You already open three or four apps before school. Each one is a platform: a place built so people can talk, share, watch or work together.
Today you will build a Platform Comparison Grid covering at least six platforms. You will compare purpose, typical user, format and business model, and notice how each one shapes what you can say and how you say it.
Every platform you add to the grid gets the same four questions.
| Term | What it means for you | Real example |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose: what the platform is mainly for | Why people open that app | WhatsApp for private and group chat; YouTube for longer video |
| Typical user: who mostly uses it | The audience you are writing to | LinkedIn for job-seekers and workplaces; TikTok for a younger everyday audience |
| Format: the shape the message must take | Short video, chat, long post, live stream | An Instagram Reel versus a long YouTube video |
| Business model: how the company makes money | Ads, subscriptions, or fees change what you see | Free TikTok feed funded by ads; YouTube free tier plus paid subscriptions |
Six platforms to start from (add more if you use them):
Other names you may add: X, Facebook, Reddit, Telegram, Snapchat. Use what you actually know.
Pick at least six platforms you actually use or know, and add each one under the heading that fits it best. The list does not save, so keep this page open: you will use your six in the next two steps.
Weigh these platforms against four communication jobs. Then press Enter Your Work below and fill in your weighing notes there. They feed your grid; they are not the portfolio piece.
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