LeliaThomas.Com

Testing My MySpace Theory, Post #2

I have some theories about MySpace that haven’t gone down too well, for one reason or another. In an attempt to show just how devoid MySpace is of anything worthwhile, I’m participating on the site for the full month of October. God save us all, as they say.

The following is of my initial testing from the 29th of September to today, the 2nd of October. Post #3, which will consist of this week’s testing, will be published next Monday, the 9th of October.

Friday, 29 September 2006

(4:30pm) Okay, this site is so inaccessible that I feel the need to hang myself, or rather, the creators of this pile of crap. Why is it when I try to edit something on my profile and save it, there’s no link back to my userpage–or rather, only half of the time there is. WHO LIKES GOING TO LOTS OF TROUBLE FOR POOR RESULTS??? Calming down now…

(5:00pm) How accessible. I’ve now realized that the rather obscure title of “home” is how I can find my information to edit it. Look at the following screenshots to see the absurdity of this all. Note: I am logged into my account for both of these screenshots.

(5:30pm) I’ve got my page up and running (not that I did anything fancy–not that you can, really, even with the best of hacking). And yes, I was almost tempted to put up an animated, hot pink background. Now to make some pseudo friends.

(5:35pm) I’m adding friends, starting with guys and girls in Melbourne. I’m not really being picky. The only people I’m avoiding are those who seem too creepy.

We’ll see what happens. On a separate note, I’m really sick of the auto-loading music on EVERYONE’S profile. Really sick of it. It’s like I’m back in 1998 and hearing MIDIs on every page I visit. If I open several tabs at once, and they all have that feature, they all start at the same time. It’s total cacophony. Oh, and I’m really sick of seeing boobs and g-strings. Really, girls. Put it all away. I know by now that you’re cheap wh0r3s. You don’t have to prove it anymore. We just know.

(6:00pm) I receive my first message since beginning this test. It’s from a 16-year-old guy from the US. He looks rather emo by the picture! His message goes as follows:

Subject: Hi.
Message: Would You Be Interested In Me?

I reply with a simple, “I don’t know you, so how can I answer that?” MySpace is so far swimming very deeply into the shallow end of the gene pool. This testing may result in brain damage.

(7:00pm) I’ve added probably 30 people as friends; six friendships are “mutual” now. Most amusing topic of the moment? One of my new “friends” has an application for girls to be his girlfriend, as if that’s some huge honour. I’m sure it’s half joking, but still, for some reason, I find that a major turn off. If have to put in a bloody application to be with you, I must say, I better be getting paid top dollars. I just can’t see that happening from a 20-year-old.

(7:15pm) After three seizures, a hernia and a major headache, I’m going to have to quit this for the night.

Saturday, 30 September 2006

(8:35pm) I have 13 supposed friends now. I’ll give MySpace and its users some credit (as well as myself and my theory), in that most all of my “friends” are male, just like in reality. This says one of three things: (1) I look great, (2) these guys have low standards when it comes to looks or (3) I have more estrogen than they do, therefore I’m a prime candidate for a “friend” because I might have female parts. Also just as in reality, most of my friend requests to girls aren’t going down too well.

MySpace is giving me lots of errors right now. Wonderful site.

(9:00pm) For the past 25 minutes, I’ve attempted to participate on MySpace by sending messages to my “friends.” However, EVERY message I’ve tried to send has given me an error. MySpace is so far hopeless. If you really think it brings people together, let me just say that it must only do it half of the time, because the other half is obviously in the depths of technological hell.

(9:30pm) It’s now apparent to me that a lot of bloggers on MySpace think they know something really special. Read this excerpt from one user’s blog:

Yes you, bovine American-wannabe first world theorists. I wouldn’t be so hurt to the point of tears if I could just see you happy without someone else dying for it. If I could just see you laugh at your self and realise there is no conspiracy - no one is in on the joke.

WE ARE ALL FUCKING ALONE AND THE ONLY ONES WE HAVE LEFT TO TORTURE ARE OURSELVES.

WE ARE THE FUCKING JOKE.

That is so deep–so deep that it changed my life. I might have also drowned in the melodrama.

(9:31pm) I can’t take anymore of this crap tonight.

Sunday, 1 October 2006

(7:49pm) Hello, Bane of My Existence. A new tip for tonight! When I tell you to remember my information so I don’t have to type it for the zillionth time, I really do mean it. Please do not log me out anymore, you worthless piece of crap system. In other news, I have 16 friends. I’ve never made friends so quickly in my life! How exciting and unrealistic!

Oh, joy. I also have new messages! To my greatest surprise someone who is good with his grammar has messaged me. I reply. This has been the first instance of correct grammar that I’ve seen on MySpace since beginning this.

(8:30pm) Time for adding more friends. I’ll start now with the United States, particularly out west, because I like it out west. Note to self: Lots-lots more boobs, sex references and disgusting behavior from guys in the States. How ’bout that? Note to guys from the States: “I luv b00bs” is not a great way to meet most girls, but thanks for showing your true, prickish colours. Also, put your shirts back on; most of you don’t even have muscles to show. And quit waxing; it bugs me that you look as girly as I do almost. Pansies, the lot of you.

Hey, you with the profile of two hugging cowboys. I really can’t believe you’re straight. Brokeback has changed everything.

(9:20pm) This needs no opinionated comment, really. As seen on someone’s page:

i do think my song and my video are better than yours. ya the concert last nite sucked balls but i got drunk as fuck. SNAPP!! lets get some SPLIFF! NIGGA! SHIT!
later

Things like that, when not used in the context of humour, make me ashamed of humanity. FO SHIZZLE.

(9:44pm) Wow, just like the American guys, there’s a huge increase of disgusting user pages from female Americans. Girls, do you ever wonder why you’re treated like useless and worthless objects? Perhaps it’s because you’re displaying yourself as one big, life-sized sex toy.

I’m through for the night. This is disgusting.

Monday, 2 October 2006

(11:00pm) I have 19 friends. Some of them seem strangely desperate:

Subject: omgosh i have new pics up
Message: I also want attention…….

Well, they have always said honesty was the best policy.

Next Week

Now that the formalities for making some friends are over, I’ll be participating on their user pages and blogs for the following week. I will participate in two ways. The first way I will be overly flirtatious, cute and dumb. The second way I will provide worthwhile comments in hopes of engaging in something meaningful. Let’s see which way gains the most attention.

Comments ordered from oldest to newest.

SkeptiC

This is so great. The most amusing thing i’ve ever been interested in on the internet.

I went and attempted to sign up on a MySpace account myself, and the absolute absurdity of how it works, was enough that I just canceled it after an hour. The ability to edit anything is such a joke. I searched also for a couple of good sites on how to apply the ‘hacks’ to it. LAME!!!! It is mindboggling to me, how a site so not user friendly, has become so popular. There are so many communities that model after MySpace, and they actually are built alot better. On with the madness. MySpace is an unstoppable train that has the world tied and blindfolded too its tracks. Noone can see past it for some reason.

Maritza

I found your page through Skeptic. I joined (and since left) Myspace last year thinking it was a good way for me & my real in the flesh friends to communicate and get together. We ended up leaving goofy comments on each other’s sites and never getting together or talking! Just lots of dumb photos and sparkly “Have a nice weekend” type of crap.

Also, the amount of men of all ages that wanted to be my friend was bizarre. The last straw came when one of my daughter’s schoolmates hit on me! I showed his “friend’s request” to her and she burst out laughing. His message was very, “hey sexy mama…do you like them young?” or something equally creepy. Olivia sees his message and says, “He’s in my science class!!”

Great site you have. I’m glad Skeptic suggested it.

Lelia

Skeptic: I’m just as appalled at how popular it is, too. If you’re just dying for a way to communicate with your friends, there are so many better options out there. The first one that comes to mind is Yahoo! Groups. It’s old as hemp rope now, but if you’re looking for something reliable, quick and easy with lots of functions, it’s a good option, as are many others.

I also have to say that I’m rather shocked MySpace hasn’t received a bit of a backlash since News Corp./Fox/Rupert Murdoch bought it. MySpace is primarily made up of teenagers who typically don’t think it’s “cool” to support Fox or Murdoch, due to his favouritism toward Bush. I can’t believe some silly conspiracy theorists haven’t jumped on the idea that Murdoch’s bought MySpace to help distribute his agenda. I’m looking for that to be said at some point, but I’ve not found it yet. Perhaps now that I’ve said it…

Maritza: Welcome! Thank you for dropping by, and I’m glad you enjoyed my site! Your comment made me crack up. How creepy! I was creeped out enough that some 16-year-old boy made a pass at me, even though there’s just a three-year age difference, but I’d be even more upset in your situation. Talk about something to make your skin crawl.

Ben

What you’re experiencing is exactly why I deleted my Myspace profile. BTW, I can’t wait to read your experience with THAT! Deleting a Myspace profile is hellishly impossible in a way that should be relegated to Nazi concentration camps. Seriously.

Lelia

Ben, good to know, then, that I’m only using my true identity…

Ben

Heh. :D

cristinamarie

I’m so over MySpace. It’s the most annoying site. It really targets to the teeny bopper crowd. If you’re like 35 and on MySpace, there’s a problem. I prefer Facebook, but that’s just me.

Aido

Hey! You quoted me…. but where was your referencing?
(I know you can do better than that. )

If you’re going to quote my genius you could at least link to me so that everyone can point and laugh along with you.

What will I do without my pageviews?
Where will I find a reason to live?

Love,
DrA

Lelia

Aido, I figured since most of this will undoubtedly be in a negative light of MySpace and quite a few of its users that giving away users’ identities at the drop of a hat would be quite rude and vindictive (when I’ve got no reason to be so).

None

Are you trying to prove that people will talk to anyone even ugly women

Himani

Funny and witty, I love it. :) MySpace is horrible, especially if you know any HTML and know that websites should not look and function like it does. I joined because it seems email and instant messaging is “out.” I have an exchange student friend and we stay in contact through MySpace because she didn’t know her permanent address before she left (and she “wasn’t really a letter writer”), she doesn’t have instant messanger, and for some reason she’d rather use MySpace than email. Go figure. She’s wonderfully smart otherwise.

I do wonder where you find all this suggestive pictures, I think my grand total is 2. I also seem to be immune to the random guys hitting on me (granted I put a picture that’s only half of my face up for additional privacy. If you ever try doing a “browse” search, you can basically hand-pick the people you want to stalk. 18? Smoker? 5′5″? You can have it all!).

Ah well, I limit the use for my own sanity. Only when I get an email proclaiming that I have a new message from my aforementioned friend. I’ll be back to read more about your results, though. :)

Peter Andrew Stanton

In reference to Your post from Friday the twenty-ninth day of September in 2006: When I log in I get taken straight to my home (the image on the right of Your post) in which I can edit my profile via the ‘Edit Profile’ link. The only way I can see (after searching) to look at my space the way others will see it is to click on the ‘Profile’ button under ‘View My:’, I don’t know how You can go there by accident. Home seems a suitable name for one’s main page, and I always get a link back there after I’ve edited something.
MySpace is rather shoddy though. Aside from all the ways the interface and options/material could be improved, I keep finding my messages haven’t been sent.

Lelia

Are you trying to prove that people will talk to anyone even ugly women

I’m not sure whether this was meant as a personal insult or not (if so: nice try, but I’m past the age of 9 and not so easily wounded). If not, I can’t say I’ve seen anyone “ugly” on MySpace. Granted, that’s in the eye of the beholder. I’ve seen a lot of girls display their own bodies for free, however.

Himani, I’m glad you’re enjoying this. :) That’s interesting about your friend. Have you ever asked her why she doesn’t try another site? I have to second what Christina said in mentioning Facebook. I figure if you’re going to choose a social networking site, Facebook is pretty well designed and doesn’t have a plethora of ads…

Peter, ah, I guess that’s the difference. I tell MySpace to keep me logged in (not that the crappy system ever adheres to that), and therefore I guess that changes the way some things work when I just go to the site. Although, I have to say “home” is not, and in my opinion should not, be synonymous with editing your profile. That’s not very accessible, I would argue. When I think of “home,” I think of the main page of MySpace, as that is typically what every home link on the internet does: points back to the main site, not your particular profile.

I’ll second your messaging issue. I’ve so far only been able to send one message to someone, but I’ve tried many other times and with several users. (P.S. - Thanks for visiting!)

Brandon

sorry about the rant i posted earlier … here have some glitter graphics and equally annoying stuff…

http://www.glittergraphics.us/

also, been playing with the mysace cee and whatnot. just be warned that if you try to hide the ad at the top your profile will get deleted.

also, since EVERYONE is friends with tom this means EVERYONE is in your extended network. good one tom.

Brandon

sorry, just wanted to add that after deleting tom and then viewing a profile with only tom as a friend. it tells me that person is in my extended network. Yet i deleted tom as my friend.

Tom wins :)

shelly

We’ll see what happens. On a separate note, I’m really sick of the auto-loading music on EVERYONE’S profile. Really sick of it. It’s like I’m back in 1998 and hearing MIDIs on every page I visit.

In case you’ve not figured it out, you can stop it from happening. Just go to “Account Settings”, click on the “Change Settings” link next to “Music Settings” and check both boxes off. (That said, doing so does seem to be a futile effort at times.)

Yes, I have a Myspace. While it is created with craploads of tables and no consideration for web standards whatsoever, while there are some profiles on there with some horrible aesthetically unpleasing layouts (and lots of videos hacked from either Myspace itself or YouTube or whatnot), and while it could be more user-friendly, I don’t think it’s as bad as some make it out to be (though I do find it a bit odd that it’s now owned by the same guy that owns Faux…err, I mean Fox News and all that). But then, I use it mainly to keep tabs on people I know online (I don’t think YahooGroups really serves that sort of purpose…I think it’s better used for discussion lists or roleplaying games; and I’m not into instant messaging), and I’ve discovered some (IMO) really good bands and musicians that I may not have learned about otherwise. Basically, I think it’s a mixed bag.

Bright Meadow » Sunday Roast: build a better mousetrap and the terrorists will build a better mouse

[...] Lelia is one hell of a lot braver than I am. I saw MySpace and ran away in screaming terror. She saw MySpace and like any good anthropologist would, decided it needed investigation - read her field notes. [...]

Ren

*LMAO* I have a myspace thingy too. Not hard to find. But I find the whole thing so distasteful that I keep well away from it most of the time!

Napfisk

Funny, I had been playing around with a similar idea and I adore what you’re doing with the it. Reading about MySpace on this Sea of Tranquility that is The Art of Lelia Katherine Thomas is almost, well, nice. But again I was fooled in visiting the Other Side and I can’t, I just can’t… It is just too horrible. Kudoz to you for your sacrifice!

Exactly why is Myspace popular? at Open Switch

[...] I think we also can all agree that Myspace’s popularity is not due to its user interface. As Lelia Thomas has so eloquently shown, Myspace is very difficult software to work with. It’s not intuitive and is severely lacking in basic functionality. To put it plainly, the original Game Boy had more functionality than the average Myspace site. [...]

Simone Walsh

I’m so pleased to have found your blog. I wrote a rant about MySpace very recently, after having decided to cave in and try it as I keep being told it’s great for networking. I’m still itching to delete my account (and keep cringing when I remember it’s there with my name on it!) … but I’m holding off to see if I do actually get any benefits from it at some point.

I found your blog as I was wondering whether lots of other people feel as I do about the place. You’ve persevered with it far more than I’ve so far been able to, but I completely agree with everything you say - and have already experienced much of what you complain about!

I’m starting to become convinced that it most likely is the most horrible place on the web in terms of functionality, design, lack of privacy, very poor user support and general idiocy.

I’m hoping that perhaps something as elegant and simple to use as Flickr will soon loom up and eat MySpace alive. Fingers crossed …

Lelia

Simone, you echo my sentiments on there being a MySpace-like site with better design, functionality, etc. Social networking is a part of the online world, for sure. I think, however, that the key is for what is out there–YouTube, Flickr, job sites (LinkedIn), Facebook and countless others–to somehow become inter-functional and tied in in more ways. However, that can get risky, considering many–scratch that, all now since Google’s acquired the Tube–are company owned and won’t be too willing to bring their functionality and communities together in any shape or form. I guess it will be up to users to figure out how to do that properly.

To give minor credit to MySpace (more to News Corp.’s greed, I would say) would be that it has tried, and is trying, to bring many different types of media and functions to its users (music, networking, video and television shows). The two downsides to that are (1) they’re more trying to take out competition than anything and (2) what’s good is still on a bad site, and you just can’t escape that. At least I can’t.

Jon

Lelia. I found this quite interesting. Myspace does seem to be very unpopular among people who would deem themselves ‘professional bloggers’ but can you not see it’s appeal?

I found it quite dis-heartening where you mention some of the things people write on their Myspace’s and then continue to shoot it down. Like for example “(9:30pm) It’s now apparent to me that a lot of bloggers on MySpace think they know something really special. Read this excerpt from one user’s blog:”. I mean yes, the exerpt is quite melodramatic but at the same time it’s still someone’s expression. That is I think the key thing with Myspace. It is allowing a lot of people to express themselves in a very easy and understandable way. The internet is full of sites which allow this, some examples being Allpoetry.com, Deviantart and Livejournal. This makes the internet a very creative place. You can find some real works of art in these places and at the same time someone who’s not so good at creating art expressing themselves.

I, myself have a Myspace and as with everything i’ve created on the web I am proud of what i’ve done with it. Yes, the regular bulletins that start with a two word subject like ‘I wish..’ and then you open them to see the body of text containing ‘…More people would comment me!’ do extremely annoy me but I just let it pass. If things like that get to you so much then you are going to waste your life away being annoyed by the small things in life.

Perhaps a better angle to take with this would have been to point out the faults in Myspace’s design instead of slating the community that use the website. Why would you want to stop someone expressing themselves even if they can only do it in a simple way? People are people in the end, each one of us different. This means each one of us creates in a different way, if as you claim you are ashamed of humanity perhaps you should take yourself off this metaphorical high-chair you seem to have given yourself and open your mind a little. Maybe then you can find the good in things.

Ben

@ Jon: I agree with you that people expressing themselves is usually a good thing. I also agree that Myspace creates a place where people can express themselves. Personally, my issue with Myspace isn’t so much in the community….wait….yes it is. For one reason or another it has become the red-light district of the Net. Granted, as you say there are some “diamonds in the rough” but they sure are hard to find! And to find them you have to wade through the teens writing about how they hate their life and how they’re gonna JUST DIE because so and so doesn’t like them back. Oh yeah, and the soft core porn really gets to me too.

You mention Live Journal. The funny thing is that it has an even shadier past than Myspace!

What I’m saying is that from my point of view Myspace has become a magnet for Net garbage.

Jon

@Ben: I agree in some respects that Myspace is as you say a place for “Net garbage” to thrive but maybe that is just a reflection of us as humans.. Wherever there is space for humans to put input, e.g. Net, Shops, Magazines there is bound to be some aspects of humanity some would not agree with for example porn magazines/sites, fradulent companies on ebay and brothels. I just wish people would pay more attention to the “Diamond’s in the rough” that you mention

I guess what it comes down to is that this is a big world with many, many humans. Everyone has different morals and different viewpoints therefore there is bound to be some things that some people can’t tolerate.

I’m not standing up for the softcore porn or “I want to kill myself” comments. I totally agree that this is a dispicable side of human nature. I also hate the “Free Myspace layout” sites that litter the net and the many bulletins I read seeking pc4pc (Picture comment for picture comment). What i am trying to put across with my view is that since there are so many humans with different viewpoints essentially no one is wrong or right and i truly think that instead of taking sides against something it’s better to just stay neutral and use things the way you want to use them. If you don’t like any of these sites that much then don’t bother with them.

However it would be great if someone told Myspace to make their design better!

P.s. Just out of interest does anyone know how to alter the blog part of Myspace, i’m not so good with code and if there are any people out there that understand it an email to RockinFreakapoTamus_33@hotmail.com would be very nice! It’s been bugging me for a very long time.

Ben

Jon: As far as I know the only part of a Myspace layout you can alter is the front page. I’m not 100% sure though.

I somewhat agree that staying neutral can be a good thing. But I do think that there’s a time when it’s necessary for one to get off the fence and choose a side. I ride fences on small, insignificant issues but when it comes to big issues (Myspace not being one of them) I’ll get off the fence.

Jon

Ben: Thanks for answering on the blog question, In some ways I do wish I had a better tool to blog with but all my friends are on Myspace so..

As for your view on sometimes getting off the fence. You’re right! Thanks for pointing that out. I guess sometimes I find it very easy just to settle on the fence but I see that if everybody did that then humans as a whole wouldn’t progress.

Thanks for talking..

laura

i love the way you get at the lack of depth in myspace, whilst mentioning nothing of a slight deep meaning at all in the whole of this pointless rant. well done.

Dario Esqueda

You still can not deny the fact that we are still animals in the eyes of Science. As animals, we have instincts such as Sex and Violence. Though…we are more civilized and categorize ourself above normal animals as we are more intelligent as well. Unfortunately, sex is a instict which some of us weak minded fools are simply to eargly attracted to it.

If you think that is bad, just visit several U.S High School Myspace forums. That….I must add that the kids lack proper thought and discuss the same fasion with the rest of the population within this small district.

I, as a 15 year old Child, already recieved invitations to join a webcam and into pornography. I find that highly inappropriate especially when one is a minor. No?

Though…what I often say is that everything has a advantage and a disavantage on the universe. For me, I can use Myspace to gather missed School assignments.

Sincerly, Dario

Leigh

*To those who complain about the MySpace layout design:
If you don’t like the tables, detail sections, etc, take them off! There are ways to do so through html encoding, and if you are so distracted by these, or wish to alter them, google the code.
If you can hate the entire layout and can hardly look at your page, there IS another option! Create a DIV layout, which covers the entire page with whatever you want.
Don’t know how to do this?
Search for divs, or stop complaining…it’s really not that bad.

Lelia

Dario, I appreciate your honesty here, and I think you prove one of my points about MySpace. It’s unfortunately not a minority who act that way on MySpace; I don’t know why that is, exactly, but it just is.

I commend you for choosing to act differently, when given the opportunity to get involved with things that most teenagers these days don’t think are a big deal. I was the same way (I’m 19 now), and it doesn’t make high school life easy to be different from the crowd, but it does benefit you in the end.

And hey, you may well be one of three people who’s given a truly valid reason to like MySpace. If you can miss school and then find out what you need to on it: more power to MySpace, and enjoy skipping classes!

Leigh, thank you for being yet another user who has not read this full series. In fact, you obviously didn’t even read half of this, because I make mention of what you speak of and provide a link to this site, but what you don’t get is that it doesn’t matter how much hacking you do to your page, that still doesn’t make the millions of other pages look good or accessible. And those MySpace hacks, whether dependent upon tables or div layers, have to be hacked so much that they are not standards compliant, and therefore will look different on a multitude of browsers and probably won’t even function properly for people with, say, screen readers.

MySpace does not even declare a DTD. Don’t know what that is? Look it up. It really IS that bad.

Alex

First I want to say that Lelia, that you are certainly an articulate, funny and remarkably witty woman. I typed “div overlay theory” and there you were. I’ll keep checking back since i’m quite fascinated by your ethnographical slant on the myspace community.
I am really not all that crazy about Myspace’s design as others have pointed out. Fortunately though once you get the hang of hiding all the garbage things can actually look okay. I don’t generally give out my profile address to anyone but my close friends, but if Lelia feels it appropriate i’ll leave the decision up to her whether or not to share my site. Great blog so far. Thanks.

Henry

THIS IS GREAT!!!

Who knew the reality of MYSPACE could be so hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!
I Have had the same friends on myspace for the last two years now. I don’t even talk to them anymore, for the most part. I seem to always get these
Keep it up great stuff!