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MyFace or FaceSpace: Two Social Networks Become One
Although many of us had thought that MySpace had died a slow and painful death, it seems that its rival has pulled it back from the brink. In a recent press conference, officials from both MySpace and Facebook announced that the two social networks are about to merge. A new MySpace feature called ‘Mashup with Facebook’ will allow users to create their own personalized entertainment collection based on their ‘likes’ on Facebook. MySpace are also set to implement a Facebook ‘like’ button on the site, ensuring that users can easily find something that they like on MySpace and instantly publish it to Facebook. The move does seem to be a last ditch attempt to keep the once popular social network alive, after switching to a more music/entertainment based format it still did not attract the volumes of eager users that it did in its heyday. A spokesman for Facebook described the potential of the merger, stating that “MySpace is giving people an easy way to bring their favourite bands, celebrities and movies from Facebook to create a personalized experience on MySpace from the start.”
By combining the two sites it is hoped that MySpace will find a new purpose as an entertainment sharing site as opposed to fighting for top spot in the social network war. Although the majority of MySpace user profiles have been left untouched for the last few years, this move will hopefully reignite interest and have users logging back in. Thousands of bands are still using MySpace as a platform of album promotion and pre-release with both My Chemical Romance and Weezer offering free streaming of their new album tracks before their official release. Up and coming bands are also using the site as a free source of promotion, in the hope that they can emulate the success of artists such as Lilly Allen who found fame through attaching songs to her profile.
Although the ‘mashup’ does herald the end of MySpace’s life as an independent social network site, it also signals that Facebook is moving one step closer to world domination with many of us asking ‘what will they take over next’?
Check out the new look MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/