MySpace Restrictions Upset Some Users

Brad Stone
The New York Times
Tuesday, March 20th, 2007
pg C3
The Story
The Summary: Myspace is starting to crackdown on its user's personal use of the site, such as selling and advertising.

But to some formerly enthusiastic MySpace users, the new restrictions hamper their abilities to design their pages and promote new projects.

“The reason why I am so bummed out about MySpace now is because recently they have been cutting down our freedom and taking away our rights slowly,” wrote Tila Tequila, a singer who is one of MySpace’s most popular and visible users, in a blog posting over the weekend. “MySpace will now only allow you to use ‘MySpace’ things.”

Rupert Murdoch owns Myspace. He also owns FoxNews. These two are about polar opposites in the realm of users and media. I would totally expect something like this. He's one of the richest men in the world. He's not known for generousity, that's for sure. Rupert Murdoch wants money... it shouldn't be a surprise.

MySpace says that it will block these pieces of third-party software — also called widgets — when they lend themselves to violations of its terms of service, like the spread of pornography or copyrighted material. But it also objects to widgets that enable users to sell items or advertise without authorization, or without entering into a direct partnership with the company.

Basically, you can't use any embeded program that myspace didn't create or authorize. When you think about it, that's a lot. It makes me think how far they'll go. Will I not be able to put up a picture or animation that wasn't created by/for myspace? Will I be able to put up silly quizes anymore? Part of what sets myspace apart from facebook is the creativity and flexibility of being able to use html. If this current trend goes, we might lose our freedom of expression (on myspace).

At first I was scared by the whole free HTML stuff, it kinda freaked me out, especially when people go overboard, and you can't really read what's on their site anymore. Will I not be able to go to pimpmyspace anymore and used their layouts? Will they all have to be customized through myspace's offical editor?

But Justin Goldberg, chief executive of Indie911, said MySpace’s actions undercut the notion that the social networks’ users have complete creative freedom. “We find it incredibly ironic and frustrating that a company that has built its assets on the back of its users is turning around and telling people they can’t do anything that violates terms of service,” he said.

“Why shouldn’t they call it FoxSpace? Or RupertSpace?” Mr. Goldberg said, referring to the News Corporation’s chief, Rupert Murdoch.

I'm surprised there isn't more reference to Fox and it's sister stations on myspace. Maybe if more people realized who owned it, less people would use it. I've been a myspace user for less than a year, and I like it so far. You can always tweak your security or opt not to give out certain peices of information. Part of what I've come to love about it is the personalizability of the site. Everyone's page looks different, everyone's.

“Every attempt everyone has ever made to try to dictate what a person’s Internet experience will be has ended up coming up empty,” he said. “You have to accept the fact that you are never going to be the be-all and end-all of everyone’s experience. They are one click away from everyone else on the Web.”

As for Ms. Tequila, who wrote on her blog that she was a personal friend of Mr. Anderson, the MySpace co-founder, she wrote that she felt bad about blasting the site but that she could not stay silent.

“You guys used to be so cool,” she wrote of MySpace. “Don’t turn into a corporate evil monster.”

Myspace seemed like the anti-corporate. Conservatives hate it. "What's with this social networking stuff, anyone can see your picture, your address, your phone number....ANYONE! It's evil... I don't like it" People have been up in arms about the use of it by minors, and how it creates a haven for child preditors. Simple solution: help your child create their page. Not only do you have a degree of control over what goes on their page, but you also embrace their use of the site, rather than just monitor it. (too big-brother)

Myspace has had this aura of newness and rebellion about it, but that is slowly going away as we begin to understand it, and as it becomes just another pocket in Rupert Murdochs already large pants.