As with many virtual worlds and mmos, literacy practices can continue long after the player has logged off and extend beyond the borders of the virtual world itself.
Since Club Penguin first launch in 2005, dozens of websites, blogs and message boards have been created to give players a place to discuss their virtual world at length.
Secrets, Cheats and Codes
While it’s not possible to verify the ages of the creators or users of these sites, it’s safe to say that many are within upper reaches of the Club Penguin’s 6 - 14 years old target market.
Content and conversations at these sites usually revolve around the release of new catalogues, “cheats” that will reveal secret content hidden within the game or mini-game walkthroughs explaining how to complete challenging games.
All this social interaction occurs as a dialogue through forum posts, blog posts and comments, that requires a high level of digital literacy in both parties - the person hosting the site and the visitors who comment.
While some site builders make money from ads on their sites, an underlying motivation that cannot be discounted is once again that of status through social currency. Being the first to post about “uncovering” a secret, finishing a new mini-game or finding a cheat brings with it a level of clout that lifts penguins above all others and makes their player the “expert” to his peers. A motivation that is regularly harnessed by educators often with positive results.
Messing Around and Mashing Up
Some players take their literacy engagement with Club Penguin even further, by using the virtual world’s tools to create their own jokes and narrative. For example:
