MySpace, What have you Done?

When MySpace had its most recent makeover (that one that included the addition of Justin Timberlake’s involvement), it created a problem for itself. New users were able to create MySpace accounts in the new system. However, for quite some time, MySpace couldn’t figure out how to get the previously existing user accounts (that were now on the “old” MySpace) to integrate.

Today, people who had a MySpace account that was stuck in “limbo” got an unpleasant surprise. The Ask MySpace blog that talks about the change starts with a big understatement:

“You’ve probably noticed some changes to your MySpace account”.

Oh, yes, people certainly did! The “old” MySpace is gone. The “new” MySpace is now at the URL for the “old” one. People who had an old account can log into the “new” MySpace with their old login. Unfortunately, doing so will not actually give them access to what they were expecting. Plenty of things are just plain missing from the “old” accounts. What things?

Those that were posting work into the “old” MySpace blog on their accounts woke up today to find that it has disappeared. This, all by itself, was enough to make a lot of people rant all over (other forms of) social media. People want their blogs back, and they aren’t going to get them. As a writer, I can imagine how it would feel to lose all the blogs that you took the time to write, edit, and post over the years. (That’s why I blog on my own website and not primarily through any form of social media).

People caught in this shift from “old” MySpace to “new” MySpace also had their private messages, videos, comments, posts, and customized background designs deleted. MySpace even removed the game activities that these users had posted and/or interacted with.

The sudden removal of all these things from users accounts is not making people happy. Instead of encouraging these users to move over to the “new” MySpace, I believe MySpace has instead given people a good reason to stop using MySpace altogether.