1. kris on July 18, 2005 9:55 PM writes...

'youth culture'. oh, please.

Self-absorbed, idealistic, know-it-alls with lots of expendable money. They put their complete psyches out there for the rest of us to slice 'n dice, totally exposing themselves for the shallowness that is their generation, and someone gets all preachy about how wrong it is to exploit them.

What else are we SUPPOSED to do with younger generations?!? That's what they are here for. Every generation since WWII has been exploited by the older generation, and gotten all hissy about it until, in fact, THEY have a younger generation to exploit.

For crying out loud - stop your whining. Watch how fast the outcry against exploitation dies down when the exploited become the exploiters. That's the way the markets work - always have, always will.

2. Ryan Shaw on July 19, 2005 2:19 AM writes...

I won't respond to the troll above except to point out that, unlike in past generations, these kids' youthful indiscretions are being permanently recorded in databases they will most likely never control.

What I find amusing about the press coverage of the MySpace acquisition is the spin that it is a win for "user-generated content." All those embedded Nelly videos and supermodel photos are user-generated content, right?

3. Kris on July 19, 2005 3:30 PM writes...

OK, I was a little over the top with the tone, but in all honesty, I did so on purpose - I wanted to make a point and get a reaction. Many2Many is a great forum that doesn't seem to get very much commenting and discussion going on. I was fishing for a reaction and I got one - being called a 'Troll' is fair. I'm not actually, but the tone of the comment did deserve it. I apologize.

Take the 'attitude' out of my initial post, however, and I still think it states the case fairly. The Internet, public networks, and the activity that takes place is no different than what goes on at any large public gathering - there are exploiters and exploitees.

If the market wants privacy, then find an easy to access and use private network that marketers are invited into based on permission.

4. James on July 19, 2005 5:08 PM writes...

Why didnt NewsCorp just build the same technology as Myspace and apply that to their various interest areas (sport, music, film, politics/ news etc)?

I cant see the Myspace brand and crowd fitting very well with Fox News somehow... be interesting to see what NewsCorp does with this acquisition...

5. zephoria on July 19, 2005 5:37 PM writes...

The technology doesn't matter - it's the user population that matters.

Have you ever watched the Simpsons? Or half of Fox's TV programming? *Very* youth culture. And News Corp. is tightly coupled with many youth products.

6. Ja Ja Binks on July 20, 2005 2:52 PM writes...

Poop.

7. Ryan Shaw on July 20, 2005 3:49 PM writes...

Some interesting background on MySpace here:
http://apple-x.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=1510

Sounds like a pretty sleazy operation. But a good fit for News Corp., I suppose.

8. Fernando Ardenghi on July 20, 2005 7:24 PM writes...

Social Networking Sites had understood that they will never make money or enough profit offering only the "networking concept by itself".

They morph to a CHEAP CHANNEL for deliver ADS, "an infomercial-advertainment company on the web" promoting exclusive contents for members, and they have to offer FRESH, NEW and WELL differentiated contents from competitors every day. It will be a great challenge for them to survive.

Kindest Regards,

Fernando Ardenghi.
Buenos Aires.
Argentina.
ardenghifer@gmail.com

9. R on July 21, 2005 9:52 AM writes...

As for Kris's comment. It is well understood that exploitation of our nations youth will undoubtedly ensue. Big media corps will always target the youth because they are some of the most progressive, forward thinking communities this world has and always have been. Our society evolves with each new generation. For big buisness, our nations youth are a cash cow that just spews possibilities for financial gain both in marketing to them and gaining new progressive movements from them better helping the Rupert Murdochs of this world to capitalize on the new social fronts they spawn.

With that said, just because it's been common practice for big corporate fat cats to exploit our nations youth, doesn't make it right or acceptable. If we go by that logic, we could close our eyes and turn a cold shoulder to any injustice that involves large numbers and/or includes whole communities of people. Take for example Sudan. We don't just blow that problem off because "Well, they've been killing for generations, and if you think about it, it's really a lot of people that have been effected....like 2 mill. displaced!!!.....so I guess it's okay, since it seems so common place"...NO!!!! We don't allow attrocities to unfold and proliferate just because history has shown them to be reciprical (i.e. Sudan being one of the main agendas at the G8 conference, because it's not right).

It is time to stand up for our youth (what a novel thought?) and allow them a venue for expression. Just because Rupert Murdoch has a lot of money doesn't give him the right to spy and exploit our youth.....just as it wouldn't be right, if our adult community decided to sit in their living rooms with their curtains open, for Rupert to come and stand outside their windows spying on them and exploiting their activities. Just because people have the ability to look (if they so choose), doesn't make your activities any less sacred and any less private under the protecion of the law! The same uproar that the adult commmunity would raise if the scenario above were to be a reality should be the same uproar we raise for our youths sacred privacy, even if they do decide to leave their curtains open.

10. kris on July 21, 2005 8:15 PM writes...

Now, THAT'S what I'm talking about. Thanks 'R' for your thoughts.

The great thing about this country is the constant opposing forces and healthy tension that exists in every aspect of our lives. It's also the reason things that happen in despotic, 3rd world countries like Sudan don't happen here.

These constant opposing forces are what allows our society to constantly evolve and technology is just a facilitator in that process. At the end of the day, technologiy will not change society - it just magnifies, accelerates, facilitates, and exposes the imperfections which eventually get resolved by discussions like this.

Thank God for the diversity of people and opinion in this country and that it is allowed to flourish. And thank God for the foundation of this country that guarantees it - democracy, our form of government, the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and our economy (in spite of it's warts and blemishes).

Everyone has an absolute right to privacy and marketers have an absolute right to (attempt to) generate revenue with those who step out of their privacy and into the public domain

11. zephoria on July 21, 2005 9:00 PM writes...

Kris - i wrote a long response to you at:

http://www.zephoria.org/thoughts/archives/2005/07/21/privacy_is_a_privilege.html

12. JD on July 23, 2005 12:00 AM writes...

I am one of the "youth" they are talking about..and very disgruntled to hear about this...its basically saying what we had was gone...we will be spied on and exploited...this is the kind of world we live in though...so when the terrorists "exploit" the "youth" of the world...there is only one finger to point it to...the coporation who bought Mypspace...because now it is just one more outlet for the terrorists and their organizations to look into us...so thank you for buying it...thank you for killing another freedom..thank you for your exploitation...people's personal feeling and such are on there...and I think we should look and find people similar to us without having to be monitered by a bunch of rich idiots with money out the...butts...sorry dont wanna cuss..trying to cut down on it...and for you revenue makers..find another way insted exploiting us..cause personally...in my point of view..its suck and disgusting..and puts hate in my soul...to the point to well do something drastic...thats what we feel when they pull this over our eyes..we have enough issues...with politics..and how we are going to live our lives..so dont put another bearing on our shoulder by exploiting us...and privacy is a right not a privilege...so thats my take...and yeah I only 14...so...it sucks and is depressing..and I am infuriated...

13. kris on July 23, 2005 10:49 AM writes...

Wow, this whole thing has gotten blown out of proportion. News Corps' 'bread-n-butter' has traditionally been selling tabloid newspapers on the busiest street corners. As the market changes, that channel is eroding, and the News Corps' of the world need new channels, especially to reach a youthful market that spends less and less time on street corners on more and more time online.

Is it possible MySpace is just a very efficient channel for News Corp to reach its market?

Facinating discussions about 'privacy' aside, let's tone down the angst and paranoia and see what happens.

14. Sergio Rodriguez on July 23, 2005 12:06 PM writes...

This is just like a major company to find something that is good and not coorporately currupted and just take it over and make it there own. I would not doubt that this oh so popular online community will never be the same again.

15. R on July 24, 2005 10:34 PM writes...

I agree with JD in that it is a sad state of affairs when youth exploitation is taken so lightly. It should bear the same weight as a privacy invasion inflicted on the adult community. On the flip side I also concur with Kris that the teen angst may need to be turned down a bit. Your point is overshadowed by the dramatics of your statement JD, however valid it may be.

The more I read into myspace, the more it seems as though it was and always will be a channel for coorporate marketing. Tom was part of a company prior to the formation of Intermix (owner of Myspace) called Xdrive. He later joined forces with Xdrives EX-VP and Myspace CEO to create myspace. Tom is not your hip, smart, earthy college student who launched a cool site for him and his friends. Tom did not manifest a site that was always all about the people and not about soul financial gain. Finanical gain is Myspaces foundation and purpose. These are buisness men. Tom is a buiness man. Whatever options to make a dime are fair game. Myspace is governed by what will bring the owners more cash. I do feel, that in basic ethics of society, this is kind of seedy. Myspace has always been "marketed" as this cool new, youth friendly, indie operation. It was never shown for what it was, which is a huge coorporate machine, just waiting to be gobbled up by the next biggest marketing barron. It's like Jive Records putting together the "perfect" punk band through auditions and years of market research. Then Jive taking this band and marketing it as an underground sensation that grew from a group of friends that went to highschool together, played out in their parents garage, honing their true underground sound, slowly climing the ladder of success through strong peer support...all of which being complete BS because they were really put together by a team of marketing exec's for the soul purpose of financial gain....can you see the likeness in myspace? It isn't very cool, but in the end what are ya gonna do? It is a cool site, it is free, and it's free because they use our information to secretly plant marketing seeds hoping for them to grow into high sales figures.

In closing, my feelings are such that I don't think it's just "okay" to falsely market something to people who you know are impressionable, as something that is for "them" and stands for what "they" stand for when all in in all it doesn't. Myspace stands for money, or better yet myspace is the phrase Tom and his buddies use to signify that their pockets still got room. I don't think that it's okay to use people and secretly lump them into your "market". It just doesn't feel right. In hind sight, however, when the myspace plan is uncovered, and the true face of myspace unveiled, it's easy to understand how things transpired. Myspace is about money and fiscal responsibility. That's all there is to it. What do we get out of it, our privacy infringed upon for the facade of a wholesome community of friends, that are their to meet, and not to be bombarded by sales people and marketing schemes (which is actually what we are on myspace to do....we just didn't know it). In the end it's still free, our friends are still apart of it, and if you can ignore the sales ploys, it's still a pretty cool site....or atleast what it's marketed to be is cool, and we get to hear free music (which on a side note, I'm sure will change into another Viacomm/Clearchannel deal where every major record label will pay the highest price to have there trashy market researched, N-Sync'esque music plastered all over the site. The sad thing about this is that the general public are such lambs and in need of a shepard, that anything will do. They want to be led so bad that they will place anybody into their Shepard void, thus gobbling up all the trashy music that is thrown at them because they were assured by their shepard, i.e. marketing and label execs, that it was "dope" and "hip"....but I digress ;)

16. Isabel on July 29, 2005 4:16 PM writes...

Thanks for your site!!! It's really very interesting to read your blogs!!!

17. Glen on August 2, 2005 3:59 AM writes...

My opinion is: Let the corperations look at and study MySpace. Its published on the internet for everyone to see. And as for the embeded advertisements, I would rather have to put up with them than have the site shutdown due to lack of profit. If I want to keep something private, im sure as hell not going to post it on the internet, so i have no problem with a site like MySpace. If I start recieving spam emails from MySpace's corperate sponsors, then i have a problem. This site teaches the "youth" not to share private information, although it is the hard way to learn the lesson, its is most effective. I think this topic is disrespectful to the creaters, owners(whoever they may be), and members of MySpace. Even though I'm only 17, i think all of you people that dont like these sites need to be mature and respectful about activities other people participate in, and if u dont like MySpace---DONT JOIN, simple as that. You shouldn't complain about it and get it shut down because you dont like it. Think about all the people's hours of work on their MySpace's your would destroy... Thats like having every URL with the suffix '.org' deleted because I never visit them, and think they are a waste of space (just an example). You are just as bad as you claim these companies are - all you do is impose your opinion on others, like you have nothing better to do with your free time.

18. myspacelovr on August 2, 2005 7:42 PM writes...

GO GLEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

19. Danielle on August 3, 2005 3:33 PM writes...

Oh poor naive Glen...I think you have been watching far too much Fox news TV. Do a little research on News Corp or Rupert Murdoch. Check out www.moveon.org or the movie "Outfoxed" so you can get educated on this topic. This attitude that you have about this issue is exactly what these corporations want. They want to blur the lines even further than what they already are, and make their wrongful actions socially acceptable. I really hope you do a little reading up on this subject before you really make up your mind about this.

20. Nicole on August 3, 2005 10:49 PM writes...

Honestly you Peopole have to come to realize that we teenagers are no longer watching "Leave it to Beaver" Back to Back marathons.. And The internet itself has become a phase that is taking over the youth of America. If you parents are ever so worried about your youth being corrupted by MYSPACE then why even let your children use the internet? You should know that anywhere you go you are giving out information in which marketing reasearch is being done. You need to stop pin pointing certain websites and Get up to speed with the future
Sincerly Nicole (16)concerned teenager * =)

21. Sara on August 4, 2005 12:24 AM writes...

If and when Faux destroys myspace... a new community will start and people will migrate.. and then it will become popular and be bought up and so on and so on and so on.

Anyone who ever thought these sites were here for anything other than to make a buck they are surely mistaken.

It sucks don't it?

22. random on August 4, 2005 11:22 PM writes...

Myspace is one of the dirtiest companies ever, they would do anything for a buck. Just look into their history with spyware and installing programs on users machines through security exploits. Basically you just visit some of their web sites and you'd end up infected.

23. True_Thinker on August 6, 2005 7:07 PM writes...

"Self-absorbed, idealistic, know-it-alls with lots of expendable money."

er.. jealous much?