MySpace is a social networking website offering an interactive, user-submitted
network of friends, personal profiles, blogs, groups, photos, music and videos.
It is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California, USA,[1] while its parent
company, News Corporation, is headquartered in New York City.
According to Alexa Internet, it is currently the world's fifth most popular
English-language website and the fifth most popular website in any language,[2]
and the third most popular website in the United States, though it has topped
the chart on various weeks[3] (it is possible that other websites have a greater
number of unique visitors). The service has gradually gained more popularity
than similar websites to achieve nearly 80% of visits to online social
networking websites.[3] It has become an increasingly influential part of
contemporary popular culture, especially in English speaking countries.
The company employs 300 staff[4] and does not disclose revenues or profits
separately from News Corporation. With the 100 millionth account being created
on August 9, 2006 ,[5] in The Netherlands[6] and a news story claiming 106
million accounts on September 8, 2006,[7] the site reportedly attracts new
registrations at a rate of 230,000 per day
The registration process for a new MySpace account includes a visual CAPTCHA
test, with no alternative method for the visually impaired. As a result, people
with blindness or visual impairment are prevented from fully participating.[22]
Because most MySpace pages are designed by individuals with little HTML
experience, a very large proportion of pages do not satisfy the criteria for
valid HTML or CSS laid down by the W3C. Poorly formatted code can cause
accessibility problems for those using software such as screen readers.[23]
Indeed, the MySpace home page, as of 25th February 2007, fails HTML validation
with 275 errors, using the W3C's validator.
Furthermore, MySpace is set up so that anyone can customise the layout and
colors of their profile page with virtually no restrictions, provided that the
advertisements aren't covered up by CSS or using other means. As MySpace users
are usually not skilled web developers, this can cause further problems. Poorly
constructed MySpace profiles could potentially freeze up web browsers due to
malformed CSS coding, or as a result of users placing many high bandwidth
objects such as videos, graphics, and Flash in their profiles (sometimes
multiple videos and soundfiles are automatically played at the same time when a
profile loads). PC World magazine cited this as its main reason for naming
MySpace as #1 in its list of twenty-five worst web sites ever.[24]
In addition, new features have been gradually added. This, and the increasing
number of MySpace members, leads to an increase in used bandwidth. This increase
in usage sometimes slows down the servers and may result in a "Server Too Busy"
error message for some users who are on at peak hours, "Sorry! an unexpected
error has occurred. This error has been forwarded to MySpace's technical
group.", or a variety of any other error messages throughout the day[citation
needed].
MySpace and professionalism
The Chicago Tribune's RedEye printed an article concerning MySpace and an
individual's search for employment. It was argued that young college graduates
compromise their chances of starting careers because of the content they post
onto their profiles. For instance, a visitor does not need an account to browse
for users using information that is readily available on resumes and
applications, such as a postal code and age. A potential employer can utilise
information provided by the applicant on MySpace's search engine. Thus, the
employer may not hire a highly qualified candidate because he or she maintains
an account suggesting rambunctious behaviour. Moreover, employees were said to
be putting their careers at risk because they maintain blogs that criticise
their respective companies and organisations[citation needed].
Security
In October 2005, a flaw in the MySpace's site design was exploited by a user
only known as "Samy" to create the world's first self-propagating cross-site
scripting (XSS) worm. MSNBC has also reported that MySpace is a "hotbed" for
spyware, and that infection rates are rising because of MySpace.[25] In addition
to this, the customisation of user pages currently allows the injection of
certain HTML which can be crafted to form a phishing user profile.[26] More
recently, there has been spam on bulletins that has been the result of phishing.
Users find their MySpace homepage with bulletins they didn't post, realising
later they had been phished. The bulletin consists of an advertisement that
provides a link to a fake login screen, tricking people into typing in their
MySpace e-mail and password.
Other security fears regarding profile content itself are also present. For
example, the embedding of videos inherently allows all of the format's abilities
and functions to be used on a page. A prime example of this surfaced in December
2006, when embedded QuickTime videos were shown to contain hyperlinks to
JavaScript files, which would be run simply by a user visiting an 'infected'
profile page, or even in some cases by simply viewing a user's 'about me'
elsewhere on the site. Users who entered their login information into a fake
login bar that appeared would then become 'infected', and their account would be
used to spam other members, thus spreading the infection.[27]
Child safety
The minimum age to register an account on MySpace is 14.[28] Profiles with ages
set to 14 or 15 years are automatically private. Users whose ages are set at 16
or over have the option to restrict their profiles and the option of allowing
certain personal data to be restricted to people other than those on their
friends list. Accessing the full profile of, or messaging someone when their
account is set to "private" (or if under sixteen) is restricted to a MySpace
user's direct friends. However, children are capable of lying about their ages
to bypass restrictions.
MySpace often has problems with profile identity theft. These are profiles
containing the pictures and sometimes information of someone else's profile.
These stolen profiles are commonly used to advertise websites. MySpace will
delete these profiles if the victim verifies their identity and points out the
profile via e-mail.[29]
Recently, MySpace has been the focus of a number of news reports stating that
teenagers have found ways around the restrictions set by MySpace, and have been
the target of online predators.[30] In response, MySpace has given assurances to
parents that the website is safe for people of all ages. Beginning in late June
2006, MySpace users whose ages are set over 18 could no longer be able to add
users whose ages are set from 14 to 15 years as friends unless they already know
the user's full name or email address.[31] Some third party Internet safety
companies like Social Shield[32] have launched online communities for parents
concerned about their child's safety on MySpace.
In June 2006, 16-year-old Katherine Lester flew to the Middle East, mainly to
the Palestinian West Bank, after having tricked her parents into getting her a
passport in order to be with a 20-year-old man she met through MySpace.[33].
U.S. officials in Jordan persuaded the teen to turn around and go home.
Though Myspace has established rules on child safety, they were not enforced.
Until January 17, 2007, MySpace had been letting many underage users on MySpace
but began cracking down on the rules.
In December 2006, MySpace announced new measures to protect children from known
sex offenders. Although precise details were not given they said that "tools"
would be implemented to prevent known sex offenders from the USA creating a
MySpace profile.[34]
In February 2007, a U.S. District Judge in Texas dismissed a case when a family
sued MySpace for negligence, fraud and misrepresentation; a girl in the family
had been sexually assaulted by a man she met through MySpace, after she had
misrepresented her age as 18 when she was 13.
on description.
((SITE MAP))
|
|