Sunday, August 19, 2007

MySpace...Again!

My most recent poll has expired, and I have to say, I was somewhat surprised by the results. Approximately 70% of you felt that MySpace was either completely bad (nothing good about it), or largely negative, although perhaps having a few decent uses. Only 10% of you felt that it was either mostly positive, with only a few negative aspects, or completely wonderful.

Which begs the question: did I convince you? Because I just checked, and there are, currently, just over 301 million people in the United States. According to the MySpace website, as of today, there were just under 197 million MySpace profiles in the US. Meaning that approximately 2/3 of Americans are MySpace users.

So, I ask again, did I persuade you, my readers (because the averages aren't working out here! Over 2/3 of you said MySpace=Bad!)? There are, I admit, alternatives. It could be that some of you, my readers, are being hypocritical (in that you are MySpace users, but here, in my world, it didn't really make sense to vote "MySpace is all that and a bag of chips" and give me something exciting to talk about in a future blog post).

Or, it could be that you, my faithful readers, don't really represent an accurate cross-section of the American public. I tend to like that option. Here's why: if, in fact, my readership doesn't represent a comprehensive sampling of the American public, it means the makeup of that group is skewed (that is, given the broader population, my blog is attracting more of one type of person, and fewer of another; does that make sense?). Assuming that, I have to ask myself, what type of person am I attracting? I think the answer to that question is quite obvious, given my original MySpace post (if you haven't read it, do so now; it'll get your blood flowing-especially if you happen to be an "anonymous" MySpace user). I'm attracting wholesome, well-rounded, and intelligent (given many of your comments) readers; readers who know how to think logically, can form a structured, cohesive, solid argument, and participate in an informed discussion about a variety of topics. And I'm attracting very few shallow MySpace users (not-again, I repeat-NOT that ALL MySpace users are shallow; again, please read the original post. It's just apparent that very few of those who voted in the poll were so blind as to vote that the MySpace was just peachy. Almost ALL OF YOU recognized, at the VERY LEAST, that it should be used in moderation). Yes, my readership, on average, tends to trend above the mean! You're a pretty sharp group!

Which pleases me immensely! MyndFood, as proven by my readers' responses to my MySpace poll, tends to attract the more intelligent members of the human race (with minor exception, of course). Who could ask for anything more?

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

i beg to differ. are you not being hypocritical. Is this blogging not the same thing? No you don't have friends you add on here.. But you are longing for no desiring to have as many hits and comments as possible. So it is in that way the same way the majority of myspacers deisre to have the most friends. you want to have the most visits and comments. Now I've never met you but from I've read on here that seems to play to your self-esteem. The same way it seems to play to those poor myspacers self-esteem who probably don't have any friends in real life but can make themselves feel better by having as many internet friends as possible and you would begrudge them that more or less making fun of them in your last myspace post. Also from your previous posts I would assume your a pentecostal. I don't know how you religion work but whatever form of confession your religion has most have them. so you can't say it doesn't. you need to pray to god to forgive for judging these people.

sincerely ronald

PJ said...

Ronald:

Thanks for reading. Let me say, first, that I apologize if I offended you. Please read again-I am NOT judging MySpace users, overall. I AM saying, though, that it has a tendency to facilitate shallow relationships...I'll not rehash the point; re-read the posts if you have questions about that.

That said, though: you've implied that this blog is no better than MySpace. I'd beg to differ. Let me explain the point of this blog. I love to write. My highest aspiration is to be a published writer. I'm practicing here. But I can't know how well I'm doing if no one reads or responds. So, yes, I hope that people log on to read, and that they comment-but simply because it allows me to grow. You see, it's a give and take relationship: I provide material that's interesting and thought provoking, and you-readers-provide feedback.

Contrast that with MANY (not all) MySpace relationships: I log on and attempt to add as many other people as possible (and they try to do the same). With no apparent end goal, other than trying to build the list of friends. Does that make sense?

So, again, I'll apologize to you if I've offended you; it's NEVER my intention to offend anyone. But, I do appreciate your comments. I hope I've cleared that up.

And for the record, no, Pentecostals don't have "confession," outside of our admitting our sins and failures to God. I sure, though, that after reading my explanation above that you'll agree that I am, in no way, being hypocritical (or judgmental), and that blogging (at least in this case), is drastically different from "MySpacing" (is that a word?).

Thanks again for stopping by Ronald! Hope to hear from you again!

Anonymous said...

Ronald don't you think it's a bit hypocritical of you to judge and say those thing to PJ. When you are more or less accusing him of doing they exact same thing you just berated him about? It's not my place to say this seeing as how its PJ's blog. But I think uninformed opionions need to be left with the person who came to those conclusions. Clearly you did not get the jist of what he was trying to convey. PJ is my friend and I don't see eye to eye with him sometimes but the way certain people have been treating him so callously with their comments on this myspace topic is starting to get annoying.

Anonymous said...

"The same way it seems to play to those poor myspacers self-esteem who probably don't have any friends in real life but can make themselves feel better by having as many internet friends as possible" -Ronald

Another reason why I think MySpace is stupid. Get rid of it and make them get a few friends in "Real Life". And if that doesn't do the trick get rid of MySpace anyways and give them a dog.

PJ said...

Well said Shane!

I couldn't have said it better myself!

Anonymous said...

There are many different ways to look at this. First off I do have a myspace page . For the sole purpose to keep in touch with friends and family that i don’t really get to see very often. So there are many different ways to use both myspace and blogspot. Take for instance this blog . Doesn’t appear to be anything more than a myspace page without a friends list. It has the same people responding to pictures and stories of things that’s happen through there everyday life that they find exciting and want to write about so friends (that are not on a list) go to there blog to see what’s new in there life. If there wasn’t a chance of someone looking at there page, posting comments or making it easier for family and friends to keep in touch we would put it in a scrap book. That’s what makes it fun. I enjoy logging on a seeing people responding to our comments and getting mail from friends and family that I might have not got a chance to talk to in a while, as I’m sure you do too. How easy is it to post a picture or a couple of paragraph’s on here or myspace letting your family and friends know about your child’s first day of school, screwed up hair cut or a recently taken snow trip. A lot easier than sitting down writing a letter and printing off some pictures. If myspace is being compared to the above mentioned blog it just seems to be the same thing. As far as longing to have the most friends I think that is a fraction of a percentage of people in the 197 million people mentioned. I have plenty of friends outside my “myspace friends list” but those are people I get to see and chat with most of them time anyway. So like I said before in other post any thing can be abused or not used for it’s intended purpose, but it doesn’t mean that its all bad or should be replaced with a dog.

Katie Booker said...

I do have to agree with Ogre that blogging and myspace are fairly similar. BUT, the huge difference for me is that you don't see sexual predators LURKING around our blogspots just waiting for some innocent child or teen to log on to their blog so that they can attract them.
I have never heard (altho I'm sure it could have happened) of a person or kid that has a blog that has been sexually abused, assaulted or even KILLED. And yet there has been NUMEROUS cases of that happening with myspace!
With that one little difference..I say myspace is HORRID!!!!

SheGazelle said...

I'd have to disagree with the statement about blogs being the same as myspace. They are only the same if you choose to use blogging in the same fashion as a networking site, but that is not blogging in the true sense of the word.
Blogging by definition is a web page where an individual provides commentary on a particular subject- not for networking. That commentary may include text, images or links, and further, those items may include personal reference.
My opinion: let blogging be blogging and networking be networking.

PJ said...

shegazelle:

Again-you're dead on. Maybe I should have you guest post here on MyndFood, because you've just said, in a paragraph, what I've spent three posts now trying to get across.

I'll not be a preacher, and try to restate what you've said. I'll simply say, "Amen, gazelle!".

Anonymous said...

The comment i posted before did not include the hyperlink i attached did not go through when i said this blog i was refering to "The Eccles" page not "myndfood". I totally agree with shegazelle let blogging be blogging and networking be networking. They both are great services if you use them correctly. Everyone has there own opinion on both but i dont think myspace is used only for a friends race like mentioned in several of shanes post. Thats the point i was trying to get across.

SheGazelle said...

Thanks! Glad I could help clear the air.

Anonymous said...

kATIE GO TO THE FOLLOWING LINK IT CAN HAPPEN IN THE "BLOG" WORLD TOO

http://www.scaredmonkeys.com/2007/07/30/jack-mcclellan-self-described-pedophile-has-a-how-to-web-site/

Anonymous said...

I'm no expert by any means but to me MySpace users seem to be a bunch of WEIRD people that like to gossip and create problems. One good thing I have heard about MySpace is you can block people you prefer not to visit your site. The idea that ogre has visited "The Eccles" doesn't seem to bring a smile to my face. So I guess that is the ONLY pro to many cons that I'm aware of. To be even more honest, it would be impossible for me to care less then I do about MySpace or any of its users.

PJ said...

Read the blog post that Ogre posted. I agree, Ogre-it's an agregious use of the blogosphere. BUT-it's an anomoly. It's NOT the norm in the Blogosphere, in fact, it's the exception.

On the other hand, while the phenomenon that I've described in relation to MySpace does not apply to ALL MySpacers, it's FAR more than an anomoly!

Anonymous said...

It bothers me that shane would be upset that i looked at there page but somehow does not surprise me. I was using it as a comparison to myspace which it is close. As far as my post with the blog link goes im sure if blogger.com was as large as myspace then the numbers would be very close.

PJ said...

Ogre:

Can't say for sure, but I will say that the blogosphere currently has somewhere over 80 million blogs, with 120,000 new blogs coming on board daily. Not quite the 197 million that MySpace boasts, but nothing to sneeze at. And only, as I can tell, a single notable negative story (incidentally, his blog has since been shut down, I believe).

So, no, I think the nature of blogging and MySpacing (is that a verb?) are quite different, and the results tend to speak for themselves.

Again, it's the extreme users-those who are obsessed-that I'm talking about here, Ogre, not the mainstream users. But there are enough horror stories out there for us to legitimately recognize that it's a real issue...

Anonymous said...

I have the same opinion as you Pj when it comes to this topic. Some people (extreme users) tend to use it for the wrong thing. When comments are made to insinuate that all "myspace users are weired people that like to gossip and create problems" then it upsets me and warrents a post, but i do agree with you there are more publicized "extreme user" on myspace than on blog spot.