In July MySpace became the most visited website in the U.S. Earlier this month, we at OurChurch.Com began surveying our 8,000+ webmasters about MySpace. Preliminary results show almost half our webmasters don’t know what MySpace is. So, I decided it was time for me to take the plunge, create a MySpace profile, and start writing about it.
I’m going to do a series of blog articles about MySpace as it relates to Christian communication. I don’t have the whole series planned out yet, because a lot of it will depend on my experiences and interactions with other people, but some of the questions/topics I’m already tossing around in my mind include:
- Is MySpace safe?
- Is MySpace a passing trend or here to stay?
- Does MySpace enrich your life by allowing you to interact with people you otherwise never would have met?
- Is MySpace a mission field for online evangelism?
- Should your church/ministry have a MySpace profile?
- Are there any tips or warnings concerning MySpace?
But before I get to all that, here are some of the basics…
What is MySpace?
MySpace was founded just 3 years ago by current president Tom Anderson, current CEO Chris DeWolfe, and a small team of programmers. Last July it was purchased by Newscorp for $580 million, and today it boasts over 99 million members with 500,000 new members each week.
Not bad for 3 years.
Wikipedia describes MySpace as “a free service that uses the Internet for online communication through an interactive network of photos, weblogs, user profiles, e-mail, web forums, and groups, as well as other media formats. This all-inclusive service is sometimes called a social networking interface.”
In other words, it’s a place where you post information and pictures about yourself, find other people, and interact with them. As you probably know, it’s all the rage among teenagers.
Taking the Plunge
I filled out the form to create my profile and the next page asked me to upload a picture of myself. I searched around my hard drive for a picture of myself that with enough editing could make me look cool. A tough task, no doubt, but just when I was about to conclude some things are still impossible even with Photoshop, I found a shot of me fixing a hurricane shelter with a power drill (add your best Tim Allen grunt).
I took a break for lunch and when I got back I already had two “friends.” Wow, I didn’t know making friends could be so easy. One of them is Tom, who happens to have 99,747,096 other friends. Call me cynical if you like, but I have doubts about Tom’s sincerity. Anyways, I’m looking forward to seeing who I meet at MySpace and I’ll delve into more serious issues next time.
If you like you can check out my profile and even invite me to be your friend. (Can’t you just feel the love?)
What are other saying about MySpace?
I took a few moments to ask people online how they would describe MySpace and here are some of the responses I received:
“A friend of mine moved to Cali and suggested I make one as a cheap way for us to keep in touch. Next thing you know, I’m talking to folks I went to elementary/middle/high school with whom I haven’t spoken to in years, nor would I have ever come in contact with them again if not for the site.”
“It’s a place where pedofiles can find suitable victims.”
“myspace is fantastic. i can sport pictures of myself in a tasteless manner, and i do”
“MySpace, to me, is a passing fad where juveniles ‘hang out’ and spew nonsense.”
“Myspace is just like any other online application. It has good uses, it has bad uses. It have people that will use it ‘responsibly’ and people that will try and take advantage of other people.”
What does MySpace mean to you? Why do you hang out there? (or why not?)
49 Comments
If the MySpace account link won’t work, use: http://www.MySpace.com/Ladytruth01 to meet me at MySpace.
Much love. I am always … LadyTruth
Just to let you know…the “Tom” with nearly 1 million friends that you refer to and are skeptical about happens to be Tom Anderson, the co-founder of MySpace that you mention earlier.
I went on my daughters myspace and found a lot about some of her “friends” I found out their sexual preferences, their favorite alcohol beverages and many more things that the non-Christian friends endevor in.
I agree we are to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, but if God did not call you to myspace you ought not be there. As for a young impressionable teenage mind the Scripture “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” comes to mind. Jesus went into the sinners realm to lead them to the Lord but did not camp out there. Lot camped out in Sodom Abraham did not.
We need to in this world but not of this world.
My daughter no longer has a myspace her school has an allternative.
People have a choice with myspace, if you have any qualms about it in terms of safety, you can opt to only be found by your email address (given only to friends) and be unviewable to anyone other than people you have accepted.
I absolutely love using it. Its very addictive as its easier to keep in touch with people, one account allows you to create your persona online an find others who share the same interests, like tastes in music. I keep in touch with all my friends and some family in this way and think it has been a triumph over previous attempts at similar things, like MSN. Its a newer fresher take on finding friends.
On September 4th, 2006 at 5:16 pm Ronald Says:
I went on my daughters myspace and found a lot about some of her “friends” I found out their sexual preferences, their favorite alcohol beverages and many more things that the non-Christian friends endevor in.
I agree we are to go into all the world to preach the Gospel, but if God did not call you to myspace you ought not be there. As for a young impressionable teenage mind the Scripture “Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil” comes to mind. Jesus went into the sinners realm to lead them to the Lord but did not camp out there. Lot camped out in Sodom Abraham did not.
We need to in this world but not of this world.
My daughter no longer has a myspace her school has an allternative.
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Good job Ronald!!! I commend you for taking charge as a parent to remove your teenage daughter from MySpace. Myspace is no place for children or even immature adults. I use my MySpace account (www.MySpace.com/LadyTruth01) for evangelism and networking with other Christians, ministries and Christian businesses.
I have reached many lost souls through this avenue. I agree that if you are not called to MySpace by the Holy Spirit, you have no business there! But if the Holy Spirit lives inside of you, and you are lead specifically to be there, you will have no problem with the devil’s temptation. It is Satan who leads us into temptation, but it the Holy Spirit who delivers us from evil! Listen to the lifeblood of Jesus Christ living on the inside of you, and you will have no problem becoming a MySpace friend. Join me in my quest to reach the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
I am always … LadyTruth
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If as a parent you are concerned about keeping an eye on what your kids are doing on myspace, check out a piece of software called SnoopStick at SnoopStick Home
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hmm good data but u need to keep posting like this… wil be visiting very often.