Summary

I think my summary of my Myspace interaction less resembles a synopsis of things experienced over a 6 week period,l but rather represents the standard set of experiences for millions of people across the globe daily.

I generally keep my profile up to date; I comment on my friends pages every now and then; I’ll check out new photos and read new bulletin posts; and I feel that my profile represents me without going into the nitty-gritty. But it has not taken me away from my “real life”, as critics would suggest

Ultimately Myspace enhances my existing relationships, but doesn’t not form the basis of any new ones. It’s a tool to help continue and build upon existing friendship, nothing more.

Although it has the ability to create connections with those otherwise un-connectable, in my experience, it generally isn’t used in that way.

But as online social networking seems to be here to stay (whether on Myspace or not), perhaps the future will be more globalised, more interconnected, more socially networked.

And perhaps we will look back and say that Myspace was the catalyst.

Week 6 - The Future of Myspace

In general, the Internet and World Wide Web is one of the only media outlets in a constant state of change. It is never static – that is why we have sites such as the Wayback Machine.

Myspace will have to keep updating, keep expanding, and keep bettering itself to continue to be relevant. It’s newest and biggest rival, Facebook, has begun to take a lot of the limelight, and with some validity.

Facebook’s selling-point is its user-friendliness, a quality which Myspace has been sorely lacking. I opened a Facebook account at the start of this project to be able to compare the two, and I found the ease-of-use leaps and bounds above Myspace. With fewer clicks it’s easier to perform and action or access information.

Thankfully, Myspace hasn’t simply rolled over, and, as I spoke about in the update of my first entry, has made some usability changes, which I applaud. Perhaps, with it’s coupling of newfound user-friendliness and personalization, Myspace could still remain on top.

But ultimately, regardless of whether it’s Facebook or Myspace or another platform, online social networking is here to stay. As I interacted, I found old friends I had fallen out of contact with, new ways to express my personality, and new ways in interact with my offline friends. I also found access to a whole host of different information, whether it be about new and upcoming bands or events I wouldn’t have known about otherwise. The interconnectedness of the whole experience opens windows of information and communication you simply can’t access anywhere else.

I firmly believe online social networking will become part of our culture, in a similar way that cars have become part of out culture. We don’t just “go for a drive” as a novelty, we use cars to enhance our lives. In the same way, we won’t go online to “go Myspacing”, Myspace is simply there and part of the experience.

Although new issues such as privacy will and are being raised, online social networking will expand and become part of our cultural identity for the better.

The future is bright!

Quoted Links

• http://www.archive.org/web/web.php

Further Reading

• http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2006/03/your_take_roundupmyspace_over.html
• http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/11027.asp
• http://www.news.com/Social-networks-future-portal-or-fad/2100-1038_3-6083546.html