I was interested to see this article in the New York Times about a new book (by a fella UChicago alumna) about the dodgy history of social networking website MySpace. I’ve never ever been a fan of MySpace – I was turned off from the outset by exactly those “shady business practices” and “trailer-park aesthetics” described in the article.
I’m not surprised to learn of MySpace’s roller-coaster ride of a history as a business, or the dramatic tendencies of its founders – it was MySpace and not one of those other social networking sites that attracted Ruper Murdoch, after all. Murdoch is no stranger to drama – knowing that like attracts like, I think it’s a safe bet to guess that where you find Rupert, you will find a litter of broken promises, hearts, egos (and maybe even some knocked-out teeth) underfoot.
Despite the recent ruckus over Facebook’s Terms of Use, I’ve enjoyed that platform much more for connecting with old friends and staying in touch with new ones met in odd places around the world. Facebook could be a bit more amenable to the necessary expansion of social networking on the interweb, though – for example, for the purposes of Faceboook organizing. But anyway, it’s still better than Friendster. And MySpace.