So -- About This "Fan" Business

1. 58

   C. Ramsdellposted 13 years ago

   I've been on the site for a week (-ish), and have become fans of writers whose writing style I value, or point of view I think I could learn from... Etc. Didn't really find out until I braved the forums tonight that it's a traffic-promoting thing here.
   
   Am I violating any unwritten rules by being a genuine fan? Some people seem touchy about it, and I'm curious if it's an actual "thing" or just a few people.

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      Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Everyone has their own style and reasons and thoughts and beliefs and wants and needs and....
      
      
      Just do what you want to do regarding fans & following.

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      EmpressFelicityposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      It's definitely a traffic-promoting thing for some... or perhaps to be more accurate, an ego-promoting thing. "I'll follow you, not because I like your hubs or even read them, but because I want you to follow me back so that people will see how many followers I have and think I'm really popular and cool!!!!" 
      
      Just carry on doing what you're doing (following/fanning people 'cos you actually LIKE their writing) and ignore all the crap that goes with the whole following thing.  Don't allow anyone's emotional blackmail - implied or explicit - to make you do otherwise.  Life is too short.
      
      
      
      
      Put it this way, if there is such an unwritten rule, then it's such a stupid rule that you might as well ignore it.  See above.
      
      
      
      
      It's just a few people.  The vast majority of HP members never even come to the forums, so that will give you an idea of the percentages.

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         raisingmeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I like this!  Especially what you said about "emotional blackmail"!  Personally I follow others because I like their 'stuff'.   There is some major talent on HubPages.  Others I follow because their hubs are extremely helpful as I learn my way around.

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            EmpressFelicityposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            There is.  (There's some real dross too, but the talent does shine through.)  Actually, the thing I've noticed since joining HubPages is that when I read articles in the print media, I'm often struck by how boilerplate and unoriginal they are compared to some of the writing I read here on HP.

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   3. 81

      Winsomeposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      I was pondering this whole idea answering a question from my first fan about where my followers came from and quoted How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying where the guy is encouraged to steal a brilliant idea from someone else. The hub became quite long and I realized that one succeeds on HP not by contrived short cuts but by "genuinely" liking the ones you follow and who follow you.
      I've observed more than participated in the forums, but I think, and it's only my opinion, that the forums are no different. If I like what I read here, it helps me write in return. Sometimes it's a love/hate thing with some ideas, but when you sincerely like the people you dialogue with, chances are good you will become followers of the people in the forums as well.

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      1. 58

         C. Ramsdellposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I hear you on this. I've only actually published one hub thus far, but my computer desk is covered in... Counting... Thirty six index cards, all with ideas.
         
         Actually, got the idea to use index cards from another hubber. Love this place.

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      Marisa Wrightposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      You found out the wrong information!
      
      Some people treat following as a traffic-promoting thing.  Personally (as I just posted on another thread), I see the HubPages community as a place to be "off duty", not a place to do business.  If I fan someone, it's because I genuinely like their writing.  I don't follow a lot of people.
      
      Don't feel under any pressure to play the following game. There are plenty of Hubbers who don't.

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         Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

         I advised him to do his own thing in regards to fans & following - I follow different people for different reasons and do not believe my information was wrong.

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            Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

            I do not think that Marissa was talking about individual people. She made reference to the fact that the OP and the perspective view of it, is based on wrong information.

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               Rafiniposted 13 years agoin reply to this

               oh, okay.  guess it's too soon for me to jump in.  thanks.

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   Susana Sposted 13 years ago

   Most hubbers only follow people they are genuinely interested in reading, it's the minority that do it for promotion (though I don't think they get any tangible benefits from that approach).

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   C. Ramsdellposted 13 years ago

   Good to know. I just didn't want the boot, .

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      psycheskinnerposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      Your reason for being a fan is the real reason, anything else is just a mercenary spin off.

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   andromidaposted 13 years ago

   I agree with Marisa.

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5. 90

   Polly Cposted 13 years ago

   I come onto the forums because I like the communication, not to look for followers.  In fact, I don't really look for followers, and I generally only follow people whose writing I admire. I do love having followers, but genuine ones as opposed to just trying to get as many as I can.
   
   I just thought I would add that, of all my hubs, the one with the most comments, which is also the one that has found me the most new followers, is the one least read by search engines. I knew that would be the case, I wrote it just because I wanted to.  My most read hub has hardly any comments because the subject matter is not very interesting for other hubbers.

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6. 0

   ericsomethingposted 13 years ago

   Interesting points from all of y'all. I don't have a whole lot of followers, nor do I follow a whole bunch of people. It's like the folks I do follow are those I wouldn't mind sitting down with over a cup of coffee, real-time.
   
   I don't stick with following folks who are just like me (if I did, I'd be one lonely Hubber!). One of my favorite folks on Hubpages describes himself as a "lunatic liberal ACLU atheist;" the only thing we have in common there is the lunatic part. But I digress.
   
   Of course I'm always interested in getting new readers -- hey, that's an occupational disease when you're a writer -- but I'm not even thinking about that when deciding who to follow, or making my infrequent forum visits.
   
   Oh, C. Ramsdell -- index cards rock! I never go anywhere without a pocketful of them.

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   1. 91

      Pcunixposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      But at least we will always have that, Eric.   It may be a small thing, it may be something others would spurn, but it is ours and we own it and live it fully.
      
      You are one of my favorite lunatics also :-)

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   CYBERSUPEposted 13 years ago

   My thoughts are similar to those of Susan S and Marisa Wright. How in the world could one read all of your followers hubs? As a salesman I was always taught when with a potential costumer to remember KISS, translated means "Keep It Simple Stupid". Thanks so much Susan and Marisa, for giing of your time and talent. I certainly appreciate the help I get fromother Hubbers.,

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8. 91

   Pcunixposted 13 years ago

   I made such a long winded answer  to this that I quit half way through and turned it into a hub.
   
   Thank you for that bit of inspiration.
   
   And don't follow me because I plainly have no idea where I am going,

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      Cagsilposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      

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      Sally's Troveposted 13 years agoin reply to this

      @ C. Ramsdell:  And PC's Hub is well worth reading, too, especially for a good chuckle. So's Winsome's. I think both will give you a lot of insight into fanning and following.

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   Good Guyposted 13 years ago

   I am not particular about "followers" although I do follow some.  I am more interested to have Google follow me!! You see it's their search engine that will bring real readers, and hopefully click the ads. (LOL)

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