ON MYSPACE MAKING THE COVER OF BUSINESSWEEK

HERE WE GO AGAIN

Well, MySpace made the cover of BusinessWeek (via memeorandum), a publication that I generally like, respect, and read. 

However, everal questions raced through my mind as I saw this:

1. "MySpace Generation??" Do the editor realize how corny and trite that title really sounds?
2. When the sub-title says "They live online. They buy online. They play online. Their power is growing", does this mean that anyone outside that "young, Generation @ or X" demographic is NOT doing any of those things in large and significant numbers?
3. Does this mean the beginning of the end for MySpace and Rupert Murdoch's $680 million big bet?
4. Does this mean social networking is REALLY over?
5. Does this mean Web 2.0 is over?
6. Do the BusinessWeek editors realize how off-the-mark  a cover story like this usually comes across, especially in hindsight?
7. Did BusinessWeek not learn it's lessons from running and hyping similar glowing cover stories about the "Information SuperHighway", Netscape, and other Web 1.0 related hoopla a decade ago?
8. How long before BusinessWeek's competitors here and overseas feel compelled to run similar stories?
9. Do  cover stories like this REALLY help circulation in the short run? In the long run?
10. How long before BusinessWeek runs a cover story on how hyped the social networking/Web 2.0 space became and/or refer negatively to the MySpace acquisition by News Corp.?

Any more questions come up your end?

Comments

[Elijah Blue]

Hmmm... feeling a little old are we? The reality is Myspace is something many (about 40 million currently, up from Zero 24 months ago) spend as much time on as you and your generation spend watching TV (what, 4.6 hours a day? At least).

I guess my question is: Are YOU on Myspace? Ever use it? It's addictive and a blast and it's where I learn about trends, music, people and much of what's really happening in the world.

Call it the Wisdom of Crowds.

Frankly, you sound 'old' in your thinking on this subject. On many things you don't, I read your blog fairly regularly, but you're way off on this one. It's a Big friggin deal because, well, it's a big friggin deal.

The original 'hype' of Internet 1.0.. things like "Information Super Highway" and Netscape brought us massive infrastructure and highspeed internet access..and, well, FireFox.

Betcha that you use IE don't ya?

EB

[Michael Parekh]

Thanks for your thoughtful comment, EB...have been a member of MySpace for quite a while, but have not used it nearly enough. I've also used Firefox since the beginning...and have been an online junkie/addict since the early eighties (last century admittedly). I've spent far more time online than mainstream media for almost quarter of a century now.

I am old, but don't feel old.

My post had more to do with BW hyping the whole MySpace phenomenon rather than denigrating the MySpace service and community itself.

You may remember GeoCities and other social community sites in Web 1.0 that were similarly popular and over-hyped by the mainstream media.

My post was more a commentary on the short-term memory of the mainstream media than the service you obviously call a second home online.

Hope this clarifies.

Thanks again for the provocative comment.