Friendster/MySpace Essay
I ran into this interesting essay about what happened to Friendster and the subsequent rise of MySpace. The essay is written by a woman named Danah Boyd, who I have heard speak on a panel one of the times I attended SxSW Interactive. She is a PhD candidate at the School of Information at UC Berekley and specializes in social culture and identity on the internet. I remember being thoroughly impressed with what she had to say when I heard her speak. She has great insight into the social phenomenons on the internet.
It’s a bit on the long side, but her essay entitled “Friendster lost steam. Is MySpace just a fad?” is very good if this stuff fascinates you like it does me. Granted, the essay is a year old and people are a little less panicked over MySpace now, and some would argue that Facebook is more popular now, but the essay is no less relevant.
