If I Am Not Supposed to Like Myspace, Why Do I?

According to the media Myspace is supposed to be the low rent cousin of Facebook; so why do my friends and I feel so loyal to Myspace? Sure we are on Facebook and try to like it, but to be honest we don't. There is something compelling about Myspace: it feels like the "it" party you want to be invited to, while Facebook feels like the stuffy brunch that you go to because you need to "make an appearance."

Facebook offers more privacy which can be a double edged sword. Yes, no one can see your information without being your friend, but that also means that you can not see theirs. Be honest with yourself, you like looking at the Myspace pages of your ex-loves and people you used to know, but would never actually contact. Facebook forces that contact to be made if you want to find out what those people are up to these days. Myspace understands the human nature to be curious and leaves pages visible, unless someone chooses to make their page private. At least on Myspace if someone makes their page private you still get to see a fairly large picture, on Facebook you get to see a postage stamp until someone is your friend. Sometimes the picture is so small you cannot even tell if it is the person you know!

Another downfall of Facebook is that in order to be in many of the networks you have to have an email address from that school or company. Even if you are only a year out of college, how many people still have access to their college email address? Without that elusive email address a world of former friends, classmates and coworkers is closed to you. You are free to search for the former acquaintances, but think about how often you remember a partial name, but not the whole thing or how to spell it. You remember Dave that you sat next to Freshman year in Chemistry, but was his name Johns, Johnson, or Johnston? If you had access to your alma mater's network you would have a much easier time finding Dave.

Beyond the general draw of the curious, Myspace pages let you reflect individuality, while Facebook pages look as exciting as the forms you fill out at the Department of Motor Vehicles. The front page of most people's pages have colorful graphic backgrounds and are filled with pictures of not only the people, but things they are interested in. In a way Myspace pages are windows into who you are, who you want to be or who you want others to think you are.

All in all both Myspace and Facebook let people keep in contact with people in their lives and get back in touch with people who they have lost touch with. Myspace just seems to do it in a more vibrant, fun, and open way. Even if I am not supposed to like Myspace better, I do.