Tag: influence

The top 10 most influential fans of 2012

“The Top 10 Most Influential Fans of 2012”

Daily Dot Article – 12/16/2012

With the increased mainstreaming of fan practices, lists like this seem somewhat inevitable. Despite that reality, this list makes me very uncomfortable. First, I’m uncomfortable seeing different fans ranked in order of their influence, Second, I start to wonder how this ranking system is constructed and what value systems it reinforces.

What types of fan practices are valued here and how is influence being quantified? For example, Noelle Stevenson is a wonderful artist, but the emphasis here seems to be far more on the number of followers Stevenson has on Tumblr and her ability to score a book deal. Similarly, E.L. James and Matthew Inman’s “influence” is linked to their ability to  direct flows of money. I don’t question that these are significant fans, but I think we need to ask some careful questions about why and how certain fans do (or do not) gain wider recognition inside and outside of fan networks. 

The top 10 most influential fans of 2012

“The Top 10 Most Influential Fans of 2012”

Daily Dot Article – 12/16/2012

With the increased mainstreaming of fan practices, lists like this seem somewhat inevitable. Despite that reality, this list makes me very uncomfortable. First, I’m uncomfortable seeing different fans ranked in order of their influence, Second, I start to wonder how this ranking system is constructed and what value systems it reinforces.

What types of fan practices are valued here and how is influence being quantified? For example, Noelle Stevenson is a wonderful artist, but the emphasis here seems to be far more on the number of followers Stevenson has on Tumblr and her ability to score a book deal. Similarly, E.L. James and Matthew Inman’s “influence” is linked to their ability to  direct flows of money. I don’t question that these are significant fans, but I think we need to ask some careful questions about why and how certain fans do (or do not) gain wider recognition inside and outside of fan networks.