|
Monday, Aug. 21, 2006
'IT ONLY TAKES A CLICK'
Copyright © 2006 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc. | ||||||||||
 |
Also on this page: Reader Comments | |||||||||
Ever ponder the life of people in passing, on the sidewalk or at work? Their political views, interests, relationship status or sexual orientation? Wonder no longer on a free Internet social network; a sort of 21st century online coffee shop where personal lives become public. Online social networks have become a free, accessible and increasingly popular place for young people to define themselves and connect with friends. Compete, a market research company that compiles Web statistics, reported in June that two out of every three people online visited a social networking site. Since January 2004, the number of people visiting or taking part in one of the top online social networks has grown by over 109 percent. This popularity has attracted the interest of social scientists and other observers, who are curious about the impact on society and why so many teens and 20-somethingspeople are sharing personal information online. A recent American Sociological Review study suggested that Americans have shifted away from forming ties in their neighborhood and community because of the Internet. The study found a decline in close relationships. Another recent study, called the Strength of Internet Ties, yielded different findings. Sponsored by the Pew Foundation, it reported that Internet communication reinforces and integrates well with users' in-person and telephone encounters. "With help from the Internet, people are able to maintain an active content with sizable social networks, even though many of the people in those networks do not live nearby," it concluded. Whatever the case, the number of teens and 20-somethingspeople using online social networks is increasing rapidly, with each network attracting different types of users. Here's a glimpse at two of the most popular - Myspace and Facebook, which targets colleges, high schools and the workplace. MYSPACE It's called Myspace, and it has become the largest online social network, but more astoundingly it's also the second largest overall destination on the Web, second only to Yahoo, according ComScore Media Matrix. So what is it about this single destination that has attracted more than 100 million users - including media mogul Rupert Murdoch? Users like Carrie Jones of Ellsworth want their profiles to be seen. Jones is a young author who joined the Myspace craze in "a desperate attempt" to promote her new book. "As a new writer of young adult fiction I often feel slightly isolated in Ellsworth," said Jones. She joined a coop of first-time writers for young adults and middle graders. "At least I can feel a little less alone when I'm struggling with objective correlatives and plot arcs," she said. "Now I check Myspace everyday." Myspace also offers musicians like Dominic Lavoie, of the Portland-based indie rock band Dominic and the Lucid, a place to promote their music. "The site helps me promote the band's upcoming shows, and upload new music that might otherwise not be put on a record, like live recordings or demos. It's also a great way to get people to check out the band, without too much effort," said Lavoie, who created the account in 2004. Myspace landed on the Internet map in 2003. It was created by a now 30-year-old University of California, Berkley student named Tom Anderson. ("Tom" is the most widely recognized face on Myspace; the guy who becomes your automatic friend and welcomes you to the site). Do a Myspace search for Tom's co-founder, former student of University of California student Chris DeWolfe, and you'll see the majority of his profile set to private, available only to those on his friends list. It's a feature that was made available to users after controversy broke about Myspace being used as a stalking ground by pedophiles. Myspace has since taken steps to prevent such behavior, including increasing the staff that monitors the site, working with education groups to teach Internet safety, and revamping policy to require users agedages 14 and 15 to have their pages automatically set to private. Kids must be at least 14 to use the site. As of June, Myspace also began requiring users over 18 to know the full name or E-mail address of any 14 or 15 year old before contacting them. Search for users and you'll find the name "Keith Rupert Murdoch II, born March 11, 1931, an Australian-born American citizen, based in New York City and a major shareholder and the chairman and managing director of News Corporation." Yes, this is the page of the 74-year-old media mogul who bought Myspace in July 2005 for a cool $580 million. Just a year later, surely glad to be wired into tech generations startups, Murdoch saw dollar signs in another Myspace transaction. In July he sold Google Inc. rights to the exclusive search and keyword of Fox Interactive Media's growing network of Web properties, which of course included Myspace. The price tag was $900 million. Similar to Myspace, a site called Facebook was the product of a young collegiate mind. And like Myspace, it illustrates how the computer-savvy student has one thing Murdoch lacks: broadband exposure from the time he was a child. In 2004, a college sophomore transformed The Facebook, a freshman-circulated booklet of student profiles and photos, into an online empire that secured him a multi-million-dollar status. This Internet generation Harvard University dropout-turned-millionaire goes by the name Mark Zuckerberg, and unlike his competitors at Myspace, he recently turned down a reported $750 million offer from Murdoch. "Facebook is not for sale," director of marketing for the site Melanie Deitch said, contradicting reports that it was up for sale for $2 billion. Although Facebook's popularity may pale in comparison to that of Myspace - it's the seventh-most trafficked Internet site on the Web and boasts a relatively meager 8 million users, according to ComScore Media Matrix - the site's exclusivity makes it the most popular of its kind among college students. It serves 2,200 colleges, 22,000 high schools, and since May, 6,400 workplace networks. Zuckerberg markets his site as trustworthy and safe, one that doesn't target users interested in promoting music or a book. It is only available to those with a legitimate high school, college or workplace network e-mail address. Users are students, alumni and those who work with alumni. And while Myspace gives users a free hand in designing their site and allows anyone to browse through any profile, Facebook has a generic layout and only permits members to browse within their school or company network. According to the Facebook businesses directory, its affiliated companies include Maine Turnpike Authority, the Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance, L.L. Bean, the Maine Potato Growers Association and the State of Maine Career Center. "The main reason we launched the ability for people to register for Facebook using their valid work e-mail was because we have three years of young alums on the site and we found that they use it just as much as students," said Deitch. "That told us that Facebook is not just for students, but has tremendous value for young alumni as well to connect with friends and help understand their world. By allowing young alums on the site, it enables more people to connect with each other in real world communities." In August 2005, when Bowdoin College became a network on Facebook, student and user Travis Dagenais quickly joined. He said Facebook is "much more streamlined, more organized and simply less annoying" than other networks. "This was perfect timing because it gave everyone a chance to get a brief glimpse of their future roommates and hallmates right before we headed up to Maine for orientation," the Bowdoin student said. "There is a section for listing summer plans and when spring break comes around there is a section for spring break plans, so it's easy to figure out what classmates are doing. More often than not, these classmates we are checking out are already personal friends, so Facebook isn't really much of a networking site for finding new people." He notes that making "friends" is easier in online social communities than in person. "After all, it only takes a click," Dagenais said. Staff Writer Anna Fiorentino can be contacted at 791-6330 or at: afiorentino@pressherald.com |
||||||||||
Reader comments
Post your comment here:
To top of page