Amassment Message Board

There are a lot of names for shrines but it seems "shrine" and "fan site" are the most common.

What do you prefer to call your sites? Shrine, fan site, or something else?

Personally, I usually call my sites "fan sites" and occasionally I will say "tribute" or "dedication." I kinda try to avoid using the word "shrine" to describe my sites because I feel that people who are new or unfamiliar with the concept will be a little weirded out by it...

When I hear "shrine" I think of some crazy person who has a secret room in their house where the walls are completely covered in photos and cutouts of a person or character. You know, with that huge photo in the middle surrounded by candles where said crazy person worships said character/person. XD;;; I HAVE AN OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION OKAY.

I still refer to them as shrines in casual conversation and because I know what they are, I see nothing wrong with using the term at all! IT'S JUST I CAN'T GET THAT IMAGE OUT OF MY HEAD. I sometimes show my sites to friends and I don't want them thinking I have some kinda room in my basement. >_> <_< Can't let them know about the room, it's my room, my preciousssss.

COUGH COUGH. Anyway, what does everyone else think? :D

I like to call them shrines. To me "shrines" are more personal as to where "fansites" are more general.

I used to run a large Legend of Zelda site way back before I started fanlistings or shrines and they were always referred to as "fansites". They were nothing more than large sites providing news, information, and guides on the games, and sometimes had various kinds of media too. There was nothing personal about them really. They were just a way to get information out, nothing more.

With shrines I feel they are a lot more personal and opinion based rather than just providing information on the subject. I can't even really associate the word "fansite" with them.

I generally defer to "fan site" in my collective, because that's the term my host uses and I didn't want to confuse her when I started out under her domain. I think it's also more universal, although I agree with Crystal that the connotations behind "fan site" and "shrine" have grown apart. In Amassment, I use "shrine" more often.

When I hear "shrine," I also imagine a physical shrine that fans typically make in a corner of their room with various merchandise. It's not a bad thing; in fact, it's a representation of who the person is. And I think that's how shrines have come along, especially in this community, because I've noticed a greater shift away from mere facts to something more personalized to make our "tributes" stand out - not for vanity, but for the sake of injecting what we love about a particular subject and proudly showing off that adoration to others. For that purpose, "shrine" seems to suit what we're trying to achieve on a more intimate level; though if we were to parse the word "fan site," it is literally what we're making (a site by a fan).

During my more active years in the past, I tended to use "tribute," because I was a little lukewarm to "shrine" at the time (and "fan site" seemed too small to describe what I wanted to make). I think I would still like to use "tribute," as I just have on Homecoming, considering I envision shrines as something bigger than what I usually come up with on a monthly basis. All in all, I'm fluid about what term I use: How these words are perceived is just as variable as the way we approach making these sites.

It boils down to the connotation of each word. I agree with you and Crystal, but there are also some differences in opinion. Excellent subject of discussion! I've been wondering about this since I came back two months ago.

I use "shrine" and "fansite" interchangeably, because for me my "fansite" is a site made by a fan (me) and is therefore intrinsically just as personal as a "shrine," with lots of opinion essays, analyses, etc. Different definitions of what denotes a "fansite" will lead to different connotations of the word, though.

As for where I use this terminology, I pretty much only use "shrine" on the Amassment forums, because it's a loaded term for outsiders (like Laura alluded to above); on my sites, I will use "tribute," "dedication," or "fansite" to be more approachable, but they're all still interchangeable terms to me. :D

I use them interchangeably though I do understand that some may use it differently. I find I sometimes get the same image in my head when I think of shrines but both are good. I do however like "tribute" best.

I definitely say "tribute" a lot on my sites! But, I have said shrine as well. I don't think I've ever used fan site yet!

If I feel like explaining what a shrine is, I'll use the term, otherwise I avoid it for the reasons wolfrun gave. Ha ha. I think my Adrien Brody shrine says "fan tribute" or something like that on it. I definitely say shrine around here, though, since I'm among people who understand it.

Same as you, Laura, I'm afraid of the word "shrine" giving kind of a creepy image, so I prefer fan site, fansite, a site about _, etc. I GUESS THAT MAKES TWO OF US WITH THE OVERACTIVE IMAGINATIONS

Also, this is probably only me, but the term "shrine", as something that is done out of devotion, does not really link with the way I see my own work, which is often critical and irreverent towards the subjects of my sites. A fansite still has a little bit of that connotation to me, but to that I can reply that you can be a fan while critiquing what you like, so I prefer to go that way. Plus, to be honest, the word "shrine" has too much of a religious overtone to me...
I would want to like the word "tribute" because it would make so much sense, but it makes me feel like I'm talking about a dead person. XD

+1 to everything dubs said; that's how I feel about it. "Shrine" doesn't sit well with me, so I use "fansite" as a catch-all term, since I assume that any visitor will be able to understand that versus "shrine." I've occasionally used "tribute" on smaller or more personal sites.

I used to default to "Tribute" but now I just say "Fansite" because when I tell people in real life they seem to understand that terminology better. I rarely say shrine but I think I have been in the habit now of saying "Shrine/Tribute" on a lot of my sites for the sake of the shrine-community. At nyarth.net my sites are labeled as shrines for the sake of visitors.

I feel a bit odd saying shrine because it has religious context and I would like to reiterate that I am not worshiping the subject at hand. But I do try to keep the visitor in mind when I announce what the site is. I see all three terms as being interchangeable in my mind!