As an everyday Facebook and LinkedIn user, new Twitter member, and an ex-Myspace user, it was very interesting to see three different takes on social media. I believe that the four of these websites fall into a spectrum, with Twitter at one extreme, Myspace at the other, and Facebook and LinkedIn somewhere in between. Although I just posted my first tweet a few days ago, it is clear that Twitter provides a quick, short, and to-the-point way to access your friends and celebrity updates. According to the video "Twitter in Plain English," the site allows you to share your real life, which occurs between blog posts and e-mail. There is a very simple background and a live stream of information constantly being updated. Unlike Facebook or Myspace, Twitter allows users to see not just the updates of their friends, but gives you the opportunity to view everyone's tweets. Tweeting is also very user friendly as well and it only takes seconds to post anything you have on your mind, as long as it is under 140 characters of course.
In contrast MySpace is very different, upon signing onto the site you are shown music albums, videos, and promos. At the bottom of the screen you are also provided with several links to celebrity trends, movies, and games. I would say the site has changed a lot during the past four years as it tries to keep up with Facebook and is much more media oriented. Based on the design and layout of multiple links and videos, I would say it is attempting to apply to a teenage demographic and holding their attention through humorous and entertaining footage. I personally closed my Myspace account four years ago and will most likely not return.
Facebook, is somewhere in between Twitter and Myspace. It is a simple layout of constantly streaming posts, combined with the ability to access pictures and videos of your friends. The downside of putting down your personal information and pictures of course, are the privacy issues that may arise, so one should always be careful before posting something onto the internet. It is also very easy to find people from around the world, by just typing in their name into the “Search” box. Facebook’s popularity is continuing to grow, as it is constantly adding new features and adapting to people’s changing attitudes.
Finally, LinkedIn is somewhat similar to Facebook and is sometimes said to be the corporate version of the site. LinkedIn has a very elegant white layout and is used by millions of professionals. Although similar to Facebook, the website is geared more towards an older and more professional demographic. On this site, you will not find any silly YouTube videos, inappropriate comments, or embarrassing pictures, but instead savvy business men and women with well-polished resumes. Because of its ability to connect individuals, build professional networks, and recruit employees I believe this site will remain in demand by the business world.
Social media sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter have become popular destinations for millions of users, because of their mass appeal and ability to constantly innovate. In comparison I believe sites like MySpace have passed their prime and failed to maintain their once bustling internet traffic.
I agree with you that Myspace has passed it's prime. However, what interesting is that Music is doing really well on Myspace. Faceboook had tried to take that over with fan pages for artists, which they have, but they were never able to really establish the sample music base that Myspace has. I still use Myspace to find new bands.
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