Personal space.

Here’s something I don’t understand: How can MySpace.com be one of the most blocked sites at companies across the country?  I hate My Space.  You can be browsing profiles, and suddenly the profile starts blasting some lame indie song from some lame indie band.  As I’m usually listening to my own music whenever I’m wasting time on the web, it’s the equivalent of someone dropping his pants and mooning me in the middle of the street.  Although I will make an exception for that girl whose profile played the new Jenny Lewis single.  You have excellent taste, Ms. Busty McJuggsalot!  If that is your real name.

Then there’s the profile pictures.  People either upload magazine scans or some hideous misfire in personal judgment in which they’re half naked and lounging on some waterbed, but there’s always some coterie of paid friends and associates who assure the individual “You’re HAWT!” “W0000...sexxxie!” “Can I tappp that?”

Many of the profiles break with the standard format and display yellow text against red backgrounds, or feature hot pink Playboy bunny wallpaper.  These profiles indicate “This profile has been edited with My Space Editor.” I have not used this tool, but isn’t an editor supposed to protect people against their worst design instincts, not encourage them?  Terri Schiavo could have coded a better program.

I understand that sites like My Space are for the young.  Teenagers.  But that’s the whole point.  Most people who work for a living are 25+.  If My Space is one of the most blocked work sites, that means it sees heavy usage among actual grown adults.  What are they doing there?  How does it benefit them?  Do these people also watch The Lizzie McGuire Movie by themselves when their kids are at school?

None of this, of course, means that you shouldn’t invite me to join your network.

why is my space blocked, you say? because it’s a MURDERER’S DEN.

don’t believe me? every single time there’s a murder in the puget sound of a teen or 20-something, i google the victim’s name and ‘myspace’ and every time i pull up the victim’s site and among his/her network THE KILLER.

Posted by brandon  on  04/05  at  08:16 PM

Myspace isn’t just for the young. Many people from lawyers, real estate agents, software engineers etc, use it to network with their colleagues/friends. It is annoying when bands’ music pops up real loud but cut them some slack. The bands are just trying to make a living like you and I. And you know what? They are following their dreams. Which is alot more then I can say for 99% of the population out there. You might not like their music but at least they have the balls to take a chance.

Posted by  on  04/05  at  08:27 PM

More cynically, I would believe that adults are scoping them out for less than honorable, if not downright illegal and perverted reasons. You know, perhaps to see profiles like some of my son’s friends, the 8th grade cheerleader demographic.

Take that Homeland Security guy the other day. Like THAT guy didn’t know the risks? His stupidity is mind-boggling.

Posted by Peggasus  on  04/06  at  06:06 AM

I’m just annoyed that I had to open an account just to look at my sister’s pictures. Why the need for so much security? Are people uploading nude pictures of themselves and only want to share them with the 67 friends of their closest friends? I made my profile as unwelcoming as possible and I still get friend requests from the most random people. I’m guessing these are just automated but it’s all just so damn annoying. Now that I’ve typed all of this up, I’m asking myself why I didn’t just ask the girl to freaking email me the pictures so that I don’t have to go through all the senseless drama?

On the other hand, had she not pushed me on to the MySpace train I wouldn’t have found an ex’s profile and discovered a whole lot which I can now totally tease him about! So maybe it’s not such a bad thing after all.

Posted by Patricia  on  04/06  at  06:07 AM

You couldn’t pay me enough to join one of those things, although I have some friends in bands who say it’s an effective promo tool.  But whatever.

Also, Schiavo throwback: nice.

Posted by nikita  on  04/06  at  06:48 AM

What did Busty do to make you think that WASN’T her real name?  You’ve got real trust issues, Greg.

Posted by cw  on  04/06  at  07:32 AM

I believe this is a thinly veiled guise to incite more friend requests.  2063 friends?! Yeah, Greg’s got ‘em.

Posted by  on  04/06  at  09:04 AM

God, MySpace.  It’s blocked at my work too.  Which is good, because once you’re in, you can’t get out.  Who knows, maybe that friend from third grade who moved to Canada will find you and a friend request will be pending!! WHO KNOWS? Anything could happen!

Posted by AMG  on  04/06  at  10:24 AM

My 37 year old sister and her friends have myspace sites. I go there and there’s just too much information.

Posted by anna  on  04/06  at  11:33 AM

MySpace is so tacky.

Posted by Sandra Dee  on  04/06  at  11:42 AM

Being the easily manipulated sort, I sent you a friend request. Now I have the urge to ship my wallet somewhere, that subliminal wallparper is totally working.

Posted by Alan  on  04/06  at  12:14 PM

I love myspace - probably cause its all new to me.  Sadly, I only have 6 friends.  This is pathetic.  It’s pathetic because I’m on myspace, because of the whole only 6 friends things and because it bothers me that I only have 6 friends.

Maybe it would be better if my name was Busty McJuggsalot.

Posted by  on  04/06  at  01:15 PM

It’s not blocked at my work - however I wouldn’t want to caught on it at work for the exact reasons you mentioned.  I will say that I have reconnected with several people from high school and college using MySpace.com.  However, I hate getting add requests from random people that want me to walk on them so they can get their rocks off (I swear - it’s happened - a few times)

Posted by Miss Sarah  on  04/06  at  04:21 PM

myspace is tacky and annoying and the music sucks and it’s basically a waste of time. but myspace did once get me laid so now i pretty much have to keep going back.  kinda like a bad singles bar.  it’s the regal beagle for the new millenium.

Posted by the mighty jimbo  on  04/06  at  07:18 PM

Well, what else are you supposed to do, all cooped up in the Department of Homeland Security?

Posted by Mindy  on  04/07  at  08:55 AM

Yeah...i mean my space is annyoing.

check out this site i found

THE VELVET HOT TUB

http://www.thevelvethottub.com

Posted by  on  04/07  at  12:03 PM

Hey dude, you are in my top 8!  Thanks for making me realize that I can jazz up my template!

Posted by cloudy  on  04/07  at  04:06 PM

I don’t browse around looking for music or strangers because I have enough damn procrastination rituals already, but I have discovered one thing-- I can find absolutely anyone I need a quote from for an article. No one, I mean no one, is not on fucking MySpace.

Posted by EV  on  04/08  at  07:27 AM

If it were true that “no one, is not on fucking MySpace” I would have more than 7 friends.  That’s right, I’m up to 7 now.

Thanks Greg

Posted by  on  04/08  at  08:53 AM

Let us all take a moment to bask in the irony of a blogger dissing myspace… There, I think we all feel a little better about ourselves now.

Posted by Janine  on  04/08  at  11:43 PM

MySpacers must be destroyed.

Posted by  on  04/09  at  04:08 PM

I’m guessing Grampa has less friends than I do and is just bitter.

Posted by  on  04/09  at  04:24 PM

I like my coffee like I like my women.

Bitter.

Posted by  on  04/10  at  01:22 AM

If you wanna waste time on the internet via myspace..

..you should look at mydeathspace.com… a site dedicated to people with myspaces who’ve died, or been convicted of a crime.

...i know it sounds morbid.. but it’s kind of interesting…

Posted by  on  04/12  at  01:21 PM

I like my men like I like my coffee - in a plastic cup.

Bunch of flowers to you, Grampa.

Posted by  on  04/13  at  03:09 PM

My new myspace headline is “I like my coffee like I like my men. Bitter.”

Posted by  on  04/13  at  03:22 PM

gosh i love you

you’re hawt

Posted by hopefulloser  on  04/21  at  03:04 PM