Facebook or Myspace?

I used Myspace first, and a couple years later began a Facebook page. Back then I chose Myspace over Facebook because I could do with Myspace what I wanted, designing my own look. Facebook on the other hand had a lot of glitches, and at one point wouldn't allow me to log on for weeks. I quit Facebook for a time.

In the spring of 2009 I decided to give Facebook another try, and I'm glad I did. Most of the annoying glitches were fixed, and I have no log-in problems.

I still love the way Myspace looks, but I like Facebook's easy-to-navigate design better. And as I grow older and put more of a premium on efficiency, I find myself gravitating more and more toward Facebook. Everything I need is very centralized on Facebook, so I never have to click more buttons than necessary, saving time and speeding up my computer.

• The Myspace Edge

Myspace still does a few things right, so not all is lost, not yet anyway. It's easier to organize Myspace friends, partly because of the "Top Friends" application. I've never had to "verify" my Myspace account, and I find the "blurbs" very useful. If someone comes to see my Myspace page they'll know right away what my interests are. I feel I can direct visitors more easily to see my current projects and vital "Justin-related" information. But is this enough to make me stick with Myspace? How good is Facebook, really?

• Spam

I don't get a lot of spam on Myspace, but I do get some, even with my spam filters set for maximum destruction. I don't get ANY spam from Facebook. Spam isn't just a pain in the butt, it also costs people time and money. I've even read that spam leaves a carbon footprint. Anything that bad should be eradicated and Facebook has done a much better job of it than Myspace has.

• HTML

I understand and use HTML. I built and operate a website, an online fiction magazine, so I have to. But that doesn't mean I want to write HTML when I want to relax and talk to friends. Compared to Facebook, Myspace requires at least some knowledge of HTML, and because so many people don't have a basic understanding, it makes it difficult to communicate. I can't count the times someone has posted a link I couldn't click, or that wouldn't work because they couldn't write HTML, or write it correctly.

• "Bulletins" versus "Wall Posts"

It takes about as many steps to post a Myspace bulletin than it does for an alcoholic to quit drinking. Facebook allows you to post links, pictures, and content easily and fast, without the hassle of clicking three or four buttons, not to mention that if you screw up a long post and click back using Windows Explorer, you could loose everything you've written on your Myspace bulletin. Too much work for me when I'm crunched for time and need to get information out now.

• "Blogs" versus "Notes"

Notes are Facebook's version of Myspace's blogs. Notes are easier to write up, faster to publish, and can do everything a blog can. I can easily add pictures, website links, and content. Facebook notes is a big reason why Myspace is becoming obsolete, because the ability to blog is a high priority for me, and a lot of other people I meet online.

Blogging on Myspace isn't without its upside. Using Myspace I can design my own page and can add subscribers. Fans who want to read my latest blogs can do so easily. Both of these are beneficial but I find they are not as important as a simple, professional design when the bottom line is communication, not style. Facebook wins again simply because it doesn't out-think itself.

• The Double-Edged Sword

Another downfall for Myspace is its very reason for being so good in the first place. Allowing users to create and customize their own unique page is a blessing and a curse. What happens when you've added so much to your page that people with slower computers can't view them? My computer is in no way slow, yet many Myspace pages give my browser fits. I feel bad for people with older, outdated computers.

With Myspace, it's also easier for people to send me viruses and other computer-stopping bugs. Though I can't prove it, I think I've contracted more than one bug on a few different occasions from viewing someone's Myspace page. It's sad but true, when we have the power to make it what we want, a few shady characters will always put a script in their pages to infect other computers.

Because I'm a writer, I choose Facebook over Myspace because Facebook makes it easier for me to get my words out. I understand the appeal of self expression, but if that's Myspace's only appeal, Facebook is the winner.