A fansite, fan site, fan blog or fan page is a
website created and maintained by a
fan or devotee about a
celebrity, thing, or particular cultural
phenomenon.
Fansites may offer specialized information on the subject (e.g., episode listings, biographies, storyline plots), pictures taken from various sources, the latest news related to their subject, media downloads, links to other, similar fansites, and the chance to talk to other fans via discussion boards. They often take the form of a
blog, highlighting the latest news regarding the fansite subject. They often include galleries of photos or videos of the subject and are often "affiliates" with other fansites.
''Fanlistings'' are another common type of unofficial fansite, though they are much simpler than general fansites, and are designed simply to list fans of a certain subject who have chosen to submit their names (and sometimes links to their home pages). Many do not contain much information on the subject at all, aside from a small introduction. They are generally made with the thought that visitors will already have knowledge of the subject. However, several are a part of a bigger fansite, used to amplify the fanbase's experience.
Many fan sites have
online communities and
social networking
A social network is a social structure made up of a set of social actors (such as individuals or organizations), sets of dyadic ties, and other social interactions between actors. The social network perspective provides a set of methods for an ...
tools. By the early 2010s,
Facebook groups became a popular alternative to independent fan sites.
Most fansites are unofficial, but a few are officially endorsed, where the subject will supply material and reimbursement for the expense and bother of running the site. To state that they are unofficial, many fan webmasters put a disclaimer on a visible place on the website, which sometimes also includes the copyright of the site. Many celebrities prefer to create and run their own sites, in order to control the content and perhaps retail their personal views. They employ their own
webmaster and own the copyright.
History
Decline
By the early 2010s,
Facebook groups became a popular alternative to independent fan sites.
Motivations
A study
suggests that unofficial fansites are often built as an alternative to the "hard sell" approach of official fansites that carry commercial messages. A classification system developed by Wann breaks down eight motives of fandom. These motives, particularly those related to group affiliation and self-esteem, are a driving factor in the creation of unofficial fan sites.
Satisfying the social psychology needs of group affiliation and self-esteem by visiting fansites, and, in particular, participating in the
community aspects of fansites, appear to serve to increase
fan behavior.
Research on interpersonal attraction indicates that people generally prefer to socialize with those who are similar to them.
[Rubin, Z. (1973). Liking and loving. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.] For example, sports fans fulfill this need by attending sporting events in person. In the online world, fans fulfill this need by building or participating in online fansites.
Many fans prefer to visit unofficial fansites for fan-related services,
but still prefer an official fansite as the primary source for accurate information since it affords the closest affiliation with the target itself.
See also
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Fan art
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Fan club
A fans club is an organized group of fans, generally of a celebrity. Most fans clubs are run by fans who devote considerable time and resources to support them. There are also "official" fan clubs that are run by someone associated with the per ...
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Fandom
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Fan fiction
Fan fiction or fanfiction (also abbreviated to fan fic, fanfic, fic or FF) is fictional writing written in an amateur capacity by fans, unauthorized by, but based on an existing work of fiction. The author uses copyrighted characters, settin ...
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Fan mail
References
{{Websites template
Fandom
Websites
Internet culture
Web 1.0