Facebooking Recruits

Igothawked

Igothawked

Well-Known Member
I will start off this mini-rant by saying I am 30 years old and do not have facebook or twitter. I know what they are and how they work.
I am seeing and hearing that a lot of Hawk fans are friending recruits on facebook and posting things on their walls. this to me is sickening and odd. Why do people think this is reasonable or acceptable behavior? It is creepy and stupid. It makes us look like a desperate fanbase.
Now I understand following people on twitter is one thing, but posting things on someone's facebook is a completly different beast. This is not the intended use of facebook, those doing it have never met or even talked to said recruit. It is inappropriate, creepy, and makes us look like a pathetic fanbase. Do those that do it actually think the player will come to Iowa because you posted it on their facebook? What is the point?
That is the end of my rant. Sorry, but it really bothers me to hear that Hawk fans are becoming notorious for this behavior. And I didn't even go into the NCAA side of things. I am of the opinion that this could certainly be a violation of some recruiting rules.
 
I agree to an extent. Friending someone on Facebook or following them on Twitter is generally reasonable behavior, but to write on their wall (unless it is a "fan" page and not a personal page) is way out of bounds. I have several players/recruits in several sports that I have friended, and I see Hawk fans writing to them all the time. It is especially insensitive when a fan will comment on something that is clearly personal to the athlete. Now, I would also say that it is the player's job to only friend people he is willing to deal with, and if he friends people he doesn't know, he is opening himself to that person.
 
thejumper5 said:
I agree to an extent. Friending someone on Facebook or following them on Twitter is generally reasonable behavior, but to write on their wall (unless it is a "fan" page and not a personal page) is way out of bounds. I have several players/recruits in several sports that I have friended, and I see Hawk fans writing to them all the time. It is especially insensitive when a fan will comment on something that is clearly personal to the athlete. Now, I would also say that it is the player's job to only friend people he is willing to deal with, and if he friends people he doesn't know, he is opening himself to that person.
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I will say that I appreciate the reasonabless you use with regards to your social media usage, but most people don't.
But that leads me to another question, why friend these individuals (or post on their walls) if you don't even know them?
I am assuming you want to know if they are posting something about Iowa, but really what is the point? Can't you just wait until an actual report to come out?
I don't really have a problem with what you're doing, I guess I just don't understand the need to do it.
 
Igothawked said:
I will say that I appreciate the reasonabless you use with regards to your social media usage, but most people don't.
But that leads me to another question, why friend these individuals (or post on their walls) if you don't even know them?
I am assuming you want to know if they are posting something about Iowa, but really what is the point? Can't you just wait until an actual report to come out?
I don't really have a problem with what you're doing, I guess I just don't understand the need to do it.
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I think the main things for me is efficiency and gaining an alternative angle. I knew about CK taking the SAT several days before that news came out because I saw it on his Facebook. I also think that players show one side of themselves to reporters and another side on Facebook. Also, I'm relatively younger (22), so social media and messaging sites like Facebook and its contemporaries have been around since I was in high school; I think that gives me a little different perspective on them than someone a few years older than myself.
 
thejumper5 said:
I think the main things for me is efficiency and gaining an alternative angle. I knew about CK taking the SAT several days before that news came out because I saw it on his Facebook. I also think that players show one side of themselves to reporters and another side on Facebook. Also, I'm relatively younger (22), so social media and messaging sites like Facebook and its contemporaries have been around since I was in high school; I think that gives me a little different perspective on them than someone a few years older than myself.
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Sorry but your credibility took a major hit with the " Cooper and CK commit" thread you started sunday morning a 1-1:30 in the morning. I noticed Jon pulled in early but I am a little confused why you post that without verification. Your posts have been relatively good for the most part, but HN isn't a popularity contest. Think before posting please. I am very concerned about the implications of people that have no life having to make friends that they will probably never see or talk to in person. This goes way beyond this board and the fans. There are a lot of lonely people out there and there are a lot of smart marketers that know how to manipulate you lives. When people cannot make friends other than in a virtual world, the battle has already been lost.
 
There is one guy in particular who has commented on every Cooper status over the last 3-4 days. It is all I have in me not to PM him and call him out. Based on the guy's profile pic, I'm guessing he's between 35-40. Lame.
 
Social networking is going to crush society as we know it. How many kids are growing up with no concept of how to form real relationships with real people, in person?

If you have never met the person, "friending" them is an even bigger hoax. Just a popularity ploy. To engage in this activity with minors is disgusting.
 
IH8IAST8 said:
Social networking is going to crush society as we know it. How many kids are growing up with no concept of how to form real relationships with real people, in person?

If you have never met the person, "friending" them is an even bigger hoax. Just a popularity ploy. To engage in this activity with minors is disgusting.
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Is your next comment going to be about how kids are going to grow up to be murders because of play those violent evil video games?? lol social networking is a great way to get info faster than ever before. It gets rid of the "middle man" and is direct information. If used correctly, one can learn a lot through social networking sites.
 
ISUhawk said:
If used correctly, one can learn a lot through social networking sites.
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Sure but I work with college students all day long. I can't even begin to explain how many students consider Facebook a considerable replacement for real relationships...that's my point, we are raising a generation to be social retards. This will be felt in the workforce in the future where it is absolutely necessary to know how to interact with others (without a computer!).

I hate south park but there is a very good episode about a year that exemplifies my point on this.
 
IH8IAST8 said:
Sure but I work with college students all day long. I can't even begin to explain how many students consider Facebook a considerable replacement for real relationships...that's my point, we are raising a generation to be social retards. This will be felt in the workforce in the future where it is absolutely necessary to know how to interact with others (without a computer!).

I hate south park but there is a very good episode about a year that exemplifies my point on this.
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That was a hilarious episode!

Honestly, Facebook doesn't take the place of actual relationships for me. But I go to school in Iowa City. My best friends? They're at New Mexico, Mizzou, ISU, Full Sail University (Orlando), and Trinity College (just outside of Chicago). Facebook helps me keep in touch with all of them.

I've friended players, but never recruits. But I make a point not to post on a player's wall. If I actually have something to say to them, I send a PM rather than clutter up their wall.
 
Facebooking players is stupid. I have facebook and the only reason is to keep up with friends that I have met and know who don't live close and I don't call regularly. I have personally met and had a conversation with all of my FB friends, I'm not that old either (<30). Following people on twitter is fine (I don't have an account) but adding a guy as a freind if you don't know them is VERY creepy and dumb, and trying to talk to them is really dumb. Just stupid how people think it's ok to do this because it's on FB. It's really a virtual stalking.
 
RADMAN said:
Sorry but your credibility took a major hit with the " Cooper and CK commit" thread you started sunday morning a 1-1:30 in the morning. I noticed Jon pulled in early but I am a little confused why you post that without verification.
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LOL. It didn't have verification because I made it up. Did you click the link? It went to a Rick Roll. It was a basic troll. A prank.
 
hawkfarmer said:
Facebooking players is stupid. I have facebook and the only reason is to keep up with friends that I have met and know who don't live close and I don't call regularly. I have personally met and had a conversation with all of my FB friends, I'm not that old either (<30). Following people on twitter is fine (I don't have an account) but adding a guy as a freind if you don't know them is VERY creepy and dumb, and trying to talk to them is really dumb. Just stupid how people think it's ok to do this because it's on FB. It's really a virtual stalking.
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Pretty much nailed it. A good friend of mine is "friends" on Facebook with a couple of football players even though he has never met any of these guys. I've known the guy for many years but I still can't help but make fun of him with no mercy regarding this.

If you're in middle school or high school and you look up to these players, I can buy that. But for someone out of college or even still in college who don't know these guys and try to be "friends" with them on a computer is pretty pathetic.
 
I think part of the problem is the use, specific to Facebook, of the term "friend." There are certain connotations that go along with the word friend that wouldn't exist if Facebook used the term "follower" and the verb "follow" in the same way Twitter does.
 
Xerxes said:
Pretty much nailed it. A good friend of mine is "friends" on Facebook with a couple of football players even though he has never met any of these guys. I've known the guy for many years but I still can't help but make fun of him with no mercy regarding this.

If you're in middle school or high school and you look up to these players, I can buy that. But for someone out of college or even still in college who don't know these guys and try to be "friends" with them on a computer is pretty pathetic.
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Pathetic in what way? I don't think you understand the versatile uses of social networking.

Being "friends" with someone on Facebook is a great way to follow along and see what's happening. A lot of these college football players are genuinely humbled and honored that so many fans want to follow them. It's a great way to get a behind-the-scenes look in to the football program.

That being said, there is a fine line between silently following someone and participating in their conversations and life if you don't actually know them.

College students (and younger) I can understand, but beyond that it seems a little creepy. When it comes to recruits, it can be detrimental to the overall image of the Iowa Football program. Leave the recruiting to the coaches.
 
This is also complicated in that contacting recruits through facebook can be an NCAA violation. The NCAA looked into excessive contact by UK fans in the recruitment of former basketball player Patrick Patterson for example.
 
INTIMIDATORHawk said:
Pathetic in what way? I don't think you understand the versatile uses of social networking.

Being "friends" with someone on Facebook is a great way to follow along and see what's happening. A lot of these college football players are genuinely humbled and honored that so many fans want to follow them. It's a great way to get a behind-the-scenes look in to the football program.

That being said, there is a fine line between silently following someone and participating in their conversations and life if you don't actually know them.

College students (and younger) I can understand, but beyond that it seems a little creepy. When it comes to recruits, it can be detrimental to the overall image of the Iowa Football program. Leave the recruiting to the coaches.
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Maybe I don't understand social networking. I was always under the impression that networking is based on relationships. Whether its a professional, personal, social, etc. You depend on others in networking, others depend of you.

In professional networking I go to conferences, workshops, trainings, etc to meet other people in my profession and to get better at my job and open up other possible doors in my profession. I can't speak for other professions but I'm guessing most have similar situations as far as networking goes.

In social networking, I try to meet new people through existing friends in order to expand my circle of friends and maybe even aid in my professional networking. I have introduced my friends to others as well in order from them to expand their social circles.

My point here is networking is give and take. Several people benefit or grow professional or expand their social circles.

Becoming facebook "friends" with someone who plays football for Iowa is not a two way street. They don't know you, have never met you, nor will they probably make an attempt to meet you. They have their own personal and professional lives to worry about. You get a little look into their personal lives but in no way know them like their real friends.

To you maybe social networking is following other people's lives. In my mind social networking is actually networking in which some sort of relatonship is there.

This is no different than the guys who claimed to have a "hot girlfriend that he met on the internet but is in Hawaii for the school year."
 
IH8IAST8 said:
Sure but I work with college students all day long. I can't even begin to explain how many students consider Facebook a considerable replacement for real relationships...that's my point, we are raising a generation to be social retards. This will be felt in the workforce in the future where it is absolutely necessary to know how to interact with others (without a computer!).

I hate south park but there is a very good episode about a year that exemplifies my point on this.
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The word HATE is prevalent in your moniker, your posts and your tone. We get it, you're allergic to the word "friend". Does your history of anger and hate make you a risk to your wife and kids and pets?
 
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