MySpace or TheirSpace?
J. LeRoy’s Evolving Web – This guy thinks the same way I do! Scary huh? A great bloglet – who will kill myspace first? About the ‘prurient’ interests on MySpace: Recent press stories have centered on MySpace being a den of prurient activity. With 67 million users, it seems unlikely that there would be zero…
J. LeRoy’s Evolving Web – This guy thinks the same way I do! Scary huh?
A great bloglet – who will kill myspace first? About the ‘prurient’ interests on MySpace:
Recent press stories have centered on MySpace being a den of prurient activity. With 67 million users, it seems unlikely that there would be zero prurient activity, if you think about it.
MySpace’s reaction to this has been to delete some accounts with improper activity. “Some accounts” meaning tens of thousands. The buzz is that MySpace has “hired an adult”, which means that the perception is growing among MySpace users that they are being monitored, chaperoned, or otherwise Big Brothered. No one wants a community without freedom of expression.
and his summary
So my advice to AOL would be: Focus not on unseating MySpace, Focus on creating a community site that gives users the freedom they demand – and be prepared to defend that freedom when the inevitable bad press arises.
I posted a comment up there, basically saying why didn’t MSN introduce a pageranking service like slashdot? Nothing like a bit of self-moderation to keep the naughtys at bay. I’ve added J.LeRoy to my blogroll in the sidebar.
Technorati Tags Online Communities, J.LeRoy, MySpace, SlashDot, ranking
Hi Laurel,
Nice post, and thanks for the good words. (Although you have me as Elroy in the T-rati links at the bottom… 😉 )
I did respond on my blog in the comments, but also popped by here. (It’s too bad Blogger doesn’t support trackbacks).
I think that most companies (AOL, MSN, Newscorp) view their online communities not as freestanding communities, but as commodities to be bought, sold, or otherwise managed. Corporations make dodgy citizens and even worse governments.
I think that a user supported model will emerge at some point and unseat everyone else. Hmm, how about we start that ourselves?
Jim
(J.)
pfft, I’m a goode speller, I is!*hides the EDIT button*
I think that a user supported model will emerge at some point and unseat everyone else. Hmm, how about we start that ourselves?
I’m sooooo there. Slashdot ranking/moderation, distributed advertising… oh wait, hasn’t Diggnation already done it? Oh.
Digg tries. There’s something missing though. Digg is really easy to game and it’s taboo to list your own stuff.
Plus the Digg UI has always sorta put me off a bit. I never feel at home using Digg – but like I’m trespassing somehow.
Even with Digg, though, the actual infrastructure of the community still lies in the hands of those who may have contrary needs outside the community.
Having said all that … please! Digg my posts! 🙂