MySpace.com

Typical MySpace profile (MySpace founder Tom Anderson's profile shown here)
Commercial?	Yes
Type of site	Social network service
Owner	News Corporation
Created by	Tom Anderson

MySpace is a social networking website based in Santa Monica, California offering an interactive, user-submitted network of personal profiles, friends lists, blogs, bulletins, groups, photos, music, MP3s, and videos. MySpace also features an internal search engine and an internal e-mail system. According to Alexa Internet, it is currently the world's fourth most popular English-language website and the sixth most popular website in any language^[1]. It is the most popular website in the United States, accounting for 4.46 percent of all Internet visits^[2] (note it is possible that other websites have a greater number of unique visitors). MySpace has gradually gained more popularity than similar websites such as Facebook, Bebo, Friendster, Xanga, MyYearbook, Friends Reunited, Classmates.com, and LiveJournal to achieve nearly 80 percent of visits to online social networking websites^[2]. It has become an increasingly influential part of contempory popular culture, especially in the Anglosphere. MySpace has 300 employees ^[3], is owned by News Corporation, and does not disclose revenues or profits separately from the totals reported by News Corporation. MySpace currently reports just over 107 million accounts, with the 100 millionth account being created on August 9, 2006^{[citation needed]} reportedly attracting new registrations at the rate of 230,000 per day.^[3]

The creators of MySpace have hosted many concerts and parties throughout the United States to support the website. The headquarters of MySpace is in Santa Monica but its parent company News Corporation is headquartered in New York City.

MySpace is also home to various independent musicians, independent filmmakers, and up and coming comedians who upload songs, short films, and other work directly onto their profile. These songs and films can also be embedded in other profiles, an interconnectedness which adds to MySpace's appeal for musicians, filmmakers, and comedians alike. Because of the high popularity, mainstream musicians filmmakers, and comedians alike have continued this trend as well.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 History 2 Contents of a MySpace profile 2.1 Blurbs, Interests, Details, Blog, Images, and Videos 2.2 User's Friends Space 2.3 Comments 2.4 Profile customization 3 MySpace features 3.1 Bulletins 3.2 Groups 3.3 Surveys 3.4 Chain bulletins 3.5 MySpace International 3.6 MySpace Mobile 4 Criticism of MySpace 4.1 Accessibility 4.2 "Top Friends" feature 4.3 MySpace and Employee Background Checks 4.4 Security 4.5 Musicians' rights and MySpace Terms of Use Agreement 4.6 Fake profiles 5 Censorship of MySpace 5.1 Censorship of MySpace in educational settings 5.2 Censorship of MySpace in businesses 5.3 Censorship of MySpace by the United States Congress 6 Legal issues 7 MySpace celebrities 8 Rivalry with YouTube 9 See also 10 References 11 External links

History

Before the creation of the current social networking website, the MySpace.com domain name was already registered in 1998 to a San Francisco-based online storage and file sharing firm. Registration was free and users were able to obtain a small disk quota which would gradually increase if they referred new members to the site. Due to slow service and a lack of revenue, the original website shut down and sold all of its users' information in 2001 ^[4].

The current MySpace service was founded in July 2003 by Tom Anderson (an alumnus of both the University of California, Berkeley and the University of California, Los Angeles), the current president, Chris DeWolfe (a graduate of University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business), the current CEO, and a small team of programmers. It was partially owned by Intermix Media, which was bought in July 2005 for $580 million by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation (the parent company of Fox Broadcasting and other media enterprises) ^[5]. In January 2006, Fox announced plans to launch a UK version of MySpace in a bid to "tap into the UK music scene" ^[6] which they have since done (see MySpace International below).

On July 22, 2006, the MySpace servers in Los Angeles encountered a major power outage due to record-breaking heat caused by the 2006 North American heat wave^[7]. The website was temporarily replaced with an apology and a Pacman game in an attempt to minimize user frustration. The site was restored shortly after.

Contents of a MySpace profile

Blurbs, Interests, Details, Blog, Images, and Videos

Profiles contain two standard "blurbs": "About Me" and "Who I'd Like to Meet" sections. Profiles also contain an "Interests" section and a "Details" section. However, fields in the "Interests" and "Details" sections have the ability of not being displayed on the page by simply not filling them in. Profiles also contain a blog with standard fields for content, emotion, and media. MySpace also supports uploading images. One of the images can be chosen to be the "default image," the image that will be seen on the profile's main page, search page, and as the image that will appear to the side of the user's name on comments, messages, etc. MySpace has also added the option to upload videos via the MySpace Videos service, that are played via a standalone Flash player.

User's Friends Space

The User's Friends Space contains a count of a user's friends, a "Top Friends" area, and a link to view all of the user's friends. Users can choose a certain number of friends to be displayed on their profile in the "Top Friends" area. The "Top Friends" used to be restricted to eight friends. People bypassed this limitation by using third-party tools to emulate a "Top X" friends. Currently, MySpace allows 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, or 24 friends to be displayed in the "Top Friends" area. The "Top Friends" feature is known to cause problems (see "Top Friends" feature below).

Comments

Below the User's Friends Space (by default) is the "comments" section, wherein the user's friends may leave comments for all viewers to read. Although comments are publicly accessible, many users leave personal comments regardless, allowing any reader to know their business. MySpace users have the option to delete any comment and/or require all comments to be approved before posting.

Profile customization

MySpace gives users some flexibility to modify their user pages. Although JavaScript is not allowed, HTML and CSS can be used to change the vast majority of the profile to the user's preference. Users also have the option to add embedded music into their profiles via MySpace Music, a service that allows bands to post songs onto their respective profiles. Videos and any other content can also be added. A large number of websites offer tools to help MySpace users customize their profiles, including pre-made layouts and CSS code generators. Many different "MySpace editors" are available for those who do not know HTML.

Some people with experience in web design choose to completely hide the default layout and create a Div profile on top of it, in order to display their profile information in any way they wish.^{[citation needed]}

MySpace features

Bulletins

Bulletins are messages sent out to everyone on a MySpace user's friends list. They can be useful for notifying an entire friends list, without resorting to messaging users individually.

Most surveys are spread via the MySpace bulletin system. Much like surveys in real life, the surveys on MySpace are large questionnaires which reveal information about the user taking the survey. Although MySpace already provides organized space to tell a profile reader about a user's life, surveys are still widely popular in the MySpace community. Sometimes, surveys will be posted in the MySpace Blog.

There is currently a virus going to MySpace users. It creates random bulletins and replaces them with a user as the maker of it. The virus is unknown and Tom Anderson is still working to fix this problem. These viruses are causing spamming on MySpace.

Groups

There are groups that you can join that have people that like the same things you do. It is like a little club. You can interact with all the people in your group by going to their profile or lookup.

Surveys

Most surveys are spread via the MySpace bulletin system. Much like surveys in real life, the surveys on MySpace are large questionnaires which reveal information about the user taking the survey. Although MySpace already provides organized space to tell a profile reader about a user's life, surveys are still widely popular in the MySpace community. Sometimes, surveys will be posted in the MySpace Blog.

Chain bulletins

Chain bulletins are MySpace bulletins that are constantly reposted. Chain bulletins are usually re-posts of chain e-mails, fake games, or superstitious messages. Many users who are bored will believe this or repost it out of jest. Some MySpace users find chain bulletins a nuisance. Chain bulletins are parodied in The MySpace Movie.

MySpace International

MySpace has an option to access MySpace through different regional versions, much like Google and other search engines. These versions include: Global site, Australia, France (currently in BETA), Germany (currently in BETA), Ireland, UK, and US. Ironically the URL of the US version is the same as the global one. The alternative regional versions compensate for the different spelling variations and date preferences in the Anglosphere, e.g. US = favorites, 09/04/2006 and UK = favourites, 04/09/2006 and also compensate for different languages.

MySpace Mobile

American mobile phone provider Helio released a series of mobile phones in early 2006 that can utilize a service known as MySpace Mobile to access and edit one's profile and communicate and view other's profiles. [1]

Criticism of MySpace

Accessibility

Since most MySpace pages are designed by individuals with little HTML experience, few pages satisfy the criteria for valid HTML laid down by the W3C[2]^{[citation needed]} which can cause accessibility problems when visiting many user pages. Furthermore, MySpace is set up so that anyone can customize the layout and colours of their profile page with virtually no restrictions, provided that the advertisements aren't covered up by CSS or using other means. As MySpace users may not be skilled web developers, this can cause further problems. Poorly constructed MySpace profiles could potentially freeze up web browsers due to malformed CSS coding, or as a result of users placing many high bandwidth objects such as videos, graphics, and Flash in their profiles (sometimes multiple videos and soundfiles are automatically played at the same time when a profile loads).

In addition, the MySpace community is growing. New features have been put on the page, such as video and song sharing, through streaming media. The unprecedented amount of MySpace users joining daily due to these new features, and its media publicity, means that more users are online at any given time. This increase in usage sometimes slows down the servers and may result in a "Server Too Busy" error message for some users who are on at peak hours, "Sorry! an unexpected error has occurred. This error has been forwarded to MySpace's technical group.", or a variety of any other error messages throughout the day.

"Top Friends" feature

The "Top Friends" feature has been known to cause problems, frustration, and despair among users from people who are upset about not being on a person's Top friends list, not being ranked high up enough on the list, or users having trouble deciding who to put in their "Top Friends" and where. MySpace currently does not have an option to disable the "Top Friends" feature to combat this.

MySpace and Employee Background Checks

The Chicago Tribune's RedEye printed an article concerning MySpace and an individual's search for employment. It was argued that young college graduates compromise their chances of starting careers because of the content they post onto their profiles. For instance, a visitor does not need an account to browse for users using information that is readily available on resumes and applications, such as a postal code and age. A potential employer can utilize information provided by the applicant on MySpace's search component. Thus, the employer may not hire a highly qualified candidate because he or she maintains an account suggesting rambunctious behaviour. Moreover, employees were said to be putting their careers at risk because they maintain blogs that criticize their respective companies and organizations.

Security

MySpace allows registering users who are as young as 14.^[8] Profiles with ages set to 14 to 15 years are automatically private. Users whose ages are set at 16 or over have the option to restrict their profiles, ^[9] and the option of merely allowing certain personal data to be restricted to people other than those on their "friends list". Accessing the full profile of or messaging someone under the age of 18 is restricted to a MySpace user's direct friends only.

As a result of negative publicity of MySpace, the Fox television network announced that they will post public service advertisements warning children of those dangers.^{[citation needed]} Also, the Massachusetts' Attorney General Tom Reilly has called for MySpace to raise its minimum age for users from 14 to 18 in order to better protect children^{[citation needed]}. Republican Pennsylvania Representative Mike Fitzpatrick has also introduced controversial legislation (H.R.5319) to ban usage of the site in public places, such as schools and libraries, and to have the power to tap into usage of the website in those places (see Censorship of MySpace by the United States Congress below).

Recently, MySpace has been the focus of a number of news reports stating that teenagers have found ways around the restrictions set by MySpace, and have been the target of online predators.^[10] In response, MySpace has given assurances to parents that the website is safe for people of all ages. Beginning in late June 2006, MySpace users whose ages are set over 18 could no longer be able to add users whose ages are set from 14 to 15 years as friends unless they already know the user's full name or email address.^[11] However, these restrictions only work if users are honest about their age when they sign up. Some 3rd party Internet Safety companies like Social Shield^[12] have launched online communities for parents concerned about their child's safety on MySpace.

In June 2006, a 14-year-old girl who says she was sexually assaulted by a 19-year-old user sued MySpace and News Corporation, seeking $30 million in damages. And in the same month, Katherine Lester a 16-year-old girl who tricked her parents into getting her a passport flew to the Middle East to be with a 20-year-old man she met through MySpace. US officials in Jordan persuaded the teen to turn around and go home.

Sites such as www.myspaceplus.com (now defunct) and http://terikan.forumer.com have popped up in response to demand for increased security and knowledge about who is visiting or 'stalking' the profiles of women and children. Parents and other concerned citizens can use such "MySpace Trackers" to monitor for any predators or otherwise suspicious visitors to the person's profile.

Pro-American laws and attitudes concerning online safety are being integrated into MySpace despite the fact that MySpace is a global website and online security may not be as a major issue in other countries as it is in the United States.

MSNBC has reported that MySpace is a "hotbed" for spyware, and that infection rates are rising because of MySpace. ^[13]

Musicians' rights and MySpace Terms of Use Agreement

Until June 2006, there was a concern amongst musicians, artists, and bands on MySpace such as songwriter Billy Bragg owing to the fine print within the user agreement that read, "You hereby grant to MySpace.com a non-exclusive, fully-paid and royalty-free, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense through unlimited levels of sublicensees) to use, copy, modify, adapt, translate, publicly perform, publicly display, store, reproduce, transmit, and distribute such Content on and through the Services."

The fine print brought particular concern as the agreement was being made with Murdoch's News Corporation. Billy Bragg brought the issue to the attention of the media during the first week of June 2006. Jeff Berman, a MySpace spokesman swiftly responded by saying, "Because the legalese has caused some confusion, we are at work revising it to make it very clear that MySpace is not seeking a license to do anything with an artist's work other than allow it to be shared in the manner the artist intends."

By June 27, MySpace had lived up to their word and amended the user agreement with, "MySpace.com does not claim any ownership rights in the text, files, images, photos, video, sounds, musical works, works of authorship, or any other materials (collectively, 'Content') that you post to the MySpace Services. After posting your Content to the MySpace Services, you continue to retain all ownership rights in such Content, and you continue to have the right to use your Content in any way you choose."

Fake profiles

Censorship of MySpace

Censorship of MySpace in educational settings

Many schools and public libraries in the United States and the United Kingdom have restricted access to MySpace because it has become "such a haven for student gossip and malicious comments".^[14] A Catholic school in New Jersey has even prohibited students from using MySpace at home, although experts questioned the legality of such a ban.^[15] In Autumn 2005 Pope John XXIII Regional High School in Sparta Township, New Jersey made headlines by forbidding its students to have pages on MySpace or similar websites or face suspension. [3] The school claimed that this action was made to protect its students from online predators. ^[16]

Recently, it has been reported that some universities have began searches on MySpace in order to discover evidence of illegal drug use among potential applicants^{[citation needed]}. In addition, several high schools have adopted similar policies. Starting in the 2006 school year Libertyville High School in Libertyville, Illinois will search MySpace for any evidence of drug use among football players. [4]

Colleges and universities in the United States have also started to adopt policies governing what type of information can be disclosed on football players' websites, to avoid university football programs from potentially embarrassing revelations. [5] Several universities have also expressed concern about inappropriate contacts that MySpace pages foster between high school football players and university alumni seeking to convince them to come to their alma mater^{[citation needed]}.

In 2006, Del Mar Community College blocked all access to MySpace. Network administrators cited network strain from excessive MySpace traffic as the reason for blocking the website. According to Del Mar's chief of technology, MySpace was consuming roughly 40 percent of the college's daily Internet bandwidth, resulting in sluggish broadband speeds, impeding the college's web-based courses. ^[17]

Censorship of MySpace in businesses

Some businesses have blocked employee access to MySpace and related webpages^{[citation needed]}. One such blocked site is MySpace Videos, which has been blocked from many networks and universities, for creating an excessive amount of bandwidth usage from videos. Additionally, some routers are providing firmware updates that include the automatic banning of MySpace.

Due to the high use of bandwidth and misuse of the computers in various retail stores, companies with computers available for public use (like Apple Computer, in their Apple Stores) have sometimes prevented access to MySpace to prevent customers from using excessive bandwidth, although Apple Computer reversed its decision and now allows its customers to visit MySpace.^[18]

Censorship of MySpace by the United States Congress

On July 28, 2006, the United States House of Representatives passed a controversial bill requiring libraries and schools receiving certain types of federal funding (E-rate) to prevent unsupervised minors from using chat rooms and social networking websites, such as MySpace. This bill, known as the Deleting Online Predators Act of 2006 (DOPA), was approved by a 410-15 vote and is pending approval in the United States Senate.

Legal issues

In May 2006, Long Island, New York teenagers Shaun Harrison and Saverio Mondelli were charged with illegal computer access and attempted extortion of MySpace, after both had allegedly hacked into the site to steal the personal information of MySpace users before threatening to share the secrets of how they broke into the website unless MySpace paid them $150,000. Both teens were arrested by undercover Los Angeles detectives, posing as MySpace employees.^[19]

The two were the operators of the website www.myspaceplus.com. They had constant issues with MySpace regarding the possible trademark infringement of their domain name. What they sold on their website was called a MySpace tracker. It could show who had visited a user's MySpace page. It was successful at first, but then went downhill as the operators of the website were unable to adapt to MySpace's filtering of their special snippets of code. Without being able to place this code, their service was non-functional. The teenagers boasted that they had found a way to run their service that MySpace could not stop. It obviously never came to fruition.

MySpace celebrities

MySpace has led to the creation of MySpace celebrities, popular individuals who have attracted hundreds of thousands of "friends", which may lead to coverage in other media. The June 2006 issue of Playboy magazine, for example, featured a "Women of MySpace" nude pictorial (though ironically, an article somewhat critical of the website ran in the same issue). Through MySpace, such people are able to distribute information regarding their activities, events they are hosting, or projects they are working on (e.g. albums or clothing lines). Though some of these individuals have remained only Internet celebrities, others have been able to jump to television, magazines, and radio. Examples include Christine "ForBiddeN" Dolce's appearance on The Tyra Banks Show and Tila Tequila's covers for Stuff & Maxim magazines.

Furthermore, MySpace's music section has helped many amateur bands progress. One illustrative example is English band Arctic Monkeys, who owe some of their success to the publicity that MySpace generated for them. When asked about the popularity of the band's MySpace website in an interview with Prefix magazine, the band pointed out that they did not even know what MySpace was, and that their page had originally been created by their fans. It has been claimed that Pop artist Lily Allen's new fame is also due in part to her being promoted on MySpace and Lily herself denies this. In response to an interview question on Triple J, Australia Lily stated^[20], "the way it's been portrayed in the media, is that you were almost like discovered by MySpace; how accurate is that?", Lily responded "not accurate at all, I had a record deal before I set up my MySpace account so, erm, that's ... couldn't really be further from the truth". Also, G4's hit show Attack of the Show! has a "MySpace Girl of the Week" segment.

Rivalry with YouTube

YouTube first appeared on the web in early 2005, and it quickly gained popularity on MySpace due to MySpace members who embedded YouTube videos in their MySpace profiles. Realizing the competitive threat to the new MySpace Videos service, MySpace banned embedded YouTube videos from its user profiles. MySpace users widely protested the ban, prompting MySpace to re-enable the feature shortly thereafter. ^[21]

Since then YouTube has become one of the fastest-growing websites on the World Wide Web ^[22], outgrowing MySpace's reach according to Alexa Internet. ^[23] In July 2006 several news organizations reported that YouTube had overtaken MySpace. ^[24]

See also

References

External links

• MySpace.com MySpace Homepage
• Tom Anderson MySpace Founder Homepage