Websites that allow readers/users/contributors to create or participate in a collective identity

Facebook
http://www.en-gb.facebook.com/
Facebook is a social networking site and, as such, virtually its entire purpose is to construct or express an identity. On an individual level, every aspect of a user’s page is a controlled representation of themselves: from their status updates and listed interests in their information sections through to their profile picture, everything is moderated by the individual to maked themselves more desirable. The interests they list and cultural references they draw upon are reflective of Bordieu's theory of 'cultural capital'. By functioning through Web 2.0, Facebook allows updates and new creations to be applied instantly.
The main way in which group identities are created on Facebook is through the joining of groups and through becoming fans of pages. Group and page creation is incredibly accessible, with any user on the site able to create a page in a matter of minutes. This instant accessibility and individual control over identity is linked to the theories of Foucault, who saw self-identity as an active project, allowing identities to be fluid in nature.
Advertising on Facebook is often specifically tailored to target individuals who have included things on their pages which the companies involved have deemed makes them a suitable target audience for their product. Indeed, many Facebook adverts call out directly to users through interpellation constructed through the interests of users, using phrases such as ‘Fan of (insert interest)? Then you’ll love (insert product)!’.

Twitter
http://www.twitter.com/
Twitter focuses primarily on the creation of individual identities due to a lack of interconnectivity. However, users are able to tag ‘trend topics’, as well as other users. Popular trend topics then appear on the homepage, allowing instant access to a wide collection of updates regarding the trend topic. As Twitter focuses almost entirely on the posts made, it is primarily through these that users create their online identity. Users will often try to make these updates interesting through the inclusion of popular culture references, drawing on cultural capital.

IMDB
http://www.imdb.com/
The Internet Movie Database contains a large variety of messageboards which allow users to exchange messages about film, television, video games, music, technology and the individual craft of users, as well as dozens of other subjects. There is an eclectic tone to the message boards, with much variation and texture contained within. Topics range from the high-brow, such as threads about the Awards season, film noir and international cinema, through to more accessible threads more rooted in popular culture, such as threads on soaps and serials, Harry Potter and celebrity news. The topics on the message board homepage are created by the IMDB institution, meaning they have control over the greater picture.
However, within each of these topics, it is the users of the site who primarily control the contents of the sub-threads, though IMDB do maintain some control due to the presence of ‘admins’, who have the power to remove threads and discipline users when they believe the rules of the forum have been breached or if content is deemed inappropriate. The user control over the creation of content means that seemingly random, tangential topics (such as ‘Is Dumbledore gay, or is it that he just could never get a ladyfriend?’) are as acceptable and valid as high-brow topics which discuss the art of film from a critical perspective (such as ‘Is THE PRINCESS BRIDE one of the greatest cult movies of all time?‘)
The collective opinion would be perceived as being connoisseurs of film and, as such, the ability for users to submit reviews of their own is notable, as other users can easily access the viewpoints of other people who have seen the film and gather a wide variety of opinions, allowing them to have a rough idea of how the film has been received away from professional reviews which may be subject to bias.
Interestingly, the overall score out of 10 given to a film on IMDB is constituted entirely from the average rating given by multiple users, which goes some way to ensuring that the scores which can be seen are an amalgamation of the reviews from sometimes as many as thousands of independent film-goers.

A film fansite for ‘Twilight’
http://www.thetwilightforums.com/index.php
There are an unfathomably large number of ‘fansites’ dedicated to movies, celebrities and other prominent figures. However, one of the most notable ‘movements’ in recent years is the increasingly vast number of die-hard Twilight fans. As such, a large number of sites dedicated to this film series have been created in a relatively short period of time, with the film series striking a chord with a large audience encompassing people of different age groups and genders. The almost fanatical nature of many of these fans means that messageboards, wherein they are able to communicate with other fans from around the globe about specific topics within the Twilight universe, are commonplace on many of these fansites. The Twilight franchise has arguably attracted a lot more attention and success than it deserves due to a snowballing effect stemming from word of mouth and media attention. This has arguably led to many teenage girls investing themselves in the franchise because they feel it is 'expected' of them due to the age and gender categories they fall into. This is reflective of the theories of Althusser.

Cosmopolitan
http://www.cosmopolitan.co.uk/community/channel
‘For fun, fearless females’ is the slogan of the magazine and, as such, this sets the tone for the user-generated content on the Cosmopolitan community forums. The post-modern approach to femininity the site takes can be seen even at a glance though the topics of each messageboard, with examples ranging from ‘Style and shopping’ and ‘Relationships’ to ‘Gynae’ and ‘Sex’, with many other aspects of feminine life being explored in some of the numerous other messageboards. These messageboards allow users access to what Bourdieu coined as 'cultural capital', as they are able to access topics relevant to their interests. By offering access to advice, users are also arguably able to gain 'social capital'.
However, as the forum topics have been decided beforehand by Cosmopolitan, it could be argued the collective identity being portrayed by users is to some degree already predetermined by the institution. This is reflective of Althusser’s theories of interpellation, wherein the reader identifies with media texts as a source of authority and ideology and thereby becomes its subject, leading to a cycle of investment once the reader has identified with a particular idea.
Maslow's hierarchy of needs is also tied in with this type of media product, as the audience consumes the ideologies portrayed as they seek to self-actualise. However, it is in the interests of the companies for the readers to never fully self-actualise, meaning that in articles and suchlike, a careful equilibrium would be established. This need to maintain balance is potentially absent from messageboards, as the content is user-generated and, as such, there is less focus on maintaining this delicate balance between empowerment and an ongoing need for the product.