Social networks and figure skating

[joeperryfan]

I was discussing this topic earlier with a friend, basically we were wondering how much the social networks contribute to spreading information about figure skating and how fans use them. Personally I don't friend skaters but I added some pages, most of the time their newest info doesn't reach my wall, so I began wondering how it works for other fans.

Do you receive fresh skating info frequently via FB, Twitter or others, or do you still rely mostly on other sites (let's face it, mostly FSU ) to get your info?

Is there a particular aspect of social networks that you dislike from a sport fan perspective?

[manleywoman]

Do you receive fresh skating info frequently via FB, Twitter or others, or do you still rely mostly on other sites (let's face it, mostly FSU ) to get your info?

Personally, I rely on Twitter and FSU. By the time I get to reading it on Facebook I've usually already read it on Twitter or FSU.

[joeperryfan]

Personally, I rely on Twitter and FSU. By the time I get to reading it on Facebook I've usually already read it on Twitter or FSU.

I don't use Twitter so I'm not very familiar with the sources there but I'm guessing you follow skaters official tweets, is that it?

[RD]

Not huge on FB, although I have added a few fan pages here and there. Twitter is more my thing. I find myself increasingly going there for info, and also to share info as well. I much prefer that format to FB, which I find more cluttered and confusing.

But as for primary sources of skating info, still the forums (and Google).

[kia_4EverOnIce]

I've become fan of some public pages (but they're not so frequently updated, I don't get a lot of info this way), but I never friend skaters. I just don't feel it useful for me (meaning, on FB I have real friends and don't want to add skaters or so just because I'm a fan).
For news, I rely most on FSU and other skating sites. Twitter--I'm not yet converted to it..

[manleywoman]

I don't use Twitter so I'm not very familiar with the sources there but I'm guessing you follow skaters official tweets, is that it?

That plus some parents, PJ KWong, Phil Hersh, Brennan, etc.

[misskarne]

I actually follow Plushenko's wife Yana on Twitter, even though I have to run all her tweets through Google Translate, because it's a good source of news. She'll update it with anything from the number of triple axels he landed in the shows in, er, Italy, I think it was (eighteen) to how many hours he was on the ice today. It's very informative. It's not so much the "news" aspect, but more of the training aspect.

[newbatgirl]

Twitter is awesome for events that aren't televised live. Usually some truly wonderful people (figure skating bloggers, sports writers, etc.) will live-tweet an event and I will follow them. I love being able to search an event hashtag and get a bunch of different perspectives on an event.

Twitter is also great for finding videos of performances posted on Youtube, without having to deal with YouTube's awful search function.

As for following skaters, it's sometimes interesting to see their comments, especially to each other. I don't tweet the skaters back too often. I figure they get enough crazy messages from fans.

[barbk]

Is FSU not considered social networking?

[aliceanne]

So far I haven't felt the need to do Facebook (information overload). I get my skater info from FSU, Aunt Joyce, my club, and I am on the email list for ITNY.

I find FSU the best source as the membership is well-rounded. Other sites seem to dominated by fans of this skater or that. I go to Aunt Joyce because he posts good videos, news, and skating history, I skip over the text when the snark gets too heavy.

[Skittl1321]

I follow some skaters on Twitter, but honestly don't look at Twitter that much.

I don't follow that people I don't know on Facebook, because I consider facebook to be more personal. I'll sometimes loosen the definition of "know" to someone I interact with on a message board, but only occasionally.

For the most part, my skating news comes from FSU and icenetwork

[RD]

There is a way to configure FB so that certain people you add don't see your entire profile- that's what I do, but even then- I've since stopped with the adding of people I'm not at least acquainted with personally.

But as far as Twitter goes, as long as a) you're a skater I have at least minimal interest in or b) you're someone who posts relevant news, updates, etc., and your tweets are open I'll follow you.

[Aussie Willy]

I stopped using Facebook after I got requests to be friends from skaters I judge, particularly when they are kids. I just don't feel comfortable about it.

A few skaters like Tanith and Ben I followed on Twitter, mainly because they do great Tweets. But even that has slipped by the wayside.

[misskarne]

I stopped using Facebook after I got requests to be friends from skaters I judge, particularly when they are kids. I just don't feel comfortable about it.

Whoa, that's too intense. Not to mention probably against the ISA's judge code somewhere, I'm sure. That's like students friending a teacher.

I don't like Facebook. I agree, it's information overload. I use Twitter to get news and put out status updates. I don't feel like I need Facebook anymore (although I occasionally feel guilty when it keeps sending me, "it's been eight months since you've been on Facebook!" "it's been ten months!" "NOW IT'S A YEAR, COME BAAAAAAAACK" emails).