Online Yes, we know. With more than 90 million users, MySpace is now more popular than Elvis, "American Idol," and ice cream.
But the Web's most visited destination is also its most poorly designed and counterproductive. The ease with which anyone of any age can create a page, upload photos, share deeply personal details of their lives, and make new "friends" quickly turned MySpace into a one-stop shopping mall for online predators. That in turn has made the site an easy target for politicians who pander for votes by playing on parental fears.
In an era when the basic tenets of the Net are under attack by both Ma Bell and Uncle Sam, MySpace is a headache we don't need.
Myspace is a give take kinda thing. It's a good thing if used right. It's like a gun... If used right, it can provide food for a family, protect a country, and even be used in presentations (military parads and such)... however if used incorrectly, it can destroy families, kill inocent people, help robbers, instill fear in people, and more....
Many things today are a great thing to have, if used for the right reasons, and many things aren't.
Take a look at soemthing we see at a bad thing, like Drugs. Many illigal drugs could help people in tremendous ways, but because of human nature, they are illigal, and looked at as a bad thing. If humans woulnd't have abused sudafed, then when I have a cold I wouldn't have to go to a pharmacy counter and provide proof of adrress to relieve my stuffy nose.
Same with my space, if used right, it is the best thing in some peoples lives.... if used wrong, it can destroy marriges, break apart families, hurt children and more.
Myspace is a give take kinda thing. It's a good thing if used right. It's like a gun... If used right, it can provide food for a family, protect a country, and even be used in presentations (military parads and such)... however if used incorrectly, it can destroy families, kill inocent people, help robbers, instill fear in people, and more....
Many things today are a great thing to have, if used for the right reasons, and many things aren't.
Take a look at soemthing we see at a bad thing, like Drugs. Many illigal drugs could help people in tremendous ways, but because of human nature, they are illigal, and looked at as a bad thing. If humans woulnd't have abused sudafed, then when I have a cold I wouldn't have to go to a pharmacy counter and provide proof of adrress to relieve my stuffy nose.
Same with my space, if used right, it is the best thing in some peoples lives.... if used wrong, it can destroy marriges, break apart families, hurt children and more.
Absolutely true, jjbova.
***...Being Yourself Is One, Of Many Things, That Should Matter Most...***
Take a look at soemthing we see at a bad thing, like Drugs. Many illigal drugs could help people in tremendous ways, but because of human nature, they are illigal, and looked at as a bad thing. If humans woulnd't have abused sudafed, then when I have a cold I wouldn't have to go to a pharmacy counter and provide proof of adrress to relieve my stuffy nose.
Same with my space, if used right, it is the best thing in some peoples lives.... if used wrong, it can destroy marriges, break apart families, hurt children and more.
OK, the Sudafed reference is HILARIOUS! that's been a huge thorn in my side since it was enacted back in September.
Back to MySpace, in the hopes of not getting sent to the random brain fart room...
You're absolutely right. I moved a few times, and lost touch with a LOT of people over the years. Thanks to MySpace, I've been able to get back in touch with a fair number of them. Awesome!
Then my boyfriend's ex girlfriend started harassing me on MySpace, and started to turn something fun into a total nightmare. I refused to let that happen, refused to let her chase me away.
Like you said, it's all in how you use it. A pencil seems innocent enough until I use it to gouge your eye out, right? LOL
Take a look at soemthing we see at a bad thing, like Drugs. Many illigal drugs could help people in tremendous ways, but because of human nature, they are illigal, and looked at as a bad thing. If humans woulnd't have abused sudafed, then when I have a cold I wouldn't have to go to a pharmacy counter and provide proof of adrress to relieve my stuffy nose.
Same with my space, if used right, it is the best thing in some peoples lives.... if used wrong, it can destroy marriges, break apart families, hurt children and more.
OK, the Sudafed reference is HILARIOUS! that's been a huge thorn in my side since it was enacted back in September.
Back to MySpace, in the hopes of not getting sent to the random brain fart room...
You're absolutely right. I moved a few times, and lost touch with a LOT of people over the years. Thanks to MySpace, I've been able to get back in touch with a fair number of them. Awesome!
Then my boyfriend's ex girlfriend started harassing me on MySpace, and started to turn something fun into a total nightmare. I refused to let that happen, refused to let her chase me away.
Like you said, it's all in how you use it. A pencil seems innocent enough until I use it to gouge your eye out, right? LOL
Another true example!
***...Being Yourself Is One, Of Many Things, That Should Matter Most...***
Glad I could touch you in all the right places, lol.
Kidding. I am glad you agree with me, and I could brighten your day at the same time
Being someone who considers herself pretty savvy when it comes to myspace, having created and currently managing various band profiles, constantly doing little tweaks to my own and making a bit of a name for myself when it comes to helping out a specific genre with myspace, I am constantly puzzled by the UI of myspace being so user-unfriendly.
Glitches are more common than features that function properly, customer service leaves much to be desired, it's a mess. I am "one of those" who reports inappropriate content. I am amazed that months later when this issue is seen to, the response doesn't even show what it was you reported.
However, I love myspace. For all the bad press it's received, it's been a blessing to me, reuniting me with lost friends from the past most significantly - people who I never would have crossed paths with again had it not been for myspace. But with the good comes the bad - I deal with it. It's what I signed up for. Even the glittery Hello Kitty images people leave as comments that are 600 pixels wide and throw off the centering of my profile. You deal.
And in further defense of myspace, I wrote a blog entry in March, 2006 that discussed this back when myspace had solely 63 million profiles. Let's take the population of the UK at nearly 60 million or Iran at 65 million (at the time). Or make it an even easier concept to grasp, a sell-out game at Angels Stadium - a mere 45 thousand. In any random group, you're going to have a fair percentage of perverts. You're going to have people in that group who are mentally ill, depressed, violent, have criminal records, or are there just to stir things up, mess with or harass others. Take any large group, even the total visitors to your local mall on any given day. Any random cross-section of the population will, statistically, include the good and the bad. Do we blame the entity that brings us together when something goes wrong? Sure, sometimes you can. But read the myspace Terms of Service - you agreed to it by creating a profile. You had the choice not to.
This is when personal responsibility comes into play. You don't post anything that you wouldn't want to announce to the world. Parents say they "had no idea" their 13 year old daughter has suggestive photos and her cell phone number posted on her profile - whose fault is that?
Just trying to make the point that any random group is going to have these people, and it's up to the user to take responsibilty for their actions. It's up to parents to monitor their children. Lastly to anyone who complains about their rights being violated or censored, realize the Terms of Service we agreed to when we signed up for myspace. It's not a government affiliated website. "Freedom of Speech" doesn't apply, either.
Not only are parents not monitoring the kids, the kids are claiming to be older than they are. Saying that you are 18 when you are really 14 or so is begging for trouble.
I personally love it, I met my boyfriend via a random friend request that I dont even remember accepting. Myspace doesnt have a conscious, nor does it have a sense of right and wrong. The people using it do, or should.
I totally agree, Sarah!!!
**...Always Try To Feed Two Birds With One Hand...**
OK so here is my two cents. I agree with you all to a point (hear me out first). I'm a mom of 3 boys (one being a teenager and two preteens). I'm also 39 years old so when I went to school and college we didn't have computers. I didn't get my first computer till after my oldest was born. Everything I know on my computer I have learned on my own (I love GUG for helping me along the way). Now with that said I do know quite a bit - more than most of my friends the same age area. Kids now days (including teenagers) have been schooled in computers. Hell I learned how to do power point from my oldest when he was in second grade because he had a computer class. Here is my point learning computers is much harder then learning any sport and computers are changing on a daily basis. Kids are smart and up to date on computers partly because most take some sort of computer class. Kids also try and push the boundary with their parents - always have and always will (I did to as a kid). Yes I think that parents should do their best to learn about computers and stay on top of their kids especially if they have a computer in their home. More importantly I think parent need to have a very open communication with their children regarding safety and risks not just in computers but in everything. I know I do my darnedest to keep a close eye on my kids (even to the point of having key loggers) but I'm sure there are things that I don't see. I do know that my boys have been preached at till the cows come home about safety. They don't have myspaces and they know I do and I have shown them the trackers I have on my myspace and the info I get from them. My oldest son's buddy has one that is marked "private" and he finds great joy in arguing with me on how private is private and he is safe. I love the look on his face when there is a code and I can say "Hey XXXX how private is this?" when I have his private myspace on my computer (to prove the point). Bottom line what I'm trying to get at is that it takes a group effort in teaching kids safety and keeping a eye on them. As for blaming part of the problem on myspace I guess that would be like blaming a gun manufacturer for some thug shooting someone because they made the gun ~ people will always find blame on something.
signed - MOM
>>>>>>>>^..^<<<<<<<<
Nine-tenths of life is showing up!
OK so here is my two cents. I agree with you all to a point (hear me out first). I'm a mom of 3 boys (one being a teenager and two preteens). I'm also 39 years old so when I went to school and college we didn't have computers. I didn't get my first computer till after my oldest was born. Everything I know on my computer I have learned on my own (I love GUG for helping me along the way). Now with that said I do know quite a bit - more than most of my friends the same age area. Kids now days (including teenagers) have been schooled in computers. Hell I learned how to do power point from my oldest when he was in second grade because he had a computer class. Here is my point learning computers is much harder then learning any sport and computers are changing on a daily basis. Kids are smart and up to date on computers partly because most take some sort of computer class. Kids also try and push the boundary with their parents - always have and always will (I did to as a kid). Yes I think that parents should do their best to learn about computers and stay on top of their kids especially if they have a computer in their home. More importantly I think parent need to have a very open communication with their children regarding safety and risks not just in computers but in everything. I know I do my darnedest to keep a close eye on my kids (even to the point of having key loggers) but I'm sure there are things that I don't see. I do know that my boys have been preached at till the cows come home about safety. They don't have myspaces and they know I do and I have shown them the trackers I have on my myspace and the info I get from them. My oldest son's buddy has one that is marked "private" and he finds great joy in arguing with me on how private is private and he is safe. I love the look on his face when there is a code and I can say "Hey XXXX how private is this?" when I have his private myspace on my computer (to prove the point). Bottom line what I'm trying to get at is that it takes a group effort in teaching kids safety and keeping a eye on them. As for blaming part of the problem on myspace I guess that would be like blaming a gun manufacturer for some thug shooting someone because they made the gun ~ people will always find blame on something.
signed - MOM
>>>>>>>>^..^<<<<<<<<
Nine-tenths of life is showing up!
Your knowledge/wisdom is beyond-impressive, MOM!!!
**...Always Try To Feed Two Birds With One Hand...**
That's where the personal responsibility of the parent comes in. I joined myspace after being urged to by my 16 year old cousin. His parents are computer illiterate, so I like having an eye on him (and he lets me - good kid!).
But it's the parent's ROLE to know this stuff. If a kid is into lacrosse, don't parents learn the game so they know what's going on? But with something as potentially dangerous as the internet/myspace, they laugh it off and say, "Oh my kid knows sooo much more than I do!"
Ignorance can't be an excuse anymore.
And sarah - congrats on meeting your fella! Just reinforces my point that myspace's power can be used for good and not evil! :-D
That's where the personal responsibility of the parent comes in. I joined myspace after being urged to by my 16 year old cousin. His parents are computer illiterate, so I like having an eye on him (and he lets me - good kid!).
But it's the parent's ROLE to know this stuff. If a kid is into lacrosse, don't parents learn the game so they know what's going on? But with something as potentially dangerous as the internet/myspace, they laugh it off and say, "Oh my kid knows sooo much more than I do!"
Ignorance can't be an excuse anymore.
And sarah - congrats on meeting your fella! Just reinforces my point that myspace's power can be used for good and not evil! :-D
Very, very, very true!!!
**...Always Try To Feed Two Birds With One Hand...**
I most definitely agree with EVERYHING you've just said, elleohelle!!
**...Always Try To Feed Two Birds With One Hand...**
Im sorry an unexpected error has occured and been forwarded to myspace....... i think they spend more time updating and fixing it then i spend on the site.
I'll have to agree more with cloud3star than PCMagazine as to the reason for MySpace being the worst website. Sure...it opens the doors for a lot of online predators and such, but I think that has less to do with site design and more to do with site features. I think MySpace is one of the worst websites simply because it is always experience some sort of stupid glitch. Whether it's the deadly "An Error has Occured and has been forwarded to the technical group" error, to stupid little errors like MySpace claming you have no friends. There is always something wrong happening on the site.
And Customer Service is even worse. If you have a question that isn't covered in their "Suggested Topics"...dont' bother asking it. Even if you choose the "Other" option and e-mail Customer Service directly, they'll still turn your question into one of their topics. For example, I once asked Customer Service how I can place HTML comments into my Edit Profile code so that I can better organize it and tell the difference between what section of my code is for my layout, and for my contact table, etc. They ended up responding by telling me how to leave my friends a comment.
I'll have to agree more with cloud3star than PCMagazine as to the reason for MySpace being the worst website. Sure...it opens the doors for a lot of online predators and such, but I think that has less to do with site design and more to do with site features. I think MySpace is one of the worst websites simply because it is always experience some sort of stupid glitch. Whether it's the deadly "An Error has Occured and has been forwarded to the technical group" error, to stupid little errors like MySpace claming you have no friends. There is always something wrong happening on the site.
And Customer Service is even worse. If you have a question that isn't covered in their "Suggested Topics"...dont' bother asking it. Even if you choose the "Other" option and e-mail Customer Service directly, they'll still turn your question into one of their topics. For example, I once asked Customer Service how I can place HTML comments into my Edit Profile code so that I can better organize it and tell the difference between what section of my code is for my layout, and for my contact table, etc. They ended up responding by telling me how to leave my friends a comment.
I totally agree with you! Although, I like 'MySpace' (a lot) - I wish that a lot of glitches would be fixed, permanently (except for the 'url name' glitch).
There are only ten nations in the world more populated than MySpace.
Makes you think.
Myspace is pretty bad. I have one and it is constantly doing something wrong or they are "trying" to fix something. Mine has had something wrong with it for a year. Its not a big deal but still tom has yet to read my message and fix it!!!
the only reason i use myspace really is so i can or other people that i used to know from highschool and such can contact me. i have "re-touched" with a few people. i'm sure a lot of people use it for that. and boredom.
Count me in on that one. Don't know if I would have rather been ignorent, or found what I did that has caused me SOOOO much pain!
Your right. But always remember this if somebody wants to cheat they will always find a way. I guess you can say Myspace just makes it easier.
Hahahaha you'd be surprised. I've watched shows where women were in love with murders they never met and got married. they are just as insane as the murder.
You really can't blame myspace for the way a 12 year old acts. You just have to ask yourself Where's the parents at?
Exactly, samantha!!
**...Always Try To Feed Two Birds With One Hand...**