There are lots of things I just don’t get – celebrity magazines, LiveJournal, the popularity of James Blunt, people who think Jack Russells are cool dogs – and top of the list is probably MySpace. I know it’s a social phenomenon, huge visitor numbers and all that, but every time I venture into it I have the same thought: “this sucks!”
Publishing 2.0 reckons that MySpace is a ticking time bomb. Scott Karp writes:
MySpace is a DEEPLY DISTURBING place. It’s so disturbing that I’m convinced that the vast majority of the Web 2.0 fan club who gush over MySpace has NEVER actually spent any time on MySpace.
…But as [a] Web 2.0 watcher, I have a strong view from a business perspective, which leads me to this prediction: Rupert Murdoch will come to regret the purchase of MySpace.
Why? Because the reality is that MySpace can’t be controlled, and that’s a liability.
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0 responses to “Is MySpace bad?”
Weird synchronicity: I’d just been reading up on MySpace myself. I have a few friends who swear by it.
A few weeks ago a social media researcher posted this rant: http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2006/03/01/the_disappearan.html
From the end of the article: “In statistical terms, MySpace is safer than going to school. It is safer than being in a car with your parents. It is safer than going to the mall. And yet, we are more scared because we don’t understand it and we’re afraid.”
Unless of course you’re talking about the visual aspects of MySpace, in which case I totally agree. It’s a hideous monster that makes your eyes bleed.
Well, from my point of view it’s the eye-bleeding horror of its design – that, and I find it all a bit pointless. I suspect a generation gap in force at the grand old age of 33 :)
You’re right, though. As Paul’s pointed out elsewhere, the Publishing 2.0 piece has attracted comments including one person who argues that MySpace just shows what teenagers do – it’s just that it’s never been something everyone else can eavesdrop on before.
We were talking in the office the other day trying to figure out why MySpace is so popular, and decided it’s for people who don’t have their own web space. It sort of reminds me of GeoCities when everyone was getting into webrings.
Webrings! Of course!
>>Webrings!
I do believe them sort of sites are blocked by our firewall at work ;-)
Haha :)