All of us who have a Facebook (and don’t) have seen and heard their friends discussing the latest fan pages that have everyone talking. It’s easy to join and become a fan of a group and sometimes some people become fans of too many pages. We all know that one person who shows up in our newsfeed about 5 times a day stating that so and so has become a fan of at least 21 new profiles. With this in mind we begin to think, “why would anyone ever become a fan of this many things?” or maybe “they are really annoying and need to stop joining all the fan pages and taking up my whole newsfeed” whatever your thoughts on Facebook Fan Pages may be, there are others out there who feel the same way as you do. Some questions that have left me confused are why people choose to join and become fans of such random profiles. Do these ‘fan pages’ really describe the type of person they are? By looking at our own ‘fan pages’ could we say that people viewing our profile for the first time may get or may not get a good understanding of the type of person we are? Are these ‘fan pages’ necessary? After looking and grappling with these few questions, I’ve also been thinking about the fact that anyone can create and manage a fan page. In which instance, who establishes the ‘sense of authority’? Could we say that the person in charge of the fan page creates the authority, or the people that become fans of the pages and leave their own comments about the topic on the fan page? And why is it that some fan pages are more popular than others, whether it be because of the ‘eye-catching’ image on the home of the fan page or maybe the description, what is it that catches the viewers attention enough to make them become a fan of that specific ‘fan page’?
I tend to think it's a bit annoying when I see someone becoming a fan of 20 different pages in one day. I have a friends who has almost 1,000 fan pages, and to me that is ridiculous. I have about 20, and most of mine are actual things that I'm a fan of- a local chocolate shop, a radio station, a restaurant. Some of them are goofy things that are just a joke really. Yesterday I became a fan of "Seeing what people become a fan of" because I was thinking about how we see all of this nonsense in our news feeds on a daily basis.
ReplyDeleteAs far as who creates the authority of a fan page, I'd say it's more the fans of the page than the actual creator. In groups it seems the creator has more control. A fan page seems to represent what fans have written on the wall, posted in discussions, etc.
In my opinion, some fan pages are more popular than others simply because of what they're about. It's tempting to join a fan page that's funny, and if you see that all your fans have joined it, I think that's what generates a lot of this constant joining of pages. As far as popular things such as a store or a musical artist, these things will by definition have a lot of fans. Then you have our ENG 252 page that only has about 20 fans at the moment. I really just think it depends on the topic and who is actually looking for these pages. It's not to say that our page isn't interesting, it's just not going to become as popular as Price Chopper or Lady Gaga.
I agree that it is annoying when you see that same person on your news feed claiming their name to another fan page. You ask yourself does that person even have a life. Then again it really is their own prerogative to become a fan of anything they desire. That is why Facebook is so popular in the first place. There isn't anyone telling you what you can or cannot be a fan of. This is probably why there are so many non-distinctive fan pages out in the world of FB. The creators of these fan pages have the freedom to express their interest in anything they wish, hence the amount of fan pages that are out there.
ReplyDeleteAfter the fan page is made it is obvious who holds the most "authority" over the page. The fans are the one who make the page an actual "fan page", therefore they hold the reigns. The whole point of a fan page is to get as many fans as possible, without them then the whole idea of a fan page is non-existent.
Along with everything else in life, some things are just more popular than others, especially when the fan page is focused around something that is already popular in our culture. For instance, the page I showed in our class is a fan page of my cousins' comedy gig, “The New York Smith’s”. Of course they aren't going to have as many fans as the SNL cast, but they are still promoting the same idea that the SNL fan page does. I believe that fan pages are a smart way to get your name out there and make sure it remains in the heads of the several fans the page inhabits.
I am a fan of Reeses Peanut Butter cups on Facebook. I would say that a fan page can say a lot about you and what your interests are. I don't know anyone who doesn't like Reeses! Some fan pages are completely random such as "Panicking when someone says "I have to tell you something...". Ok, you are a fan of panicking when something like this happens? I don't get it! I mean I can see where some people would panic when someone said that to them, but I don't think I would become a fan of that on Facebook. That is something I would keep to myself. A lot can be learned about someone through their fan pages though. You could be able to tell that they like music, some foods, certain weather, and other related things. When it comes to someone creating a fan page, I don't know if that necessarily means that the fan page was their idea, so they should be the only ones allowed to post information. The thing about fan pages is, it never really says who made the fan page. That is something that is a huge difference between this and groups on facebook. I think that some fan pages catch some people's eyes based on who they are. For example, I am a fan of House. Some people may hate that show, so therefore they wouldn't become fan's of it. I think some fan pages are more popular than others based solely on peoples interests. Fan pages are definitely a good way to advertise! I think what catches people's eyes is the title of the fan page, because it's something that they either agree with or like. I like becoming fans of some things, but I don't have 100+ fan pages. It doesn't make sense to me. How do you keep up with all of it?
ReplyDeletePersonally I feel that fanpages are just fun. Maybe people can become addicted to fanpages, but in all honesty whats the difference? If some of my friends have too many facebook fan pages, it really doesnt take up too much space on my newsfeed.
ReplyDeleteI think fanpages are just something that people do to laugh about, or relate to another person about. It can also be a conversation starter to someone you haven't talked to for a while.
If someone were to look at my fanpages, they would probably get a summary of my personality, not who I am, but a footnote on who I am.
Fanpages are not nessesary, just something to laugh about, their for entertainment.
I would say that some fanpages are more popular than others because some more people can relate to. If more people can relate to the fanpages, then more people join, and it becomes more popular.
Fanpages are a little annoying in the news feed but I mean really are they that big of a deal. My roommate is a fan of like 1500 fanpages. I think that becoming a fan of a page is your own personal choice.I mean I usually end up joining the pages that other people join because there in my news feed. I mean its fun and sometimes can even stir up a little bit of conversation. Maybe someone really is a fan of all 1,000 things. Facebook does limit them you cannot become a fan of more than 2000 things, so think of it this way all these people joining massive amounts of fanpages are joining to have to stop at some point.
ReplyDeleteDo i think there necessary no. But there fun, you can get a good laugh because of a page. These things are just funny sometimes and also help promote other places.And its voluntary,I mean Facebook is not forcing people to join these pages. You can totally abstain to going on these pages, just do not click become a fan.
If someone were to look at my fanpages they would get a little bit of a feeling for who I am. I mean you would not know everything about me but I join fanpages that are things I like or believe or see as interesting so of course you will learn something from them.
Some fan pages are more popular than others because more people like that specific group. It could also be that the person who created that fanpage has a lot of friends who joined and then it showed up in there news feed and there friends joined and the cycle continues and it becomes extremely popular.
The person who creates the page has the authority. Any member can post on the page but ultimately the creator can delete there comments.
I find it to be incredibly annoying when my news feed is constantly saying "so and so is a fan of ... and atleast 15 other profiles." I think people overdo it when they are literally fans of everything. Some of these fanpages just have a name then thats it. It doesn't have discussions or anything. These are the ones where I find myself questioning why anyone would be a fan of it. Sometimes my news feed is just congested with people becoming fans of profiles. I'm sorry I don't particularly care if you are a fan of Goulash. I think you can learn a lot about a person through the pages they are fans of but sometimes I don't really want to know that much. I don't think that i really need to know that "when I'm upset, I use one-word answers." I'm only a fan of seven pages in which 6 of them are local pages having to do with music, a restaurant, and my job. The other fanpage is for Chelsea Handler. I became a fan of Chelsea Handler because I wanted to find out updated information about her.
ReplyDeleteA lot of fan pages aren't managed. They consist of a name and that's it. I feel that if you are going to be a fan of a profile than it should probably be more than just a page with a name. Perhaps some discussions and pictures would make the page better.
I think that some fan pages are more popular than others depending on what the topic is. If more people agree with the name of the group than more people are going to join. It helps if the page is also visually appealing.
I think the question of authority is a good one. While yes, the creator has a certain level of control, the real point of the fan page is to open up a relationship between the fan and the topic in question. Whether it be a store or a concept, the input of the fans is what really makes a fan page come alive. A couple creators can keep a group somewhat active whether or not they gain more members, but a fan page basically does not work if their are no fans to contribute to the activity of the wall. This unique relationship is what is so great about a fan page, someone can create the page and sit back to watch what happens. The creator doesn't necessarily even have to interact at all, a good fan page will be sustained by the fans alone.
ReplyDeleteI do agree that some people are just out of control with becoming fans of EVERYTHING. This kind of defeats the purpose of being a fan at all. By representing yourself as a fan of thousands of things, you really aren't describing yourself very well. i think a few well chosen pages are a little more descriptive and makes more sense in the end. If you become a fan of everything that sounds funny or is mildly interesting, no one will really gain an understanding of who you are. Those people I end up describing as "one of those crazy facebook people who just click yes to everything." I guess that might be an accurate description, but not really what I'd like to be described as
There are many things that go into a popular fan page. First and foremost, it needs to be something that people would want to become a fan of. I'm a fan of Lady Gaga. However, I didn't fan her on facebook because of the fan page, but because I happen to enjoy her music. I'm also a fan of "That random comfy chair in the classroom that isn't like all the others". This is a popular page, because it's something that people can relate to. A lot of the profiles that I find to be popular, are everyday things that people don't think deeply about, such as "trying to accomplish something before the microwave hits 0:00". I do that all the time, but I don't really think about it. So to see that it's something that I constantly do, but I'm not the one that created it, it shows that I'm not the only person who does that. It builds a sense of community within facebook.
ReplyDeleteI have become a fan of many different things. I just happen to find a lot of these things funny, so I join them. Its not like I get anything from joining the page, they just amuse me. I don't feel like people would really be able to get a sense of my personality through my fan pages, but why should they have to? I'm not on facebook to meet people, I'm on facebook to talk to people I already know. People get to know me from spending time with me, or talking to me, not from stalking my page and my fan pages.
I can see that the majority of people that posted on here could attest to my statement as to having that one friend that is constantly becoming a fan of anything and everything. Some people brought up the point of do these fan pages describe them, some agreed whereas others disagreed, I would say that there are probably groups that you have joined because you felt as though it described you to perfectly. Whereas others said they have joined groups because they were funny, or thought it brought back a memory while you viewed the page. I find it ridiculous when people join over a certain amount of groups (I would say twenty-five) and most who are fans of many pages will disagree however, when you become a fan of 1,676 fan pages on Facebook, it's a bit ridiculous. For example, my sister is a fan of anything, and everything I wouldn't say that all her fan pages describe her, some do however, the majority of the groups are inside jokes with other friends or groups that she can look at and laugh at herself and say, "yeah this is what my friends and I do". I don't think that people should be able to get an understanding of who you are by looking at your fan pages but I could say that being a fan of only 4 fan pages mine describe me very well especially if you know me. I'm a fan of the Northeast-10, Track, The College of Saint Rose Golden Knights, and ENG 252 Writing for New Media. I would say if you looked at all these groups and knew me very well you would be able to guess who I was by solely looking at my groups. I think it would be funny to have everyone list about 5 or 6 groups that they are fans of and see if the class could decide who is a fan of what.
ReplyDeleteI think that people become "fans" of certain pages and group members is simply because they agree with what is being said. Sometimes, I become a fan because I think it's funny, and think it something that I am able to relate too. People do get out of hand with how many pages they have joined. I like to read them, and sometimes I just join for the hell of it. There are definitely rediculous ones that I sit at the computer and laugh at, and think it is really unnessesary for people to be fans of this many pages.
ReplyDeleteIf you look on my page, it shows you what I am a fan of and what groups I join and could definitely say that it describes the person I am. I am a group of some goofy things, but thats just me. And most of my fan pages and groups are just things that I believe in. I don't go crazy with becoming a fan of this and that. But i feel that if i relate to it, then I can become a fan without people saying, oh my god she has so many fan pages and groups.
I don't mind the Facebook fan pages. Some of them are kind of funny, especially when you see the type of person becoming a fan of a certain thing. I've personally become a fan of some pretty stupid things that only I find funny or is an inside joke with one of my friends. It does get a little obnoxious when I see a person becoming a fan of 8 million different things like "sleeping" for instance. It takes up way too much of my news feed and it kind of gets irritating.
ReplyDeleteI think it is ridiculous the number of Facebook pages that some people choose to join. My cousin is currently associated with 230 different pages. 230!?! What?! That is outrageous. When people are fans of that many pages, I think it is just screaming that these individuals are obviously spending way too much time on Facebook and have a little bit too much free time. I have become a fan of 18 pages but these pages are either my favorite artists, restaurants, organizations, stores, or local businesses.
ReplyDeletePeople viewing someone's profile for the first time could a sense of who that person is by seeing the pages they are associated with. A person can get a sense of someone's favorite music or favorite places to hangout. Facebook pages are not a necessity. When Facebook was first introduced pages were not even created yet. In regards to who creates the sense of authority, I do not think it necessarily has to be the person who has created the page or the group. It can be someone who follows the page or group on a day to day basis and is constantly posting comments, questions, issues, links, videos, products, etc. about that page. Some pages are more popular than others because they are more well known to the general public. Products, artists, organizations, and businesses that are in the media a lot are obviously going to draw more fans than those that are not.