Screenshot (August 2015) | |
Type of site | Facebook group |
|---|---|
| Available in | English |
| URL | www |
| Commercial | No |
| Launched | 2008 |
| Current status | Online |
Dogspotting (DS) is a a Facebook group dedicated to sharing of images of dogs through the sport of spotting. It was established 2008 by Something Awful forum member John Savoia.[1][2] As of July 2015, Dogspotting has over 52,000 members.[1]
History
editIn 2006, Something Awful forum member John Savoia conceived the idea of Dogspotting. Savoia wrote about dogs he spotted on receipts and kept these records in his wallet. In 2008, Savoia created a Facebook group adding 20 to 30 of his friends, most of whom left. In mid-July 2014, people began joining.[1]
Format
editThe content of Dogspotting is user-submitted. Members of the group create posts illustrating dogs they have "spotted".[3][4] Lengthy discussion threads often follow each posting through Facebook's comment feature of members assigning "points" arbitrarily. Posts may include images, text, or video.[3]
The group has a scoring system based on various details as the action, number, and size of the dog.[3] Property damage ranks a score of "[+]2".[3] In a "reverse spot," points are awarded to the dog if the "spotted" dog spots the "dogspotter".[3]
A score table, or "leaderboard", displays the users who have earned the most points based on year.[3]
Moderation
editThe group's moderators and set of rules require that the "spotted" dog must not be the original poster's pet or a "known dog."[3][1] Posting Snoop Dogg is also discouraged.[1]
Rules
editDogspotter Josh Boruff introduced a stricter set of rules in opposition to Savoia's original points system. According to Boruff, this set of rules would dismiss small dog spots with "zero points." According to a phone interview between John Savoia and Vice, Savoia's personal computer was hacked before reforms could begin and a splinter group hijacked the original points system.[1]
Reception
editIn October 2016, American news and talk morning television show Today's Matt Murray called Dogspotting Facebook's "hottest new group."[3] In March 2018, The Spectrum's Dan McKeon included Dogspotting among "part of a rise in niche Facebook groups that are often light-hearted" with Cone Spotting and New Urbanist Memes for Transit-Oriented Teens.[5] In May 2018, when Facebook announced its plans to launch a new dating service, Slate's Rachelle Hampton remarked "Users can then browse a list of other singles who theoretically share the same ardor for Dogspotting or transportation memes."[6]
Dogspotting has received criticism for its purportedly strict moderation policies.[4]
See also
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References
edit- ^ a b c d e f Pick, Rachel (8 July 2015). "The Founder of Dogspotting Is a Cat Person". Motherboard. Vice Media. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ Boruff, Josh (8 October 2014). "How to Spot Dogs: Dogspotting Orthodox Rules Explained". Something Awful. Something Awful LLC. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Murray, Matt (14 October 2016). "Facebook goes to the dogs! Pooch pics unleashed in hottest new group". Today. NBC News Productions. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ a b "What Is Dogspotting And Why Are People So Angry About It?". Yahoo! News. 9 October 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ McKeon, Dan (29 March 2018). "Cone Spotting". The Spectrum. The State News. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
- ^ Hampton, Rachelle (3 May 2018). "Why Dating for Facebook's Event-Based "Unlock" Feature Is Actually a Great Idea". Slate. The Slate Group. Retrieved 6 May 2018.
External links
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Category:Facebook groups Category:Internet-based activism Category:Internet forums Category:Internet memes Category:Internet properties established in 2008 Category:Leisure activities Category:Observation hobbies Category:Organizations established in 2008 Category:Social networking services