Milpitan creates online community for girls

Social site designed in contrast to other popular Web networking pages

A young Milpitas woman is attempting to use the immense popularity of social-networking Web sites among adolescents and young adults to harness the power and potential of girls and women. The site www.ChattyCathie.com is designed in contrast to, rather than in the model of popular sites like MySpace and Facebook.

The site's creator, lifelong Milpitan Tanesha Ferguson, created the site as a way to combine her many passions, and to provide a "dynamically thriving and safe community for girls of all ages to exchange thoughts and ideas, and replace female exploitation with self-respect and power, through communication and mentorship," she said.

Ferguson, 27, graduated from Milpitas High School in 1999 and first thought of creating such a site in 2005, while a student at the University of California at Berkeley.

"I am the oldest of six children, including four younger sisters, so I have always wanted to create something where young girls can build self-esteem and independence, and connect with peers and older girls."

Before seeking to help other girls, Ferguson was first a role model in her own home. She was the first member of her family to graduate high school on time and go to college. Following in Ferguson's footsteps, her younger sister recently transferred to UC-Berkeley as well.

Ferguson began actively pursuing the site

"I have deep passions for fashion, writing and mentoring young women and girls," Ferguson said. "I really saw this as a way to encompass all of my passions into one project."

Fashion is one of the discussion board topics on the site, along with health, celebrity gossip, news and women's issues. While users are encouraged to create online profiles, Ferguson seeks to build a dynamic very different from that of other networking sites.

"A big part of the reason I saw a need for (ChattyCathie.com) was how girls were allowing themselves to be exploited in a very sexual manner on sites like MySpace and Facebook," Ferguson said. "I wanted to create a place that was positive, and free of judgment, sexism, ridicule or competition."

The site includes original content via a monthly magazine created almost entirely by Ferguson, who holds a degree in English from Berkeley. Also featured is a "Little Miss Chatty Cathie" section, designed for girls ages 8 to 12. The main site is for girls 13 and older.

Since its launch on March 6, the site has received 4,500 impressions and 94 subscribers.

- Ali Abdollahi