subject: A Myspace Overview - A Getting Started Guide [print this page] Overview Overview
As one of the earlier social networking websites on the web, Myspace has had a lot of scope to expand and develop. It has evolved into a social networking site for individuals as well as a place where music bands and businesses can promote themselves. It varies to other sites in that it is highly customisable excellent for someone who wants to stand out from the crowd. Yet despite its maturity, the site retains some issues that make it less attractive than other social networking sites.
Features
Every user on Myspace has a profile which can be customised to a high level. Boxes which can be filled with data about the user ensure some continuity, however apart from that, the space can be adapted to the tastes of the individual using the Customise Profile function. Here, you can choose from pre-made profile designs, or you can enter your own coding for a completely unique profile.
Many of Myspaces features are comparable to those on Facebook there is a section on your homepage asking you what do you want to share? and here you can type short status updates about how you are feeling or what you are thinking. You can also use emoticons to express your mood or share links, videos and photos. Whatever you decide to share then feeds into your other friends streams a continually updating feed of what friends are sharing. A useful function on the stream is that you can collate posts by type - for example you could sort the stream by Photos, which will then only show you the photos that friends have recently shared.
As well as the stream, you can communicate with friends you have added by sending them private mail, or you can publically write a comment on their profile which can be read by other people. Aditionally, you can use Myspace IM which is an instant messaging service so that you can chat with other friends who are online.
One of the main usages of Myspace these days is as a place for bands to promote their material. Users can become friends of the musicians that they like, who can then update them with news, tour dates and so on. Artists profiles give them a space to have an online music player where fans can listen to their music online, as well as connecting them to iTunes where they can pay to download it. Again, all profiles are very customisable meaning that artists can maintain a cool and consistent image.
Limitations
Due to its customisability, Myspace can be intimidating for uninitiated users. It has developed a lot over the years, and now provides users with simple templates for their profiles ensuring that they do not have to write the code themselves. However, just the fact that it is possible to write your own code for the site can be confusing and off-putting to some people.
Myspace has also had many difficulties in the past due to the ability of each user to write the code for their own page. Some pages can load very slowly, and may even freeze web browsers - often this is due to users overloading their pages with lots of music and video files.
Additionally, many people have been put off Myspace because of issues of online safety and security. Due to its popularity as a site for up-coming bands and musicians, users can also get a lot of annoying spam messages from people wanting them to listen to their music.
However, a more serious problem is that there have been a few instances where people have been able to write harmful codes into their Myspace sites, meaning that any people visiting become vulnerable to phishing attacks and internet spyware of course this can make possible users extremely cautious.
Conclusion
Whilst Myspace can be fun and useful for some, it would appear that its time has come and gone websites such as Facebook and Twitter have overtaken it in terms of functionality and security. Nevertheless, it remains a good tool for those interested in music or those wishing to promote themselves as artists.
