Ruport Murdoch, Myspace, Sexual Predators...bad combination

[cynatnite]

Then again, earlier in July News Corp announced the launch of Fox Interactive Media, a hub for Fox news, sport and entertainment in the US.

Myspace, News Corp says, could drive traffic to Fox Interactive Media.

And most importantly, Myspace has detailed logs of its users' preferences, online behaviour and personal information.

That could help the company tailor what it does to the ever-more-discerning market which Mr Murdoch believes he has identified.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/4697671.stm

Why would Murdoch want to own MySpace? Well, after that $580 mill purchase he now owns easily accessible lists of millions of people's personal information. He now knows where you live, who your friends are, what your favorite movie, color and television show is. It all sounds kind of trivial, but in the world of marketing and advertising this kind of information is priceless. Not only will this info be used for advertising purposes, but now MySpace is also going to be a marketing place for products. Already when you sign into MySpace, instead of being taken to your own page, you are taken to a page with a ton of advertisements.

I'm starting to get paranoid that some guy in a suit will come outta nowhere and spark up a conversation with me: "Hey Nick, what's up dawg? Yo man, you check out that new Millar arc in the New X men?!" And I'll just sit there and wonder, 'How the hell this suit know my favorite comic book and that I like to be referred to as 'dawg,' like most kids from Oakland?'" Then I'll remember that bastard Rupert Murdoch owns a list of my personal likes and dislikes.

http://news.pacificnews.org/news/view_article.html?article_id=9609b2767410ec92984a7dc3f8df691c

News Corp. raised the hackles of some MySpace users last month when the site blocked links to video-hosting site YouTube. It eventually capitulated, saying there had been "a simple misunderstanding". Now, however, some are reporting that MySpace is blocking Revver, another video service. Another "misunderstanding"? Maybe, though it could have more to do with the strategy for the site News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch announced yesterday -- a strategy in which video downloads play a central role, along with instant messaging and internet calling. Sound familiar? Those are pretty much the same differentiators Murdoch said he wanted to add back in October as part of his "be different by offering the same stuff everybody else has" plan. Murdoch adds that the portal business is in danger of becoming outdated, that young people don't need a site to tell them where to go -- when, by adding the videos and voice calling and beefing up the site's instant-messaging service, it sounds like like a portal is exactly what he wants MySpace to be. MySpace can add all the cool new features it wants, but if it eschews the community and user-created content that made it so popular in favor of a broadcast-style business, its young user base will simply flock somewhere else. Update: After some people noticed -- just like with YouTube -- MySpace has reversed its blocking of Revver.

http://techdirt.com/articles/20060110/0735214_F.shtml

The phenomenal growth of the Web site and popularity among youngsters has made it a magnet for adult sexual predators, authorities say.

Recent headlines that rival those in Murdoch's tabloids, such as "Man arrested in MySpace.com teen-sex case," "Sex predators are stalking MySpace; is your teenager a target?" and "Space Invaders" have dotted airwaves, newspapers and television news across the United States, triggering a nationwide backlash against the site.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal is investigating a number of sexual assaults with links to MySpace.

http://www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2006/02/19/myspace_murdochs_big_hope_parents_nightmare/?p1=MEWell_Pos5

There is this and much more. It's plenty of reasons why I consider myspace to be exploitive and dangerous. No one living in my home is allowed to go to myspace and most especially have an account with them. My oldest daughter who is 22 and married closed her account after getting several messages that were offensive to her. She's a parent as well and views myspace much the same as I do.

That's not counting the fact that Rupert Murdoch's ownership of webspace gives me even more reason to mistrust it. Faux news is irresponsible and consistently lies. Why should I view myspace as any different?

My view won't be a popular one, but I'm not content to stick my head in the sand and ignore warnings that should be taken seriously.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Of all the things to go after Rupert Murdoch for...

Myspace isn't one of them.

You're barking up the wrong tree.

[Nikki Stone 1]

2. Some good thoughts in here. I also am worried about Murdoch having all

this information. It can't be good for anyone.