Myspace Revealed

[Sakura]

With an estimated 43 million users, MySpace is the largest and most expansive social networking site on the Web. An online community popular for its photos, blogs and e-mail, MySpace is at the peak of a trend that has tech-savvy teens signing on by the millions.

But how much do you really now about these cyber hangouts? Could what you're saying online get you into trouble in the real world?

 

[netzilla]

Very possible...big bro is always watching

 

[weblord]

well most of their individual accounts are double or triple, so you can't get sure, so they're bigger than friendster who got 25 million membrships?

 

[Sakura]

You know there are people on the internet trying to steal your indentity or any info abouot you on myspace. Though i have a myspace myself.

 

[weblord]

i dunno if this so called social networking is violating any privacy policies but it's the user's choice anyway to divulge much or less of his/her identity. but ever since i started with myspace i only got 2 contacts and no friend requests, while in friendster having a lower number of membership has at least 30 friend request per day on my friendster account. so what's in a number?

 

[len fischer]

I luv myspace, nothing comes close

 

[Sakura]

myspace was on news, that people can track you down from address from myspace.

 

[weblord]

myspace was on news, that people can track you down from address from myspace.

there goes the privacy policy thingy

 

[brewmonkey]

My son wanted to get a MySpace account, which I told him no. When he asked why I quickly showed him how much information I could find on someone even though they may not have posted it all on that board. While I agree it is more for adults there are just too many kids out there on sites like that and their ability to know what and what not to post is amazing. More so is how many of their parents are not paying attention to their online habits. Read up on MySpace and you will find that there have been several girls (teens) abducted and murdered with links to MySpace.

If they could better protect the kids, perhaps requiring more stringent methods of ID'ing such as needing a Credit Card (not to charge but how many 12 year olds have one?) then perhaps I would think differently. I have MySpace and a ton of similar sites IP banned as well as URL banned on my system.

My son freaked out when I showed him how much info you can find on someone with just a few minutes on google. SCARY!

 

[weblord]

lately it's been used by others to advertise their domains, myspace got blogs, and bulletin boards, so you would rather pay someone with a large contact of friends on myspace rather than opening one?

but then again, i see on myspace 1 individual with 3 or even up to a 12 accounts as long as you can provide email addresses so not that receptive of a crowd.

 

[Humdizzy]

Its very scary. There was a special on Dateline, where they set up a sting trapping older men acting as younger teens trying to get in contact with younger children. Its really a scary thing and im glad I dont have a myspace account.

Wasn't that in yahoo chatrooms?

 

[brewmonkey]

There have been several articles lately talking about MySpace and sites like it. Here is one that I found a week or so ago after talking with my son about it.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/11064451/

Obviously companies like MySpace have the right to operate as long as they are within the confines of the law, which many of them cannot. However it is not really their fault they cannot do so as the law is flawed and does not provide true directions in how to prevent minors/kids under 13 from setting up accounts. Right now I believe many of those sites just ask your age and expect the kids to be truthful. Come on, it is the internet.

I would like to see the government do more to help protect our kids but until we get parents at home to start protecting their kids not much is going to change. Too many parents are all to happy to let the kids get online without supervision. The computer is the new "babysitter" much like the TV was to the earlier generations.

 

[gchick]

lately it's been used by others to advertise their domains, myspace got blogs, and bulletin boards, so you would rather pay someone with a large contact of friends on myspace rather than opening one?

but then again, i see on myspace 1 individual with 3 or even up to a 12 accounts as long as you can provide email addresses so not that receptive of a crowd.

yeah....and music bands are starting to populate the site too...

 

[MCDomains]

I think it's great for networking and catching up with old friends... http://www.myspace.com/emmseemusic <---- my myspace

 

[sunken]

As far as the teens go, yeah, I wouldn't let the kids have a myspace. Of course the response is "All the kids are doing it." I heard on the local news that 960 kids from one high school were. I understand kids wanting to use the networking, as the adults do, but they don't realize what privacy means. They seem to think it's like their diary, only that the whole world can read including perverts. They seem to give all kinds of personal details that shouldn't ever be given on the net. Perhaps a solution would be to only allow people under 18 to access websites of people under 18. If a guy lies about his age to get into it, arrest his butt. Not sure how you'd enforce that though. I do agree though that parents need to be aware of their kid's actions as well, instead of leaving it up to the government to pass laws that they can't enforce, but sound good politically.

As a webmaster and artist, I have a small annoyance in MySpace is that the kids on their tend to hotlink to images on my art site because they like the artwork. Now, thus far it's been pretty low bandwidth wise (and I'm on a 1000 gig BW server which only uses like 10 gig a month (not mine, but a place I freelance for). So that doesn't bother me that much. I'm not going to and hassle a teenager about taking it down. I just would rather it not skew the results of the stats. Otherwise I wouldn't much care. There is one advantage though, I get to see how they are using it and I've really liked some of the applications. I didn't know there were horse/stable RPG's before this. Just wish they would a> ask permission, b> download the images after doing so rather than just hotlinking, but too much to ask I guess. You know if they did that, I might even be willing to put up a link section just for them.

 

[gprime]

But how much do you really now about these cyber hangouts? Could what you're saying online get you into trouble in the real world?

I suppose so. A nearby highschool (East Grand Rapids) recently got a new principle or vice principle who was browsing Myspace/Facebook/Xanga and found pictures of students drinking. Technically there was nothing she could do about most of them. But those who were on sports teams had signed an athletic code of conduct, so a few dozen of them faced some form of a suspension.

 

[Rowan W]

Myspace is the bane of the internet; bad design combined with immature kids who can't spell anything right. It's a disaster which will be around for a long time, and it's all MS's fault.

 

[gprime]

Myspace is the bane of the internet; bad design combined with immature kids who can't spell anything right. It's a disaster which will be around for a long time, and it's all MS's fault.

True, but they weren't the first in the game, Friendster was. Now there are at least four of the horrid sites. But they still serve a function. Since they're more widely used than google, they can be a very effective means of promotion.

 

[Andromeda]

I have myspace account but it's been decades since I last checked my accounts.. I have been very busy lately and don't have time to check...

 

[DJ-Sound]

I always find it funny how poorly myspace is made. Errors all the time, down for maintance very often. Its like they don't relize how big they are.