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I was just posting my thoughts about the whole Facbook vs Myspace debate on Techchrunch when I decided to share it with you instead. Facebook is continuing to see explosive growth whilst Myspace flounders… the numbers for both are still phenomenal but questions are being asked about what Myspace can do to return to its historic position as the World’s largest social network. Here’s what I think…

It simply cannot.

The thing is, Myspace was never actually a pure social network that tried to replicate offline social connections and interactions online. Myspace was an environment in which you could create a persona (real or not), explore new music, brands, books and film and meet people, often from outside your current friendship group… and in 2000 it was a good place to do it. People also used it as an environment to connect with their friends, organise nights out, catch up and chat - but that was only one string in Myspace’s bow.  And that many-stringed bow was going to be their downfall…

The thing is, for most people the human connections was where they found value - but Myspace didn’t want to listen.

In fact lots and lots of people just wanted a more efficient way to keep in touch with, learn more about, and organise events with people they already know.  Enter, stage left, Facebook…

Facebook is a social interaction tool that replicates and, in many ways  compliments and enhances offline conversations (did you watch, did you see, do you want to go, did you hear). It is a pure translation of the core human need for people to connnect to others around them

Design, functionality and IA wise it has that one aim. In many ways online was the natural platform and environment for many of these coversations - and Facebook became more powerful as a result. It was a natural fit for Web’s core strengths (timeliness <- demonstrated by the insane value the friend feed offered, sharing, no need to tell many people the same thing, connect to people regardless of location).

Not only does FB replicate something people do anyway, online - it helps you do it better! (The only thing that allows people to use FB in a different way is the widgets - hence their relegation to their own tab - a fantastic decision on the part of Facebook.)

In other words, Facebook relegated Myspace to a second-tier social network.

That’s not to say Myspace doesn’t have a product, or value to offer - it’s just to say that currently it’s a confused hybrid of a service hopelessly trying - but ultimately failing - to add value to people’s everyday lives.

If Myspace want volume like FB they have to shift their whole strategy back to human connections done well:
1. Insist everyone uses real names
2. Move music functionality into widgets and basically hide it.
3. Make the interactions and functionality intuitive. There is much work to be done.
4. Remove feature creep (potentially FB’s downfall: see Twitter).
5. Make data open so that it can be the online destination / hold for all your personal info but users can mine their own data from MS through other sites and services. If my whole life is charted on one space I am going to be loathe to leave it it.
6. Listen to the audience and analytics and make decisions based on offering value not generating revenue.

Else, they can focus on what they have traditionally done better at - an environment to create a persona rather than the real you, and associate yourself with celebrities, watch video, find new music etc etc. But add the tools and functionality to do this well.

Myspace should be Spotify, it should be hulu, it should be last.fm - infact it should be all of these and more. Instead it is a poor relic of day’s gone by and a rather crappy second tier social network - and sadly for them, everyone else has moved on…

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These meandering thoughts are a work in progress and I would love to know if you agree or disagree. Please leave a comment below.