11 posts tagged “myspace”

Facebook and MySpace have been at war for years now, with the two major social networks vying for world domination, claiming country by country, demographic by demographic.  A recent speech titled "The Not-So-Hidden Politics of Class Online" by Danah Boyd of the Harvard Berkman Center for Internet and Society begs the question, why does there seem to be a race and class divide when it comes to Facebook and MySpace?

Is Facebook really more elite, with MySpace having become the "ghetto" of online social networking?  It's an interesting question that forces us to look at social networks in a new light.  Chris Matyszczyk of CNET likens the shift from MySpace to Facebook to the white flight we see all too often when a once-established neighborhood becomes a little too diverse for its white residents. 

An interesting perspective, and one that's readily able to relate to in American culture.  It's a major part of our history and has been so even before the days of the modern suburbs.  But it also speaks to a long history of institutionalized classism as well as racism, which often go hand in hand.  Is that really the level of analysis we're ready to apply to online social networking?  If that's the case, then there are some serious questions we need to be directing to the founders, executives and investors of both MySpace and Facebook.

But first let's look at the Utopian side of things.  Both Facebook and MySpace are online social networks, meaning that they're virtual pieces of property and can be accessed by anyone that has an Internet connection.  Utopia, right?  Not really.  There was already the long-standing matter of Internet access as it applies to the race/class divide.  If you're a racial minority and economically deterred, then Internet access is a novelty.  You are relegated to public access Internet points and your mobile device, which may or may not be a smart phone capable of high functions for social networking.

While the technology divide is narrowing, it becomes less and less of an issue for the purposes of this particular case, but it cannot be entirely ignored, especially as it was still a factor when both MySpace and Facebook were launched and began to gain major traction.

But another factor I find noteworthy is the approach employed by each social network in question; MySpace began as an online tool for getting musicians set up with their own website, while Facebook began as an exclusive network for Harvard students.  MySpace came about when the only other major option for widespread social networking was Friendster, which also targeted the college-age demographic.  The tactic used for MySpace included posting photos of scantily clad users and enticing new sign ups.  Facebook required a confirmed .edu email address just to let you in the front door.

The two strategies towards growth, new user acquisition and existing user retention are vastly different and inherently attract different crowds.  So is this race/class divide self-selecting or in fact more institutional?  If the trend is self-selecting then we can attribute much of the world's view on these social networks to be indicative of current mentality for those that use the networks.  We can also expect to see some changes with both MySpace and Facebook.  Perhaps Facebook will too become a dated neighborhood, run down by the "wrong crowd" and witness another white flight to the next hot spot.  And that hot spot would likely be a revived and gentrified MySpace, full of nostalgia and gritty determination to be hip.

We'd also be able to apply these theories to other social networks, and I don't think online social networking has been around long enough to draw any solid conclusions in that regard.  This is mainly because very different strategies are applied to each social network that is launched, and many of the social networks we've seen in the past decade have been rather niche.  From LinkedIn to BlackPlanet, you can expect a different crowd no matter where you go.  There will almost always be a different crowd with a different objective.  Fortunately these are all factors that Boyd studies in her ongoing work and research in social media.

What's disappointing is the fact that these strategies can ultimately lead to an overwhelming sense of distinction based on race and class, especially when you think of the business concerns revolving around the spending power of the actual demographics on MySpace and Facebook versus the widespread perception that could either deter or encourage the stimulation of an economy around each network.  From developer apps to advertising campaigns, the affect that race and class distinctions have on any business is real.

This article was originally published here on KristenNicole.com

So MySpace won't let you post your Photobucket videos and remixes anymore.  That's no fun.  While Photobucket has formally acknowledged that some of their services have been blocked from use on MySpace, the social networking giant has not said anything regarding the matter quite yet. 

We're all sitting on the edge of our seats awaiting a reason for blocking Photobucket videos and remixes.  Why not block everything, photos and all? Does MySpace admit that blocking photos as well would really piss off their users? Or do they just not care?  Photobucket seems to know that MySpace could become a pretty dull place without their slideshows, and since the rise of this whole online video thing, MySpace has been pretty sensitive about who gets to show clips.

Arrington aroused speculation that MySpace, notorious for cutting off widget makers, is taking a preemptive strike against Photobucket in the event that they be bought by a rival. Wouldn't that be a replay of the GooTube drama?  Or maybe MySpace has some new video remixing widget player they'll be releasing tomorrow, via SpringWidgets?

No? Well, whatever the case may be, I'm sure we'll hear from MySpace sooner or later, and they'll say that there was some technical/secuirity/whatever issue with Photobucket's video and remix widget player.  I refuse to believe that MySpace doesn't have some line of communication with a good portion of widget makers out there.  Especially the big ones, like Photobucket.  Jay's got some pretty interesting thoughts regarding the MySpace widget existence, so be sure to look out for that soon. 

And yes, MySpace is abandoning their roots, and their users are upset.  But the users keep on coming! MySpace has yet to fall from grace when it comes to the public at large. And when you're that big, you tend to do whatever you want until you actually can't get away with it anymore.  Taking away so many key privileges for users, though, is heading in the wrong direction.

So you have your photos and videos online, and you have easy access to everyone else's photos and videos online.  In case you were getting bored with that, here are some online editing services that offer you some ideas for what to do with your photos and your videos (and your time).

Comeeko:

Hailing from Australia, Comeeko and more widely-known sister company PikiPimp let you turn your photos into a comic strip, or add all sorts of "bling" to your pictures.  PikiPimp recently launched Piki(fx) where you can add gif animation to your images as well.  The perfect match for MySpace teens that crave attention and love leaving flashy comments on other people's pages. They provide the code to do just this. You can download, email, and embed Comeeko comics as well. The company is currently seeking VC funding to further the development of their services offered. 

Cuts:

Take some YouTube clips and add your own captions.  Then take out the boring parts, loop the funny scenes, and add a few sound effects.  This brand new company has been in the works for over a year, and is the brainchild of some extremely smart and powerful industry veterans, including Lucinda Holt, Sunny Balijepalli, and Russell Holt.  Cuts' simple interface is easy to use and navigate.  No need to install anything onto your computer. Bookmark or Digg your favorite cuts, and embed or email some more.  Don't have time to make your own cut?  Watch everyone else's.  They're pretty funny.

MySpace will be launching a site as an aggregate of U.S. presidential hopefuls in an effort to raise political awareness for a demographic that is easily out of touch with much of what goes on in the world of politics.  MySpace Impact hopes to provide a channel for its users to promote political interaction, giving information on all those that are running for president '08 and even offering a 1-click payment option for donations and fund raising.
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Will MySpace have a great influence on voting next year?  Those running the political campaigns are very keen on leveraging social networks and dedicated blogs for furthering their reach.  As strange as it is to see Hillary Clinton's MySpace profile and Barak Obama on my friends list, it does provide a very simple way to stay abreast of what's going on.  Perhaps this could even facilitate better communication between political figures and the masses.

Here are some other sites worth mentioning that are using online networks for political purposes:

Open Congress
A political news aggregator of sorts, aims to make the process of passing bills more transparent for the public.  Their site truly facilitates communication around the very basics of political edification and will hopefully become a fixture for political review, especially with the upcoming elections.
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FirstGiving
Allows you to create a fund-raising tool to be placed on your personal website, blog, or social network profile to raise awareness and funds.  This personalization of fund-raising coupled with the integration of their widget with our growing online presence broadens the reach and effects of bringing political issues to the forefront. Their service offers a way for others to donate directly to you or your associated organization.  It's a great way to not only spread the word but to raise money for your cause.

Friendster's got a new friend

Google and Friendster have partnered up for an advertising deal, which is obviously good for the long-forgotten Friendster.  Yahoo previously powered their search, but I'm sure Google is offering more money.  Friendster, which lost a lot of clout and face value when rival MySpace suprisingly became the poster child for online social networking nearly two years ago, has still managed to hang on to a decent amount of members, consistently improving their service to include the stuff that poular networks are made of.

In following most of the other steps taken by MySpace, signing an advertising deal with Google is among the most lucrative.

It will be most interesting to see if and how Friendster is affected by the advertising deal with Google.  The advertising company is always looking for more businesses to partner with.  It's Friendster who must now be wary of why they partner with, as Google can appear pretty selfish at times.  MySpace, who's very rewarding deal with Google ads left them with smiling faces, is the cause of anguish now that they're seeking a partnership with eBay's PayPal for the creation of online stores for their users.  Google's newer online payment system is a direct rival of PayPal.

Yet this will no doubt increase the value of Friendster.  If their still looking to sell, having an exclusive ad deal with Google will definitely improve their sticker price.  The Google ads are scheduled to appear on Friendster's pages this spring.

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Harper Collins and Random House have made flash widgets that are compatible with MySpace. These are unlikely to be cut off, as they come from established companies. Companies which are not in the business of solely making widgets, but have created an extension of their online presence to permeate those large social networks that have become the defining factor of an entire generation.  In this sense, they are unlikely to be viewed as harmful, as they are not parasites whose entire business model relies on the MySpace ecosystem.

  Random House's widget provides a snapshot of the book and linking to another browser window for additional details.  A search function is included with this widget, so information regarding any of their books is made available.

Harper Collins' widget is more in line with what people expect from such a tool, providing a slideshow to read pages from the book and a "buy" link. How very Amazon-ish.  However, the actual browse function is a bit slow, and the feature is only available for individual books, and the selection for those books is currently limited.      

Widgets are something we'll see as a regular projection of what companies offer in way of their online counterparts. The days of there being a necessity of becoming an online destination site are numbered, and it's great that these publishing companies have created widgets to garner more communication between themselves and the public.

It's too bad that the most useful places for these kinds of widgets are on sites that are the least likely to appreciate them.

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News Corp.'s Fox Interactive Media has acquired Strategic Data Corp., an interactive advertising agency.  This ties in nicely with the company's other subsidiary groups including MySpace, AmericanIdol.com and a video gaming company. 

Does this plug into the original fear many had when News Corp. purchased MySpace, thinking it would become the Times Square of the Internet?  Perhaps.

And would this alleviate some of the pressures felt from their tensing relationship with Google, its largest source of ad revenue and parent company of MySpace rival YouTube?  Hopefully.

All in all, it can't hurt to have an interactive advertising department in your own company.  I just hope this won't keep them from diversifying their ad campaigns across the board in the future.  The advertising market is changing dramatically with new applications on the Internet and mobile phones, and as the concept of search, social networking, and web browsers gradually change as well, it's most beneficial to stay nimble in the marketing arena. 

Way to take on Rockefeller mentality.

Rock on.