Tim I'm with you, I started a page earlier this year and the setup definitely seems clunky and very user-unfriendly. MySpace really seems to be going down the same path that AOL did about 5-6 years ago: Everyone agreed that the experience sucked, but since it was the easiest way to keep in touch with everyone, everyone suffered through it till a better alternative came along. Someone will build a better MySpace, and/or offer experiences that MySpace doesn't, and eventually the site's community will leave it.

Unless the site makes moves to improve the experience, but that never usually happens until it's too late.

I'm with you a 100%, but somehow it's a hit anyway. I love rading comments on friends spcaes from other people that rant and rave about how cool and great looking their ugly myspace page has become.

Maybe the campiness is part of the attraction.

Tim,

I may be the only living American who has never visited MySpace and have no plans to do so. Sounds like a great experience though, based on your comments(ha, ha).

Lewis

Thanks for the comments guys.

I think that for some of the more savvy users, part of the appeal is the craptacular quality of the site- it becomes a challenge to make something that looks better than other pages, or the look and feel is cool because it is ugly and clunky.

I think Mack has a great point that something better will eventually come along that serves the same purpose, better and without all the ickiness.

Tim -- As you know, this is an issue near and dear to my own heart recently... unfortunately.

First -- the business issue: My sense is that Mack is right. MySpace has paved the way for a smoother, more artful social networking alternative. Great comparison to AOL, Mackeral.

Second -- the personal issue: If I could upload a hurling icon here, I would. As a parent, MySpace troubles me. It gives kids the tools to get into some serious trouble at a time when they don't have the intellectual capacity to discern whether their actions are wise. The bottom line is that for all the potential it has -- it often does little more than make our jobs as parents a lot harder.

Ann- Here I am commenting again... just like I told you I would.

Yes, as parents, MySpace does make our jobs harder. In the defense of MySpace though (which I can't believe I am saying), our jobs have always been hard. Our parents worried too, for different reasons. My gripe with MySpace (as you are experiencing now, as have I), is that the access to really bad things is right there for them. Between the much-hyped threat of pedophiles and the ease of getting free porn, it's just a bit too concerning.

From the business side of things, MySpace is going to end up being seen as a precursor to whatever comes next. Has anybody else had the thought that a blog accomplishes the same goals, with better functionality? (I know, I'm a blogaholic...)

Tim...re. myspace--you got another vote of thumbs down. Don't go see it. It's one of the 10 worst of my all time list. I tried to like it & sat through the set up, the next day was invited for an extacy wave party, 6 come-on for sex (not even a date), a place to get tatoos and a party on Sunset. And I'm not even a "babe". I'm a mom & an artist/biz gal. That was the end of my survey. I think Viacom or one of the Suits picked it up for a few mill. Probably not for the drugs & low life sex but name value & the rock n roll. So I outgrew myspace overnight and move on. :-))
Kathy Smith

Kathy- EXACTLY! IF MySpace is getting an older audience, isn't that audience going to do exactly what you and I have done? I mean, maybe we expect or want more/ better functionality, but it just seems to be such a big flop to me. Maybe if I were a drunken frat boy or teenager looking for trouble it would be cooler. Maybe...

I just use it to practice blogging. I don't even read anything on that site.

If I had more time maybe I'd sift through its craptasticness for giggles.

So for me it's an anonymous yet public way to practice blogging since I just started.

Thanks for the post...I think MySpace is destined for the bottom-feeders of social media. T.

This just in from WOMMA. Here's a marketing reason to create a MySpace:

"MySpace.com accounted for 2.53% of upstream visits to classifieds and shopping sites, according to Hitwise tracking figures from the week ending Aug. 26, 2006.

"While marketers expect consumers to hit a search engine on their way to a shopping site, the fact that they are coming to classifieds/shopping sites via social networking sites raises interesting questions about consumer motivations (whether recommendations trigger purchase impulses, for instance, or other WOM)."

Hey,

Maybe you are right. I just signed up for myspace recently and i do not see what the initial hype was all about, but like one of your commentators observed, i think it is ideal for learning how to use blogs.

I really think with myspace, it is an issue with their policy. What actually does their policy statement says??

If it allows adult stuffs on it, who can argue with that...? Not that i support all those trash that goes on there in their site but just trying to clarify issues, okay..?

Good Luck.

Tony Ace.

True... I'm on MySpace as well, but I hardly check nor work with it. Maybe that is also due to the fact that it's not big at all in Germany.

But other than that most of the interface seems to be very clunky and outdated. They're due for a remake.

If I compare it to StudiVZ (German version of the Facebook, but actually exactly the same thing), StudiVZ is definitely the one I am paying more attention to. Not only because there are more people I know and am in touch with on, but also because (in spite of frequent server problems due to its unexpectedly fast growth) of the user friendly interface, nifty features (check out that cool Java based photo uploading tool or the linking feature for pix) and the absence of in-your-face ads.

Nevertheless, do other communities have enough gravity to attract users? Sure I've seen online-project fall which is usually just a matter of time with all projects, but in case of MySpace it works just as with the million dollar homepage... or a planet if you want: The bigger it is, the bigger the gravity, or the more people are on, the more people are attracted to it.

Lenny- I definitely see some of that planetary gravity. Soon, after the buzz has gone down, I believe the active members of MySpace will drop off. I mean, how many people, like us here, have tried it and then walked away? I'd venture to say a lot of them have.

Tim, firstly, I love you man! (I mean that in the old Bud Light commercial way...), because this post is totally on beat with the way I feel about MySpace. But on the other hand, I'm upset with ya, because you beat me to it!

To reiterate your post title, MySpace does suck. I'm absolutely disgusted by MySpace. Cluttered, unorganized and amateur (at best) are a few words that come to mind when I think about it. I mean, the idea behind it, it ain't new (um, SocialNet, Friendster, etc., all precursors, just poor execution when the time was right), so what's the big deal?

Regarding the use of MySpace as a blogging practice arena, there's no point really. Setup a private blog that only your dog (or pet reptile, sorry y'all, not trying to discriminate) can read while you "practice your posting."

And lastly, as far as a better MySpace, they're all around. I'm going to hate myself for saying this because, as a long-time (2+ yrs) user, I was totally against its decision to open up to everyone, but Facebook will probably be the next MySpace. Why? Privacy, clean web site/interface and a some regulation, to name a few things. I must say that I'm unhappy that Facebook has opened its doors to anyone with an email account, because that ruins the premise of a college (and high school) social networking tool, therefore the foundation of its popularity, but if any other social net wins in the end, it'll most likely be Facebook. Ask some users of the site and they'll tell you.

Ok, I think that's all :) Great post! I need to email this to some friends of mine...

Lewis, nice snippet from WOMMA. I got that this afternoon, too. However, don't you think with the rapid changes in the new digital culture that YouTube, especially since the recent you-know-what by you-know-who, may eventually claim that spot that MySpace has as far as upstream traffic to advertisers? Just a thought.

Thanks Daniel. I'd say that I was sorry for beating you to the story/ rant... but then I'd be lieing!

Everything that I've heard about Facebook would seem to validate your claims. I guess all of us marketers should be running that direction now... uh oh...

Ok, so I've been with MySpace for what seems like forever. I remember when everybody was on friendster, and then overnight, back in early 2004, there was some seismic shift over to myspace. Basically, it was just a good outlet to make fun of each other. But, there is something to be said for what it has turned into.

Now that I'm no longer in college, it is the most important tool for me to keep up with all those old friends that I probably wouldn't have otherwise. Same goes for high school. If you want to find, or keep up with friends, that's the place to do it. It has extended relationships, and if everyone bails on it, everyone loses that, so most people stay.

With that said, you're right, their coding is terrible, and they're behaving like old media. They think they own the time we spend there, and we should only use their tools, etc. It's this mentality that will kill them if anything does. Either that, or everyone who's on it grows up and stays on it. Most kids don't like to hang out with their parents whether it's at the mall or on the internet, that's for damn sure.

Well, there's my halfway on-topic rambling for the evening...

Ok .. I agree too .. sort of. MySpace is awkward, clunky and can be ugly. And a total bear to build on.

However, as Lewis pointed out the allure for marketers is the huge audience which is skewing older. During the last couple of months I spent hours and hours and hours on MySpace as I researched, built and launched a promotional video campaign for a client that wanted to test a younger demo.

I found that within the clutter and confusion there are indeed vital communites within communities each with their own culture. Although MySpace comes with blogs they seem to be rarely used. Comments and Bulletins are the prefer ways to communicate. If youre looking for intellectual conversations MySpace would not be the way to go.

If you want to tap into the possibility of reaching a huge audience, let loose and be 'messy' in your output MySpace is certainly an option to explore.

Here's the promotion. We tried to build the page keeping in mind the MySpace culture: confusing and chaotic, creative.

http://myspace.com/getoutofthedoghouse

I think you're missing the point. MySpace was never built to be a slick website. It was created to create a community and connect people. I have a MySpace page and my favorite band has a MySpace page. Suddenly, we're on the same level. They are accessible and "just like me." I can connect with others who have similar interests.

I'm not saying that it's the end-all-be-all. I'm saying that it's not about the experience of building the best MySpace page. It's about the experience of having a level playing field. My page looks as good as any bands' or companies' page and that's a great thing in the Web 2.0 world.

Spike,

Thank you for that comment. That is a very valid point and one well worth consideration. However, what about the porn and other "dangers"? Yes, I know the entire internet is full of both. I know that as parents, like Ann and I, we have to be aware of what our children are doing wherever they are spending their time. This is nothing new... BUT as marketers, shouldn't we be concerned about these issues as well?

By the way- thank you to all who have commented on this post. It is precisely this type of dialog that has me so intoxicated by my experience here and with the blogosphere in general.

Thank you all.

Spike I agree, it was created to create a community, but the problem is, all the spam/porn has cheapened the experience, and the addition of companies/bands that are simply using their page as a cheap website has watered-down the experience. I don't really think it puts me on an even level with bands, because I'm trying to communicate with them, and they are trying to tell me about their tour dates in Germany.

And the site itself is terribly buggy. I admit I only visit my page a couple of times a week, but it seems as if every time I do I either can't send a message because 'there's a problem that we are working on', or there's a bulletin from good ole Tom telling me a function is down.

Tim, I don't blame you. Thanks for not lying to me...

Paul, I feel that Facebook would still be a valuable social network for you to keep in touch with college and high school friends. I'm out of college now, but still stay connected with fellow alumni and friends, as well as friends who may still be at the University. Now that it's open to everyone, you may find it more useful and easier to use than MySpace.

Toby and Spike, I do agree that there exists an abundance of micro-communities on MySpace, especially centered around various bands, but that's one pro to all the cons. Sure, it's a great way for a band to get exposure, build a grassroots fan base and work their way up, but there will be a social net that comes along and does the same thing for bands and other companies, only better. Back to my point that Facebook may very well take their place at the top, it is becoming a great marketing tool. Just ask Apple, who created their own group, or Citibank, who is offering what amounts to a "facebook credit card."

Mack, totally in agreement with you.

MySpace is the root of all (ok, most) evil. It creates unnecessary drama and will eventually ruin your life if you let the beast in. http://www.myspaceruinslives.com

Every time a MySpace account is created, God kills a kitten. Please, think of the kittens.

I know I can't stand it and they keep the spam coming and coming like that. Surely THEY (MySpace) top brass see the same spam emails...? Or is it just us...? ;)

MySpace, Craigslist, Friendster, VIRB they still don’t have MULTIPLE PAGES and more features like my site does - like 75 song MP3 players, attaching WAVS or MP3s to PICS etc - UNLIMITED photos. You can be WAY more creative on mine. I just don’t have the capital to advertise properly. None of the other sites are REALLY INNOVATING, look at www.upcrowd.com IT IS way better than the rest, it just needs serious word of mouth and unlike the other sites, I really did make it myself! :)

I know right?! Go to friendster! It is 10x better than MySpace!!! Its really the same thing but 10x better!!!!!

If you are tired of myspace but want a way to connect with artists and musicians and then you should check out www.putiton.com
If you are tired of myspace all together than you should probably leave your bedroom and go interact with the real world ;)

You are right. Boo myspace. If you are tired of myspace but want a way to connect with artists and musicians then you should check out www.putiton.com
If you are tired of myspace all together than you should probably leave your bedroom and go interact with the real world ;) and by real world I don't mean the tv show...