MySpace

toc =MySpace=



Its Influence
MySpace is an interesting addition to the World Wide Web as it acts as a social networking sphere attempting to bring people together. In fact, it has become so popular that a huge segment of American youth log onto the site on a daily basis. Though MySpace and others like it, such as Facebook, are still relatively in their infancy, “experts think they're already creating new forms of social behavior that blur the distinctions between online and real-world interactions.” (BusinessWeek) It is not surprising then that today’s generation chooses to interact with one another in digital realm just as much as they do in real life. For most users, MySpace is simply viewed as a part of everyday life; “they are there because their friends are there and they are there to hang out with those friends.” (Boyd). Nevertheless, its greatest asset is the ability to store information about oneself, such as pictures and interests, and upload music and video files to share with others on the MySpace community. Yet, another reason for its success can be attributed to the fact that opening and maintaining an account is free. Ultimately, MySpace is self-perpetuating: the more people that discover the site, the more people will join, and the bigger the community will become.

As of lately, there has been a great amount of heated discussion regarding MySpace’s motives and history. A quick “MySpace history” query in Google will reveal many websites presenting rather controversial information against the website. Most of the criticism regards MySpace’s false guise as a viral marketing success and its hidden agenda for spamming. But before looking into this more, what is **viral marketing**? According to E-Commerce Consultant Dr. Wilson, “Viral marketing describes any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, creating the potential for exponential growth in the message's exposure and influence.”(Wilson)

Based on word-of-mouth, a viral marketing strategy is meant to grow exponentially. Visually, it looks much like this::

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With this said, it has been suggested that such a case did not occur with MySpace, and rather it was originally marketed aggressively in the same manner as spam. As it stands, the corporate history of MySpace has been questioned by a number of individuals. The most notable of these is Trent Lapinski who claims that MySpace masks itself from its spamming agenda by giving users a space to communicate – even though advertisements still litter the screen. Published in September 2006, an excerpt of Lapinski’s rant captures the essence of his supposed exposé:

“ Most users believe that MySpace started as some kind of fluke--a happy accident that began in Anderson's bedroom or garage--and many still don't wonder, know, or care about the site's real business history and model. Heralded as a haven of DIY self-expression, MySpace was actually created by executives whose backgrounds are anchored in spam and mass marketing, and who are tied to investment scandals. With his almost alternateen good looks, Tom Anderson has served as an exceptionally convincing distraction. The PR campaign is one of MySpace's two strokes of genius, brilliant, but not groundbreaking. //The real genius of MySpace lies in it's re-imagining and repackaging of spam//.”

**To Learn more about MySpace, click the following links:**
http://www.myspace.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MySpace

Competitors (Other Social Networks)

 * Facebook
 * Hi5
 * Blackplanet
 * Asian Avenue
 * Tdot Wire

BusinessWeek. "The MySpace Generation" http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_50/b3963001.htm Boyd, Danah."Identity Production in a Networked Culture." [|http://www.danah.org/papers/AAAS2006.htm] Lapinski, Trent. "MySpace: The Business of Spam 2.0." http://www.valleywag.com/tech/myspace/myspace-the-business-of-spam-20-exhaustive-edition-199924.php Wilson, Ralph F. "The Six Simple Principles of Viral Marketing." http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt5/viral-principles.htm
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