A daily digest of IT news, curated from blogs, forums and news sites around the web each morning. We highlight the key commentary and demystify the real story.
MySpace has capitulated to Facebook's advances, launching 'Mashup With Facebook'. Does this spell the end of the beginning of the end for News Corporation's bid for social network supremacy? Is it one in the eye for Rupert Murdoch? Has Mark Zuckerberg won, or do The Digger's plans run deep? In IT Blogwatch, bloggers spell K.I.S.S.I.N.G.
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment. Not to mention All Arnie's AAARRRGGHs appended...
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As Sharon Gaudin quips, "MySpace seems to be calling 'uncle'":
MySpace is giving up on being a social network. ... The mashup basically is a connection ... that will enable users to port their likes and interests from their Facebook profiles ... allowing MySpace users to create a personalized stream of entertainment content.
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In April ... Facebook had more than 307 million unique visitors worldwide, while MySpace attracted ... 123 million. ... And the space between them has widened. ... MySpace, in turn, has focused more on being a destination for ... music and movies.
JP Mangalindan says it, "signals surrender of the social network space":
Mashup ... does add value to the overall MySpace experience. ... MySpace users won't have to spend tons of time tracking down [their] favorite TV shows. ... Of course, it's also an admission that MySpace can't succeed unless it works with the most popular social network.
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But what's in it for Facebook? ... Mashup appears to be a goodwill gesture that basically returns ownership of user information to its users.
Adam Ostrow thanks us for the add (probably):
Its official acknowledgment on the part of MySpace that Facebook ... [is] top dog in the social networking space ... its better to be with them than against them. ... It creates a huge new audience for MySpaces content and affirms its focus on entertainment.
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Given the role Facebook and its news feed increasingly play as a traffic source for ... websites, this has potential to boost MySpaces numbers significantly.
Hey, JR Raphael doesn't just troll Apple fanbois, y'know:
Meh. ... Why bother? ... I'm guessing approximately four people are excited by this development -- and that's including Rupert Murdoch.
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In my trial, Myspace initially suggested I become friends with the musician Bruno Mars, attend a tour by a French "electo-grunge" band called Liga Quintana, and play an online game called Dog Wars. Sweet salvation -- Myspace is saved
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Seriously, though ... does anyone really think this is going to convince ... people to head back to the dusty, cobwebbed ... social network they abandoned years ago? ... It may not be long before the once-giant network joins Geocities in the great virtual beyond.
But the disagreeing (but not disagreeable) Rachel King rules, dude:
Is this really just a sign of the beginning of the end of Myspace? Maybe not. Myspace has managed to survive ... while Facebook has become the reigning force ... because it branded itself as more of an entertainment-focused site.
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Even though this might look like Myspace is giving into Facebook ... it could be a good example of the you cant beat 'em, join 'em mantra.
Richi Jenningsis an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com.
