one of her friends about what I did and what she did. Turns out she's a graphic designer, working on colour and materials at a major car company, but also produces her own art. When she found out I was into the Internet, she started talking about RedBubble - an online space designed as a community for artist and a wider galley space and business. Often it is the case that ebusinesses are able to promote products that perhaps are aimed outside the traditional typical consumer groups. The products sold can often be described as 'niche' pr perhaps even 'alternative.' Sites like Etsy.com for handmade crafts and Threadless.com (as mentioned in class) for custom t-shirts are good examples of this. RedBubble has that same idea of promoting emerging artists who perhaps have not yet broken into the more typical areas of exposure.
Taking a look at RedBubble and it becomes clear that its business is focused on a sense of community of both artists and art appreciators or customers. This is another big feature of many online retail stores, perhaps the most famous examples is the user reviews at Amazon.com or the buyer/seller peer reviews on eBay.com. I guess customers feel a bigger sense of autonomy and power as compared to a traditional store where interacting with like-minded customers is more difficult.
RedBubble was started in my home town, Melbourne, and now it has offices in San Fransisco and I think also now London. Perhaps its key to success is its focus on community, and also the fairly unique pitch of being an 'online gallery' where art lovers can browse and perhaps the works of artists from their homes. Social photo sites such as Flickr.com already serves the same sort of purpose, but RedBubble has the hook of having 'real artists' (whatever that means in this world of participatory media) uploading their work.