GeekSugar

Myspace Lets Go of Half Its Staff

Emily Co — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 16:42:22 PST

In one fell swoop, Myspace decides to cut 47 percent of its staff to try to save the struggling company. Five-hundred people are being cut from a workforce of more than 1,000 people. Although the number is definitely huge, I must say that the news isn't shocking as Myspace has been on a gradual decline and unable to keep up with the competitive Facebook. I used to have a Myspace account but kind of forgot about it once Facebook came along. The great thing about Facebook is that everyone is on it, and it continually changes to keep up with the times. Myspace, on the other hand, seems pretty static.

It's not surprising that the recently laid-off employees of Myspace are having a really tough time. TechCrunch has an email from someone claiming to be one of the casualties of the staff cuts. He or she says, "The people who were in charge and responsible for the continued failure will still be in charge, with new titles and raises, clearly intent on taking as much personal value as they can from the company before it dies completely at their hands. And the hard working, loyal employees that worked their butts off, took time away from their families to *actually* try to turn the company around by building and launching the new Myspace, will be looking for jobs."

The writer's bitterness is clearly obvious, but I'm wondering, are you surprised by the news or was it something you expected?

2010 Trend We Loved: Companies Playing Nice

GeekSugar — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 12:00:01 PST

Obviously, competition breeds innovation; without some healthy competition, companies wouldn't be pushed as hard to create the best possible products and experiences for consumers. And with so many smart companies and products on the market, it's nice to see that instead of constant head-to-head combat, companies took advantage of the progress made by their competitors, often embracing unlikely sources to make their services better. It's probably as close as we'll get to a feel-good technology story of 2010.

Check out a few examples and some predictions for 2011 after the break.

Worlds Collide: MySpace Now Connects With Facebook

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 13:05:07 PST

MySpace recently rolled out a refresh on its website, including a brand-new (minimalist) logo. But apparently the changes won't stop there. As of today, you can now sign into MySpace using Facebook Connect. Say what?

MySpace membership has been on the decline over the past few years, with a large majority of its users heading to greener pastures. But today, it seems that MySpace is putting the final touches on its new identity as an entertainment hub and welcoming Facebook users with open arms.

Find out more about the MySpace/Facebook mashup after the break.

MySpace Launches a New Version of Its Website

Kristen Hawley — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 13:00:13 PDT

A few months ago, MySpace rolled out some changes to its site, aiming for a more streamlined experience while keeping the user's attention. Now, MySpace is introducing a completely new version of its website. According to its chief executive, MySpace is no longer trying to directly compete with Facebook; instead, it aims to keep the 35-and-under crowd engaged in the latest music and videos.

The new site is drastically different from the old site; gone are the sparkly stars and backgrounds of 2003. While users will have the ability to customize their pages, there will be fewer options than previously offered. Additionally, the new site relies heavily on music and celebrity, encouraging users to subscribe to updates about their favorite musicians, movies, TV shows, and video games. And ICYMI, the logo has undergone a big revamp. What do you think?

A beta version of the new site is available today to some users, with the full site relaunch rolling out to all users by the end of November. Check out a video introduction to the new MySpace after the break.

Are You Still Using MySpace?

GeekSugar — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 01:47:45 PDT

It seems like only yesterday that MySpace was on top of the social network charts. Millions of users flocked to the site to check out what their friends were doing, to find new music, and blog, but now, the tables have most definitely turned to Facebook's favor. Trying to keep up with the Joneses, MySpace is revamping its site by rolling out new streamlined profiles, along with new features in an attempt to keep users' attention. For instance, you can now sync up your MySpace blog to Facebook so all of your friends who have moved on to the 500-million-plus site can check out your daily musings without ever having to, you know, leave Facebook.

It's a nice idea, but I'm more curious to know if you're still using MySpace at all? I haven't logged in to my profile in a long time, and unfortunately I have a feeling I'm not alone.

Create a Will For Your Digital Life Before You Kick the Bucket

GeekSugar — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 01:47:16 PDT

We pretty much live out our lives online these days - with Flickr, Facebook, Twitter, blogs, and other social networking sites holding our photos and personal info - so it only makes sense to have a plan of what you're going to do with all that data once you're gone. If you can't bear to put your social networking accounts on death row now, you can use Entrustet to create a sort of living will and testament for your digital life, and even appoint an account guardian to either take over your social networking accounts once you've passed on, or delete them altogether.

Entrustet will even work with your lawyer to make sure everything is on the up-and-up so you can rest for all eternity knowing your digital life is in good hands, and create a backup of all your files so you know they will live on in virtual storage. The site is in beta now, but look for more upgrades and features starting next month.

Is a Federal Agent Trying to Friend You on Facebook?

GeekSugar — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 13:15:46 PDT

Chances are, probably not. But the US Department of Justice released several slides from a presentation detailing how federal agents use social networking sites. Reading through the bullet-pointed list is entertaining; for example, "As social networks go, LinkedIn's use for criminal communications appears limited." Excellent analysis, federal government.

Laughing aside, the list does provide a small amount of insight into how law enforcement and government are using social networking sites to gather information on suspects, suspected criminal activity, or potential witnesses. To find out what kind of information they're looking for, just

Investigators can gather information about a person's location and relationships, or prove or disprove an alibi. The presentation also details legal parameters for dealing with the sites; apparently Facebook is cooperative with disclosing user information in the event of an emergency while MySpace requires a search warrant for certain messages and content. Twitter seems to be the "safest" when it comes to users sharing personal information - it has a history of producing data only in response to legal process. If you're a law-abiding citizen, there's probably no need to worry about the feds snooping around in your personal information, but it's interesting to learn how they're using these social technologies to their advantage.

Geek Tip: Kill Your Online Identity With the Suicide Machine

GeekSugar — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 03:47:25 PST

If you've had it up to here with your social networks taking up all of your precious time, then kill them off with the Web 2.0 Suicide Machine. Like an online Dr. Kevorkian, the Suicide Machine will delete and scrub all of your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, LinkedIn connections, and deactivate all your profiles so you can live in peace without worrying about if you have any new friend requests or @replies.

Just load up your profile names and passwords, and Web 2.0 Suicide Machine will do the rest. They guarantee satisfaction, so only click "Commit" if you're ready to revert to the dark ages.

What Is Your Favorite Social Networking Site of 2009?

GeekSugar — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 10:05:36 PST

It's that time of the year - best of 2009 time! And to kick off our fun, comprehensive coverage of the most popular GeekSugar content from the past year, I thought I'd turn the attention to one of the most talked about topics of 2009 - social networks. I've pitted five of the top ranking social networking sites of '09 against each other, and I can't wait to see which one is your favorite. Some of you have already said that you prefer Facebook over Twitter, but what about the others? Which one will take home the coveted Best of 2009 Sugar Award? Time to weigh in below!

Website du Jour: Stop Making That Duckface

TresSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:00:00 PST

You know you've seen it. You might even be guilty of perpetrating it. I'm talking about what the site Anti-duckface.com calls the "duck face," which they describe as something between a kissy face and a pout.

Anti-duckface seems to blame MySpace for hosting duckfaces, admonishing its pouters to, "Stop doing it. It isn't sexy."

All this prompted me to ask: why duckface? My theory is that it's a mock sexy face. People want to look sexy, but they also want to appear modest, so duckface is some weird (failed) compromise. In any case, here's to hoping this is the first nail in the coffin of duckface. It's time to end this blight to humanity.