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Myspace could have been Facebook I disagree, and I spent a year working with MySpace in the relative hay-days of 2007-2008. You could write a book on why Face
by dotBen 16y ago
Myspace could have been Facebook
I disagree, and I spent a year working with MySpace in the relative hay-days of 2007-2008.
You could write a book on why Facebook has succeeded and MySpace hasn't... but the two headline thoughts for me are that:
1) MySpace was generational, Facebook is pan-generational. MySpace took everything that was current and popular in the early to mid 2000's and fashioned it into a web-based product that became part of pop culture of that era - thus the massive connection with the bands, the celebrities, etc. That was clever, but it was a time-limited play. Facebook appeals to multiple generations because it doesn't have that pop-culture appeal. Facebook is a utility, MySpace is/was a product.
2) Facebook was built as a data-play from the ground up. All of its value leverages its data and power of the network. MySpace's data model is/was atrocious and was never built with that in mind. Instead it was built as an ever-changing digital based bilboard ad.
- shortlived 16y agoIs there any argument to be made regarding the quality of UX/engineering at facebook vs. myspace. I love using FB and cringe everytime I need to go onto myspace.
- dotBen 16y agoYes there is an argument (not the one you are alluding to, however) that MySpace's UX was what attracted so many 'normal' folks to it. Show a boring blue + white Facebook page and a crazy green-pink-orange MySpace page to a 17 year old emo goth in Ohio and they probably will prefer the MySpace page. Those are the people that click on ads, those are the people that want to friend Burger King. IE, those are the people that generate money.
- jhamburger 16y agoIt's still a double-edged sword though. The 17 year old loves being able to skin their own page with a unique design, add their favorite song, etc...but then when they view someone elses unique page and have no idea where all the buttons went and have a song they hate autoplay on page load, the UX still sucks and drives people away.
- pedalpete 16y agoI think your point about the 'generational' vs. 'pan-generational' is slightly off, but at the same time may point to one of the big differences in culture of the two companies. MySpace was/is a marketing tool for bands and eventually celebrity (very LA, very limited lifespan). Facebook was about YOU and YOUR friends. Only once Facebook had fostered a deep connection between you and your friends did they expand into a platform for other types of services. I don't think facebook was built as a 'data-play' from the ground up, but Zuckerberg worked with what he is comfortable with and was surrounded by, data. MySpace founders Chris and Tom likely worked with what they were comfortable with and surrounded by, celebrity.