Why Isn't "Fans of Philip" an Official Fansite?

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Hi fans,

This is Alize and I am the creator of the Fans of Philip sites, est. 2010/11.

First, thank you for your support.  We are so grateful for all the fans, whether you started with us from the beginning or just found us.  All fans are equally important to us.

Our sites have always been welcoming to other fan sites such as the Brazilian fan site: @PhilipWBrasil, PWinchester Fan Page: @FBPWFanPage, just to name a few.  In fact, we encourage more sites, because in the end, it is all about Philip's work.  I encourage all the sites to work together, not to compete against each other. 

I'm a huge fan of Philip's work and really enjoy the fans who have followed the sites on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, this blog, and other places we have put our claim.  You can find me online at @lovemyproxy.

I started the sites because I noticed Philip's work, and thought he was deserving of a place where fans can gather and enjoy and find people who enjoy his work, too.

As Philip's notoriety grew, I asked a few people to join the sites as moderators, people who would care for and be responsible for the sites, as our reach on different platforms grew.

We have 4 wonderful people now, who have been so great and supportive. 

Just a note, though.  We have lives and don't get receive any compensation of any kind.  We work on these sites because of our great admiration for Philip's work.

With these volunteers, we have decades of experience with fan sites and fandoms.

I've been involved with online fan sites since the internet was readily available for everyone.

Having that experience, there are reasons why we never pursued the idea to be an "official" fan site.

1) There is really no need for it.  Philip's social media sites are really the official site, and fans can follow him on Twitter and Instagram. We're very lucky to have him online, for not every entertainer is online.  You do not have to go through a fan club to connect to your favorite people, anymore.  News items are readily available through news alerts or searching online.

With that being said, Philip's site is usually for his own, personal postings.  Fan sites concentrate on news, photos, projects, creative stuff, etc., that interest the FANS.  At least, we think that is what most do. They also are the buffer between the fans and the artist, dealing with questions, misinformation, rumors, etc.  

2) Official sites usually require the PR or agent's hand in posting online.  Usually.  Since I did not want an agent or anyone telling us what to do with our sites, I did not pursue the official site.

3)  If you run an official site, you can be legally responsible for what you post about the entertainer on the site.  This means if you post something that is untrue or hurtful, in the name of the said entertainer, there can be a possibility of legal action. 

4) Many times, if you run an official fan site, you have to disconnect the areas where fans meet at the site.  Let me explain.  I worked with a very famous actor's sites several years back, mid 2000's.  The first fan site decided that they wanted to be an official site.  The actor's agents required the site to disconnect any links that had to do with the fans.  The site had a forum, where you could post and connect with fans.  The forum had to be disconnected both in name and in links, in order to be an official site-AND information that was only authorized by the agents and the actor, were allowed on the site.

5) Your site can be taken away from you anytime, in the name of being official, by the agent, PR, or the entertainer, if they decide that they don't want you to do the work anymore.  Maybe the actor's kid wants to take over for their parent?  It has happened before, where a family member took over a fan site, and the original creator was heartbroken-after years of all that work, poof!  Gone!

6) We were the first fan sites, so do we really need to prove ourselves?  I don't think so. 

From our experience, there are too many headaches in becoming an official site.  We prefer the freedom to express our admiration for Philip, than to be told how to admire him.  We feel the same for the fans, as long as it respectful for all.  We do not need people over us telling us what we and you want to see on the sites.

We're not worried about another site that has taken the title of "official" because first of all, they came from our sites, and because we know exactly what we are and what we are about:

We were the first online sites for Philip Winchester, even before he got online.  We were created by the fans, for the fans.  We focus on promoting Philip's work (and maybe a few things connected to his work) and connecting with fans.  If you want to see articles, pictures, and posts about Philip and a few things connected to him, and some things about the site, we got your back, and so do the other sites.  If you want to see other things besides Philip, I guess you can follow the "official" site.  Kind of an oxymoron, don't you think?