Myspace: An Internet Phenomenon

By the time you read this, 85,000,000, that is right, 85 million different profiles will be operational on Myspace. So where did Myspace come from?  Initially, the domain was used for storage and other functions, but never really got off of the ground.  The current incarnation was founded by Tom Anderson, a
Berkeley
and UCLA grad, in 2003.  The company was partially owned by Intermix Media which was purchased by Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp in 2005 so Myspace is part of one of the largest communication conglomerates in the world.

Myspace is a collection of profiles that have different sections that allow users to give a personal overview including likes and dislikes as well as preferences in music, entertainment and other areas. The site also allows users to create blogs that can be viewed by others.  Users can also upload pictures and videos that can be viewed and commented upon.


Part of the appeal of Myspace is that each user can customize the look and feel of their individual page.  Users also have certain numbers of friends depending on how many people use and view the pages.  The top 8 friends are displayed on the page.  Friends can also leave comments on the pages of other friends and users can also send messages within the site.  Users can also upload a song that is played when their page is viewed.


Musicians have found Myspace a great way to market their music.  Myspace allows musicians to upload up to four songs that can be played or downloaded directly from the musician’s Myspace page.  A musician can also list dates and places they will be playing.  This feature of Myspace has created a great deal of publicity and exposure for musicians who otherwise would have had to do without such a vast audience.