MySpace sucks: that's what its owner thinks

[matgb]

Rupert Murdoch bought MySpace a few years back. He likes to make money out of stupid people. His official biographer summarises his opinion of the site and its users:

I don’t think that’s true. I think it is—if you’re on MySpace now, you’re a [expletive] cretin. And you’re not only a [expletive] cretin, but you’re poor. Nobody who has beyond an 8th grade level of education is on MySpace. It is for backwards people.

Which, in slightly less fragrent terms, is what I've read about the demographics of MySpace use as opposed to Facebook use (Livejournal demographics are a subset of the Facebook demographic, Facebook is used by educated people, LJ is used by educated goths, geeks and weirdoes). All of this via the excellent jleach, who is The Independent's digital media editor.

I was planning on doing a whole "LJ has grown up and poached The Independent from Six Apart" post, but I haven't. So here we go. LJ has poached the Indy and is working on others. They were using the execrable TypePad service for their blogs, now they're on here. And promoting LJ to their readers and website users. So there's a big influx of slightly confused new users with the 'Independent Minds' logo as their default userpic. If you see it, be nice, a lot of them are all confused.

Oh, and my 'Livejournal is doomed' posts that used to be fairly regular aren't any more—the new owners, it seems, definitely 'get' what the site could be, and are working towards it. For the first time in years, we're back above a million active users per month now. That's awesome.

LJ is competing with the big boys of blogging now. And it looks like it could be winning.

Comments

[drjon.livejournal.com]

All of this via the excellent jleach, who is The Independent's digital media editor.

And, presumably, an educated goth, geek or weirdo. ;}P>

[matgb]

Ah, yeah. Fixed to 'used by' as it's a fairly accurate description of the common demographic, but it's being promoted outside that demographic succesfully now, which is good, as getting his stuff direct is better than the dodgy syndicated feed that kept failing that Typepad were providing.

[miss-s-b.livejournal.com]

I vote geek

[jimmyleach.independentminds.livejournal.com]

None of the above, your honour.

[drjon.livejournal.com]

Ah, you're a goth then.

;}P>

[gominokouhai]

> And you’re not only a [expletive] cretin, but you’re poor. Nobody who has beyond an 8th grade level of education is on MySpace. It is for backwards people.

I might just start to respect the guy.

[matgb]

I have always respected Murdoch, he's not even particularly secretive about what he's about, and he's bloody good at what he does.

I don't like what he does, and I don't like his products, but he's made several fortunes by pitching to the right people and going where the wind is blowing: he switched to Labour not because he wanted them to win, but because he knew they were going to, he's not switched to Cameron because he's still not sure.

[gominokouhai]

One could make the same arguments about Bill Gates or Tony Blair. That doesn't count as unqualified respect as far as I'm concerned. It's closer to fear.

[matgb]

An enemy you can't respect is one you most certainly can't fear. Respect isn't a positive or negative term, it's more general: I respect an opponent that I acknowledge to be capable, if they didn't command respect they wouldn't be worth bothering with.

[davegodfrey.livejournal.com]

Oh I don't know. I don't have much respect for the Discovery Institute. Doesn't mean I'm not scared of what they've been able to (temporarily) achieve. "Acknowledgement of ability to appal to the public" isn't quite the same either though.

[choujiru.livejournal.com]

"And you’re not only a [expletive] cretin, but you’re poor. Nobody who has beyond an 8th grade level of education is on MySpace. It is for backwards people."

Haha! Love it cause it's true.

I wish you'd tell the 4248924 odd people on my flist who always seem to be constantly complaining that LJ is going down the pan what you've said in this post.

[matgb]

Up until 6 months ago (ish) I was one of them—the site was measurably dying.

The recent changes are part of the overall plan to turn it around, and they're measurably working, over a million active users a month is damned impressive given it was below 900K for awhile.

Feel free to link em here, I can always do a follow up post with stats and stuff if people want it. I'm really impressed with what the new team are doing for the site overall: I dislike many of the individual decisions, but I get why, and I want the site to stay.

[missdiane.livejournal.com]

Heh, I guess I don't mind being considered a weirdo if at least I get the bonus of being considered educated.

I felt SO very good at deleting my MySpace not so long ago. It was like finally escaping from that group of high school posers that you don't know how you started hanging out with them in the first place.

[js84.livejournal.com]

I know some uneducated people on Facebook. Ironically they went to my secondary school.

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

Likewise. They keep inviting me to join such groups as KILL BABY Ps EVIL MOTHER BRING BACK THE DEATH PENALTY!!!!!!!!!!!

[paulrattew.livejournal.com]

Facebook is becoming more and more like myspace in terms of demographic. IT was great when it was still young because it was only open to university students, now that it is open to all my hands are ever more regularly getting sullied by the detritus of society (which, as has already been mentioned by js84, went to my school and that was the last time I ever wished to have dealings with them). Now I am getting regular friend requests from people I actively disliked at school, who are 25 have three kids (all of primary school age) and are very proud at how they are able to fill in their benefit forms and avoid work. I may be a bit of a lefty at heart still, but to think that I am paying so that those people can have the time to piss around on myspace and facebook is not a happy experience.

On the resurgence of livejournal - they seem to be making some really positive move, both in terms of getting new people in (through the indy etc) but also with their infrastructure being made more secure.

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

Hi,

While trying to sort out the links on that post, I accidentally deleted the post. Could you repeat your comment please? I'd like it on record. :)

[el-staplador.livejournal.com]

I like LJ. I like it a lot. That's mainly because a) you can keep everything you want to watch in the same place (i.e. I like the Friends page) and b) you can have a sensible conversation in the comments (i.e. I like the threaded comments malarkey) That's two points against Blogspot and its ilk straight off. It does have its share of txtspk dmwts, of course, but so does everything.

It also seems to be being sensibly run these days - no mass deletions and what have you. Plus it's no longer in imminent danger of falling into the San Andreas fault, which is reassuring.

[rhythmaning.livejournal.com]

I guess that makes me a geek. Or a weirdo. Or - dammit - both...

[matgb]

Extra special test comment.