Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums | Golden Skate

Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

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ApacheApache

Guest
Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

First of all, I'm starting this thread to voice my frustration over the negative perception of Michelle forums.

I've to say just about every skater forum will accuse Michelle fans as being blind Michelle worshippers. I hear MKF as being a scary forum for the excessive gushing and bashing of other skaters especially her closest rivals - Irina, Tara, Sasha and even the nice media friendly girl-next-door Sarah.

As a newbie last year, I was curious and I decided to embark on some research work to find out the truth. I browsed Tara, Sarah, Sasha, Irina forums from time to time for my research. My findings:

1. All skater-specific forums are filled with excessive gushings that rival Michelle forums.

2. All skater-specific forums have their own share of bashing of other skaters and posters who support the skater's rivals.

3. All skater specific forums have sensible fans who will admonish their fellow fans who do the bashing. This helps restore balance to the forums. What people fail to realise is this is what exactly happens on MKF - the biggest and most popular Michelle forum and other Michelle forums. On MKF, for example, it's like a big family. There are black sheep, no doubt, that bash other skaters. I swear to God anytime that happens, you can see a herd of other Michelle fans who will scorn at the basher.

4. All skater-specific forums have fans who would give credits to other skaters where credits are due. Again, that's what you see on MKF and other Michelle forums too.

Why do Michelle fans always get the bad name when what they do is just about what other skaters' fans do. If you take the ratio of black sheep to the total fanbase of any skater, it's about the same. Unfortunately for Michelle, her fanbase is the biggest and hence the absolute number of black sheep is huge and when they bash other skaters, it gives the impression Michelle fans are bad fans due to the sheer number.
 
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Joesitz

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

Because Golden Skate is not an MK Forum, however it probably has more MK fans than other fans. I doubt the majority of GS members are MK fans.

Nothing in GS is zapped that may be construed as anti any skater. So members can be fans of whomever they want without feeling overwhelmed by a particular fan group.

Apache: I'm not surprised at the results of your survey, but Golden Skate would like to be a step above all that fluff you seem to have concluded in your survey.

I have no answer to your question of why Michelle fans are spoken bad of. I can only say that I hate the Yankees and that may explain some similar feelings of nonKwan fans.:cool:

Joe
 
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GSK8

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

I'm an avid fan of MK as well as other skaters, however, I have to agree with Joe. The Golden Skate forum itself is unbiased when it comes to skaters. It is NOT a fan-based forum. It encompasses the sport of figure skating and skaters.

The guidelines make it clear about "bashing" skaters and other forums in the Guidelines and what to do if a reader should come across a thread or post that does so.
 
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ApacheApache

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

Oh no, I should've made my points clearer in my earlier post. Just to clarify I wasn't implying GS as one of the forums. I was just ranting why Michelle fans were always accused for being unreasonable in most forums in general. I couldn't agree more that GS is very balanced. In fact, I've not seen any bashing here. It's very nice to have posters here who are fans of different skaters discusss their skaters without resorting to bashing. The moderators here have been doing a great job.

I must apologise if I my earlier post was taken the wrong way.
 
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DORISPULASKI

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

Whatever else is ever said about MKF, those who say it should refer to Fetal's firm defense of it. Basically, MKF has a LOT of very interesting non Michelle content. I lurk there, but seldom post, because I don't think of myself as particularly an MK fan (althought I do love her, among others).
I started lurking to find the TV schedules.
1. Skating chat-very wide fan base, all over the world's, discusses everything under the sun, gives Russian and chinese translations, lots of points of view
2. Videos-first source on the web of Michelles SA, SP, thank you very much. If I wanted to find a video of a skater, I'd go here-they are well referenced and easy to find.
3. Strong anti bashing ethic, well enforced
4. Live running commentary from not on TV events while they are running. GS does this pretty well, but often MKF is better (not always)
5. Heather's Figure Skating TV schedule-absolutely priceless.

dpp
 
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lottafs

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

I agree with MKF being a "love Michelle but bash other skaters" forum. There is a note there that says "No bashing, please!" With PLEASE right there stuck there! It kinda annoys me and very shameful. :(
 
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NCMKNEW02

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

First, let me apologize to the folks at GoldenSkate who are sick of hearing MKF. But I must address lottafs's comments in defense of Heather, the admin of MKF.

lottafs - I am sorry you feel this way about MKF. You should know that MKF is a diverse group of individuals, from die-hard Kwan fans to Kwan detractors. You are also a member of MKF, are you not? Heather has asked people not to do any bashings. So, if you see any bashings going on, all you need to do is post in the "Feedback" section at MKF. Heather cannot be online 24 hours a day, seven days a week. She will address your comments/complaints whenever she can. You also need to remember one thing. Heather is using her own time and resources to run MKF, why can't you appreciate her hard work and commitment?!

End of venting.
 
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FetalAttraction

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

No no no no no no no no no, I did not defend the MKForums when I mentioned Heather's invaluable TV listings, I was defending Heather's obsessive fandom as producing one very essential thing even if it's otherwise a bit disturbing. I rarely visited the Michelle Kwan Forum then, I've only started to do so now that people are posting less here. Golden Skate is still by far, the place to go for smart discussions on skating. I'll leave it at that.
 
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LADSKATER

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

ApacheApache:

Firstly, no skater should ever be "bashed" by anyone. This is the figure skating world - not WWF. Figure skaters themselves don't "bash" one another. There may be rivalries going on behind the scenes but generally there is a great respect for each skater in the skating world. This should also include fans.

Secondly, the adoration of Michelle Kwan seems to be a phenonemun. In fact, I have never in all my years of being a figure skater and a fan have seen a skater so "put on a pedestal" by so many. I think it "irks" other fans when Michelle is pretty much regarded as "it" in the ladies dept. There are other skaters.

Before these forums existed and cyberspace - figure skating fans were pretty much isolated. Unless one knew someone else who was interested in figure skating or were involved in the skating world - there really was no where to discuss such matters. At least, I certainly never came across any other media for such an undertaking.

The only thing we can strive to do here is treat each skater (and each other) with the respect they deserve - and sure we can have our opinions and differences about who did the best spin, etc. - that's part of it, but "bashing" is definitely not part of the figure skating world.

Ladskater
 
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nysk8r

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

I've also been lurking more and more in MKF, but after reading some of the posts, I quickly get outta there and come back here for a healthy dose of objectivity. This does not mean that I think all of MKF is totally biased; I know there are obsessive fans that praise everytime MK does a spiral and insult everytime sasha or sarah underrotates a jump. I also know there are people that enjoy all of skating and wish everyone the best of luck. Honestly, I get a little miffed reading some of those incredibly biased posts. Why do I read them then? Some of these fans post how michelle inspired them to get through a tough time in their life, and those posts I'll always enjoy. I just get a bit irate at how some insane fans create a rep for the whole forum.
 
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DORISPULASKI

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

Fetal, sorry if I misrepresented your feelings. I am still awed at the amount of time it must take Heather to support that Forum, wonder how she has time to do anything else.
And in general, although I don't read all the posts, generally skimming for posts with articles, and real content, I haven't noticed a heck of a lot of bashing. I generally read Spoilers and some of the Skating Chat, don't bother with Michelle Chat.
I hit it especially when there is something I want to know and can't find here. I wonder why there is less posting here, and it bothers me.
One reason: Fragmentation of forum so that competition threads are elsewhere.
Two reason: Fragmentation where skaters chat and their comments disappear at once. Chatters aren't posting.
Three reason: I don't know. how can we have more members and less real posters?

dpp
 
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ApacheApache

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

The negative posts (extremely biased views and occasional bashings) that some of you have seen on MKF are exactly what I've seen on other skater-specific forums as well. This is why I started this thread. I find MKF has been unfairly singled out. The reason (it may seem) there are a lot of negative posters on MKF is because of the sheer number of them, coming from 4900+ registered members! If you take the ratio of bad posters to the total members, it's about the same as Sasha, Tara, Irina....etc forums. It seems there are less on other forums because they have much less members to begin with, in the range 300-800 members. The same goes for gushing. I thought only Michelle fans were capable of gushing, was I surprised to find the same on other skaters' forums. Not that it's strange, I mean what do you expect to find on a skater-specific forum? There's bound to be gushing, biased views...etc. My whole point is why is MKF always the culprit when just about every other skater-specific forums are guilty of the same crime?

Last but not least, Heather from MKF has been doing a great job regulating the forum. I've seen instances where zealous Michelle fans bash a certain skater only to have their threads closed by Heather instantly. Even if Heather couldn't monitor it 24 hours a day, there are many sensible fans who would not hesitate to come in to criticise the bashers. Again, this behavioural pattern is found on other forums as well which is great.
 
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RED DOG45

Guest
Re: Michelle Forums and Other Skater-Specific Forums

Fetal...Regarding your comment about posters posting less on GS, I think it is actually the other way around...people are posting <em>more</em> here...I used to come here only once a day, but now I come here every so often (whenever I have the time) and there are ALWAYS a bunch of new posts. I'd actually rank this forum second in activity (to MKF) to all the other skating forums I visit.
 
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