Wow...so reading the last three or so pages here is bringing back memories. I remember those days on skate forums. Folks really took this stuff seriously back then, that's for sure (and to be honest, I was no exception). I remember there were big fan projects put together for both Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan. And yes, their most rabid fans were constantly at each other's throats...although I came in at the tail end of that mess, for the most part (early 2002). There was also some animosity between Kwan's fans and fans of Sasha Cohen through the mid-2000s. As bad as the Yuna Kim/Mao Asada flame wars got at times, I honestly think what I saw of them paled in comparison to some of the stuff I'd seen back in the day when I came on. I mean, there were entire EZBoards dedicated to venting frustration at the skater of your choice...particularly, some of the stuff said about the male skaters was...intense.
As for the original post in this thread, as unfortunate as it is, this is nothing new. And a handwritten letter is about as "old-school" as it gets, so I'm not going to blame social media for this one. Crazed fans have ALWAYS been an issue in the sports/entertainment world. What social media HAS done, IMO, is make it harder for public figures to avoid crazed fans. It has become almost a necessary evil these days (if you'd like to call it that) for brand-building, growing business, and PSA/outreach efforts. And because anyone can interact with your account, it is much easier to come across "negative" or "offensive" content, especially when you're checking it regularly to post messages, etc. Whereas before, the chatter was confined to online boards, private groups, and clubs - and you could focus on whatever you were doing, for the most part (managing regular press coverage was the dominating concern). Public figures regularly communicating with fans directly is something that's really only been a thing the past 10-12 years. And, tying into the paragraph above, a lot of these flame wars that used to be confined (mostly) to private boards are now carried out in the open on social media, in direct view of the target. When the person gets tagged, it's hard to escape that...
The main thing - as a person with an elevated profile, people are going to say things about you. Some of those things will be negative. That's part of the gig. A thick skin must be developed. That said, lines should certainly be drawn when folks start making harm/death threats or stalking - everyone's safety should always be paramount.
As for the original post in this thread, as unfortunate as it is, this is nothing new. And a handwritten letter is about as "old-school" as it gets, so I'm not going to blame social media for this one. Crazed fans have ALWAYS been an issue in the sports/entertainment world. What social media HAS done, IMO, is make it harder for public figures to avoid crazed fans. It has become almost a necessary evil these days (if you'd like to call it that) for brand-building, growing business, and PSA/outreach efforts. And because anyone can interact with your account, it is much easier to come across "negative" or "offensive" content, especially when you're checking it regularly to post messages, etc. Whereas before, the chatter was confined to online boards, private groups, and clubs - and you could focus on whatever you were doing, for the most part (managing regular press coverage was the dominating concern). Public figures regularly communicating with fans directly is something that's really only been a thing the past 10-12 years. And, tying into the paragraph above, a lot of these flame wars that used to be confined (mostly) to private boards are now carried out in the open on social media, in direct view of the target. When the person gets tagged, it's hard to escape that...
The main thing - as a person with an elevated profile, people are going to say things about you. Some of those things will be negative. That's part of the gig. A thick skin must be developed. That said, lines should certainly be drawn when folks start making harm/death threats or stalking - everyone's safety should always be paramount.
