ethnography question 3

[Cedar Shaman]

I apologize for the delay in my post. I am on spring break. Thanks to everyone for your continued assistance with my research project. I feel lucky that there are electronic communities where I can meet new people and ask my questions. Without this forum I would not have made so many valuable contacts for my project.

The fact that I have access to this website leads me to my line of inquiry for this week. How does social media influence the ‘enthusiast’ community? Many have noted that being active on a website is part of their identity as an enthusiast. I am wondering what is meant by this. How does access to websites, cell phone apps, or technology in general enhance your experience as a member of an enthusiast community?

[Brian F]

Being a member of ThrillNetwork has enabled me to gain a lot more knowledge about parks and rides that I wouldn't have otherwise known. By interacting with other enthusiasts, I can learn tips and tricks about a ride or park before I ever visit a park.

And the best part is the friends I have made through TN that have translated into friends in real life. It's great to share a coaster ride with a fellow enthusiast met online.

[Katie]

I have to agree with Brian here. If it wasn't for ThrillNetwork, I wouldn't have met a lot of my coaster friends in real life, hung out with them, I consider them family. Heck, I met my husband through this site. I am pretty grateful to have my family here.

Interacting with different people and groups can give you either the time of your life and the most positive experience or bad ones. It's really a great time to hang out and talk to people that nerd talk right along with you with certain rides and parks. It's great to have differing opinions, but the same love and passion we all have.

Social media has blasted off in the last year. Without the media on Facebook, Twitter, websites most enthusiasts without connections have no idea what is going on in the industry. With Wild Eagle's opening fast approaching, Dollywood has taken the most aggressive approach I have seen in years with marketing and getting the word out.

[rjholla2003]

The internet took what was a curiosity when I was in high school and changed it into what was a career for the last 6 years. I went from, "hey, roller coasters are scary, but kind of cool" to messing around with NoLimits Roller Coaster Simulator because Roller Coaster Tycoon just wasn't cutting it anymore for me. Then I became involved in the now-defunct CoasterSims and everything took off. I was a staff member on the site for a while and made some friends there. I sought out Six Flags Great Adventure fansites and came across GadvCentral, which now lives on as GadvOutpost. I was active on rec.roller-coaster for a while and through that got invited to participate in the commercial shoot for Kingda Ka. My friends from Central invited me to various media events at Great Adventure, and during an El Toro construction gave me an introduction that changed my life. Because of that introduction, I got an internship at Great Adventure and in 6 years moved from a Team Lead in Park Services (a.k.a. Custodial) to a member of the HR Training Team at the end of my time there. Never did I ever think at that moment that a simple "hello" would lead to me eventually being responsible for training literally THOUSANDS of seasonal team members and HUNDREDS of seasonal management for the last 3 years of my employment there. Because of the internet, I had friends who I never met in person, but they gave me tips and advice to help me partake in one of my favorite life experiences: The Walt Disney World College Program. These friends I made on the internet became family over time. I went to the wedding of one of my fellow Admins on Outpost late last year. I have NJ Devils season tickets with another one. I've hung out with several friends. We used to call each other by our handles in person...now I barely remember what they are. And now that I have left the industry, I still have life long friends in it, as well as around it.

In short: The internet IMO is a game changer for roller coaster and amusement park enthusiasts. With the power of the internet, magic can happen that changes your life forever, and for the better.