HPANA
Encyclopedia
The Harry Potter Automatic News Aggregator, or HPANA, as it is better known, is a Harry Potter
fansite
created in 2002 to monitor news on the Internet about J. K. Rowling
's series of novels about the eponymous wizard.
, the permanent set outside London on which the Warner Bros.
movie adaptations are created, as well as the majority of the films'
red carpet premieres around the world. The site was invited in 2007 to an exclusive web cast during which the studio, along with Universal Orlando Resort
, revealed their intentions to build The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, which opened in 2010.
The site began working with a travel company in 2003 to offer tours of the United Kingdom
with a Harry Potter focus, dubbed HP Fan Trips. Over 100 people joined its initial trip in 2004 and hundreds more in the years since. A staple of these trips is a ride on steam locomotive
#5972 Olton Hall
, the train used in the Harry Potter films as the Hogwarts Express.
In July 2005, HPANA and MuggleNet
along with publisher Wizarding World Press held Spellbound! 2005, an event to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
in Mt. Prospect
, Illinois. More than 10,000 people attended the free event, played games and watched live stage performances while they waited for the midnight book debut.
As of November 2011, HPANA closed it's website due to lack of funding.
in January 2009, featuring news, analysis and editorial content.
fansite," Rowling remarked, "faster off the mark with Harry Potter news than any other site I know, and with all kinds of brilliantly inventive touches." HPANA was featured on USA Today
's "Hot Sites" list on November 2, 2004.
Harry Potter
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizard Harry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry...
fansite
Fansite
A fansite, fan site, or fanpage is a website created and maintained by a fan or devotee interested in a celebrity, thing, or a particular cultural phenomenon...
created in 2002 to monitor news on the Internet about J. K. Rowling
J. K. Rowling
Joanne "Jo" Rowling, OBE , better known as J. K. Rowling, is the British author of the Harry Potter fantasy series...
's series of novels about the eponymous wizard.
History
HPANA is operated by a volunteer staff who monitor and post news items, attend events in order to cover them for the site, and moderate the forums. It is donation and advertiser supported and runs on three physical servers in a Michigan datacenter. Like many other Harry Potter fan sites, HPANA's representatives have been invited to Leavesden Film StudiosLeavesden Film Studios
Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden , is a film and media complex owned by Warner Bros.. The studios and backlot sit on the site of the former Rolls-Royce factory at Leavesden Aerodrome, which was an important centre of aircraft production during World War II...
, the permanent set outside London on which the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
movie adaptations are created, as well as the majority of the films'
Harry Potter (film series)
The Harry Potter film series is a British-American film series based on the Harry Potter novels by the British author J. K. Rowling...
red carpet premieres around the world. The site was invited in 2007 to an exclusive web cast during which the studio, along with Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort
Universal Orlando Resort is a theme park resort in Orlando, Florida. It is wholly owned by NBCUniversal and its affiliates. The resort consists of two theme parks , Universal CityWalk , and three Loews Hotels...
, revealed their intentions to build The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, which opened in 2010.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
with a Harry Potter focus, dubbed HP Fan Trips. Over 100 people joined its initial trip in 2004 and hundreds more in the years since. A staple of these trips is a ride on steam locomotive
Steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a railway locomotive that produces its power through a steam engine. These locomotives are fueled by burning some combustible material, usually coal, wood or oil, to produce steam in a boiler, which drives the steam engine...
#5972 Olton Hall
GWR 4900 Class 5972 Olton Hall
The steam locomotive no. 5972 "Olton Hall" is a 4-6-0 Hall class locomotive.In the 2000s the locomotive achieved fame after it was used to haul the "Hogwarts Express" in the Harry Potter series of films.-Service:...
, the train used in the Harry Potter films as the Hogwarts Express.
In July 2005, HPANA and MuggleNet
MuggleNet
MuggleNet is a Harry Potter fansite founded by Emerson Spartz. The site is composed of news, editorials and synopses of the Harry Potter books and films, an encyclopedia of the books, an IRC network, in which the fans of Harry Potter can discuss predictions and share thoughts, a discussion forum,...
along with publisher Wizarding World Press held Spellbound! 2005, an event to celebrate the release of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth and penultimate novel in the Harry Potter series by British author J. K. Rowling...
in Mt. Prospect
Mount Prospect, Illinois
Mount Prospect is a village in Elk Grove and Wheeling Townships in Cook County, Illinois, about northwest of downtown Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 54,167.-Geography:...
, Illinois. More than 10,000 people attended the free event, played games and watched live stage performances while they waited for the midnight book debut.
As of November 2011, HPANA closed it's website due to lack of funding.
Podcast
The site began featuring Hogwarts Radio as its official podcastPodcast
A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...
in January 2009, featuring news, analysis and editorial content.
Awards
J.K. Rowling, upon giving HPANA her "Fan Site Award" in December 2004, said it was the first Harry Potter fan site she ever visited. "A fantastically user-friendlyUsability
Usability is the ease of use and learnability of a human-made object. The object of use can be a software application, website, book, tool, machine, process, or anything a human interacts with. A usability study may be conducted as a primary job function by a usability analyst or as a secondary job...
fansite," Rowling remarked, "faster off the mark with Harry Potter news than any other site I know, and with all kinds of brilliantly inventive touches." HPANA was featured on USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
's "Hot Sites" list on November 2, 2004.