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September 5, 2007
Bye Bye MySpace
I finally decided to cancel my MySpace account. Call me a prude, but I got sick of being tempted to look at really stupid things just because they were titillating or offered some form of half-wit, low-brow humor. Here's the message I left for MySpace when they asked me why I was canceling my account:
"I'm switching to Facebook. Everywhere I look on MySpace there's trashy content. I expect a certain level of that sort of thing, but there's certainly more on MySpace. It's quickly becoming a 'red light district' on the web. If you don't allow a way for wholesome people to participate in the community without being exposed to so much crap, then you're eventually going to lose those people. For example, one of your advertisements that YOU got paid for had a semi-naked woman laying on her stomach pulling on her g-string with her stiletto heel. It's definitely sexy, but I don't NEED to see that, and I certainly don't want that content on the screen when I'm editing my profile with my family in close proximity."
I can handle a fair amount of bawdiness, and I understand that there are people out there who have lower standards. I was trying to use MySpace to manage a network of my friends to foster communication and to have some fun. It's now apparent that my network was in their space. They should rename the site to OurSpace.
I remember entering a couple houses in high-school and college for some random party or get together and knowing the instant I walked in that I needed to leave. The coffee table was the perfect litmus test. On these occasions, the table was covered with overflowing ash trays, a pipe, a bong, a bag of weed, numerous empty bottles or cans of beer, an empty pizza box, and possibly some porn (yes I threw that in to help the analogy). I'm not talking about some crazy party, but the sort of squalor that some people choose to live in on a daily basis. You know it when you see it. For me, MySpace has become that coffee table.
I choose to leave MySpace, and I'll choose to leave Facebook if the same conditions occur there. Let's be honest, the internet is cool and social sites have a certain appeal and usefulness, but at the end of the day we can live without them.
Posted by mark at September 5, 2007 10:11 AM Subscribe (FeedBurner)
Comments
So long, Mark. Me and the stilettos will miss you. ;-)
Posted by: pcg at September 5, 2007 11:43 AM
yes
myspace at work can be dangerous
but I hate hurting those lonely girl's feelings
they just want to be my friends
I thought looking at their videos would aid in improving their self esteem
Posted by: gwadzilla at September 5, 2007 11:58 AM
well said, bro...peter's stilettos notwithstanding...
Posted by: mikey at September 5, 2007 12:05 PM
Bravo!
Posted by: Kara at September 5, 2007 1:28 PM
/me stand and applauds
Bravo my friend, bravo.
I wish I could have said that as eloquently when I wanted to.
Posted by: Topher at September 5, 2007 2:03 PM
Thank you, Mark. Well said.
Posted by: Nate at September 6, 2007 7:34 PM