What's MySpace?

One of the more popular websites today is called MySpace (www.myspace.com). Many of my friends have told me that they have heard of MySpace, but they are not really sure what it is and asked if I would write an article about it. So here goes...

MySpace belongs to a class of websites know as social networking. These types of sites began to appear around 1995 but have gained a lot of popularity in the last few years. Classmates.com is another popular social networking website that you may have heard about or seen ads for. Put simply, MySpace is a free website where you can keep in touch with friends as well as meet new people. MySpace gives you the option to say why you are on the website,and offer Dating, Serious Relationship, Friends and Networking as options. Your can add as little or as much detail as you like about yourself, and keep that information private from others. People can request to be "friends" and you can always permit, deny or block any user. If you, or someone else, posts something inappropirate, then you can be deleted from the website. Big deal right? Wrong. This website has gained tremendous popularity and now, according to Wikipedia, gets more page views than Google!

So let's dive a little deeper and see what else you can do on MySpace. Of course, they allow you to post photos, videos and even your own blog (remember my article on blogs a few weeks ago?). You can swap messages with fellow friends, visit their forums and discuss any number of topics, view upcoming events in your area, track videos (movies and documentaries), bands, comedians and even view and post classified ads.

Because of it's popularity, many businesses have also joined the fray. Anyone can create a profile, and aspiring tycoons are capitalizing on MySpace's popularity by adding their profile to the site. Write a book and trying to snag readers? Get yourself on the website and add as many friends as possible to get the word out. In a band? Put your profile on MySpace Music where you can post songs, upcoming shows and do your best to garner a following. The same is true for aspiring comedians and film makers.

And what would MySpace be if you couldn't personalize it? You can put the "My" in MySpace by customizing the colors, photos, blogs, etc, that you post on the site. A word of caution: do not put too much personal information on the site. For instance, your name should be your first name or a nick name. Identity thieves are ready to pounce on the neophyte that posts all their personal information. As long as you use common sense, you should be fine. It's a free service, so logon today and give it a try.

Posted by Net Wave at August 21, 2006 06:41 PM