I found an interesting new site the other day called Fanpop. Fanpop is a social network revolving around fandom. Basically, Fanpop consists of a network of social portals or "spots" dedicated to a particular subject, be it a movie, book, author, celebrity, tv show, etc. Users can join spots to be a fan of that subject, and then they can add links, news items and participate in discussions about that topic with other fans.

If you sign up, there are a number of already existing spots, but if you don't find what you like you can start your own spot. I started one for the now ended Showtime series, Queer As Folk. Because I started the spot, I got to choose the icon and banner for the spot (I made the banner in Photoshop). When you join a spot, if you contribute high quality content, (links, articles, etc.) you can eventually be given more recognition on a spot in the form of medals. The medals range from "fan" to "fanatic". In turn, the medals give the user increased control over the content in each spot.

It seems like a great way to connect with people of similar interests. I like that it gives a list of similar or related spots on each spot page, and I would think that with time these will become even more relevant. One thing this service needs is RSS. You should be able to subscribe to the links, headlines, and forum discussions. The forums could also be a little more full-featured, allowing you to post links and possibly images. The service is still in beta though, so I'm sure they'll be unvailing new features soon.

Categories: Internet