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Rupert Murdoch's MySpace blunder

June 15, 2009 4:12 pm ET by Karl Frisch

Via Romenesko:

MySpace has become a textbook case of how quickly a digital juggernaut can become a has-been, writes Matthew Flamm. The head of a research firm tells him: "It may be that Rupert [Murdoch] is ultimately a newspaper guy. The idea [with MySpace] may have been, 'We bought you, so make it happen for us.'"

Perhaps Rupert just couldn't figure out how to force one point of view down the throats of a few million users.

Go! Do things internets!  I command thee!

Tags: Rupert Murdoch

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    • Author by DAWUSS (June 15, 2009 4:54 pm ET)
         
      You know, I miss the good old days, when you had to know HTML and a web service provider to get your corner of the Internet...
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    • Author by fantagor (June 15, 2009 5:34 pm ET)
      1  
      I dunno. I still regularly frequent MySpace, despite its evil roots. Twitter is basically a waste of time (although it showed its worth during the Iran crisis). Facebook is a MySpace duplicate, so why bother? All this networking and I feel LESS connected than ever.

      Randy
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      • Author by NiceguyEddie (June 16, 2009 8:27 am ET)
           
        I already publish a webcomic on my myspace page, and I've been thinking about starting a liberal blog there as well. And I think there's a great irony in that. In fact, I encorage ANYONE here who's considering starting a liberal blog to do so on myspace. Becuase wouldn't it be great if Ruppert Murdoch was actually paying good money to give us all a voice? And even if he makes a little money on it, so what? If he figures he can make money giving liberals a voice, that can only lead to better things, no?
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    • Author by AWiseChoice (June 15, 2009 6:11 pm ET)
         
      Rupert Murdoch thought he had bought and caught a tiger by the tail and ended up holding onto a tornado.
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    • Author by mattcable250650 (June 15, 2009 9:27 pm ET)
         
      I have accounts with both services. Facebook provides more in terms of silly polls you can take (I was asked a series of questions and the quiz decided which Barbie I was. No, the Ken option wasn't available and I was deemed a "Vintage Barbie"), I also like the way to create links, though you can only do one link per post and you can only scribble a paragraph if you want to include a picture along with the post. You can blog there, but I try to keep my posts personal (My coffee grinder went kerflooie recently and I replaced it with a hand-cranked one) so as to impart a more chatty tone. I dunno, I think Facebook provides more assistance for the socially maladroit like moi.
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    • Author by harley (June 16, 2009 8:49 am ET)
         

      Murdoch's timing to buy myspace is equivalent to someone buying up VHS technology in 2001.

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