MySpace skyrocketed out of nowhere and became the fourth most popular US
website ranking just behind Yahoo, MSN, and Google according to Alexa.com, a
site that monitors web traffic. MySpace has also achieved international
superstardom ranking sixth on a global scale. And as if that weren’t enough to
make the developers giddy, last year, NewsCorp purchased MySpace for $600
million dollars. So, what makes MySpace worth more than a half a million
dollars? Why is it so coveted among people worldwide including celebrities and
rock stars? And how does a site go from unknown to more popular than eBay in
such a short period of time?
MySpace is used by over 75 million people of all age groups across the world.
So, what do you people use MySpace for?
· Keep in touch with families and friends across the world,
including troops overseas
· Create fun sites to share with other friends, or to make new ones
· Promote a small business, or band
· Find the next hot new band
· Read or create blogs
· Play games
· Interact in forums
You’ll find everyone on MySpace, including some celebrities. The Hilton
sisters, Jessica Simpson, Christina Aguilera, and Lindsay Lohan are just some
of the celebs rumored to be on MySpace. MySpace also creates it own breed of
superstar—or the virtually famous. These are writers, artists,
musicians, even comedians who have mastered marketing on MySpace and used it to
catapult their careers!
MySpace
Demystified
So, what is MySpace? In short, it is a social community of
75+ million people, where users register and are granted free space for which
they post a profile and invite people to connect to their site as “friends.” Some
visit their site obsessively; others login and loaf on their days off, and
others sign up and disappear because they find the site confusing. No matter
how often users frequent their sites, MySpace has many uses. Members can
promote a business or band, network to find a job, connect with new and old
friends, or simply create their own private space online. MySpace is simple
and ingenious, especially if you compare it to a community like About.com.
About.com has a full staff that hires guides, who serve as experts on a topic.
These guides are paid a minimum amount per month to post information online.
Each individual site brings in money through ad dollars. MySpace, on the other
hand, provides the medium and the tools for anyone and everyone to post information for free. Because MySpace
doesn’t pay people to populate their pages, they keep the revenue earned through
big advertisers like Coco-Cola--cha-ching. Pretty darn smart if you ask
FIVE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR ON MYSPACE |
|
Create a page that shows off
your individuality |
False identities Stalkers and predators Business scams Identity theft |
Starting your MySpace life is as easy as filling out a form online in order to reserve your space. From there you just pick a name for your space, put up as much or as little information as you like and you’re done. Some people keep the space to themselves; others find it amusing to gain one million plus “friends.” We’ll get more into the details and show you step-by-step how to set up a site, but first, you must reserve your space!
Go on, Get Your Space!
Your first step is to join MySpace and reserve your little nook of space in this “me me me” online world. Go to MySpace.com and click the <Sign Up> link in the upper right hand corner. Signing up involves filling out a pretty basic form that asks for your email address, first and last name, password, county, zip code, gender, date of birth, the option to keep your birthday private or public (displayed on your site), preferred language (English, German, French), acknowledgement that you read the terms of use and privacy policy, and a verification code. If you’ve never entered a verification code on an online form before, carefully examine the letters and numbers, and then enter them into the verification box. Enter items exactly as you see them, including upper and lower case letters. All fields on this form must be filled out, or you cannot proceed.
If you hit the <Enter> key and receive a message that says, “error processing your request,” go back and check your information and try again. Please note that if you need to make corrections to the form, and you previously requested that your birth date and age be kept private, you will have to reselect the option as the page defaults to making this information public. You will also have to reenter the verification code.
While the form is not elaborate, please pay close attention to the answers you provide as the personal information will be displayed. Be sure to read the privacy policy by clicking the link to the right of the form that says, Privacy Policy.
How to Choose a Password
Your password is needed to gain access to your MySpace site, but making a password too obvious (i.e. CindyJones896) only invites trouble. We’re not trying to create hysteria, but caution needs to be exercised when selecting a password. There are some very sophisticated hackers out there who use software to “crack” passwords. The more difficult you make the password the harder it will be to guess. However, if your password is obvious (i.e. noahsmom23), you’re inviting space invaders. When less than desirable people have access to your password, and later your MySpace page, he/she/it can pretend to be you and send hundreds of emails, pictures, or even blast your personal information to millions of online users. It sounds terrible, but you can take measures to prevent this.
The good news is that MySpace does have some initial security measures in place and if your password includes your first name it will be rejected. A fun and addicting way to develop a strong password is to choose a song, quote, or movie title and then translate that into a password using a mixture of letters, numbers, and symbols. Start by using a phrase not normally associated with you, your region, or age bracket. The movie Urban Cowboy with John Travolta normally isn’t paired with the twenty-something crowd, so we’ll use “Sissy” and “Bud”’s movie as inspiration. In password code, this movie translates to eR&B!Nk0?wbY. That is an example of a very strong password.
Some other tips for creating a password include:
· Choose a password that is unique only to your MySpace account. Never use one password for everything (email, Internet, ATM, site log-ins, etc.)
· Create a password with at least eight characters that contains both upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
· Leave all personal references out of your password. This includes birthdates of you or loved ones, your name, address, phone or social security number, or other personal preferences that are identified with you. Remember, your MySpace page will have quite a bit of information about you if you choose, so avoid using any of those in your password.
· Avoid using words in your password (i.e. jane879 or Chitown9078).
· Protect your password. It doesn’t matter how secure your password is if you share it with others. Never give your password out or write it down.
Upload a Photo
Once you fill out the first page, you will be
asked to upload a photograph. You can skip this step, which we suggest you do
for now, by clicking the link in the lower left-hand corner that says, “Skip
for now.”
Invite Your Friends
The next page will allow you to invite friends to check out your new space. You can do this now by adding email addresses of friends or family members, or you can skip this and spread the word once you’ve actually created your page.
To invite people, input the email addresses and separate each with a comma.
You can add a message, or use the prewritten message that shows on the screen.
Click <Invite> to send the message, or hit the “Skip for now” link to do
this later. Not matter which of those two options you choose, you will be
taken to your main MySpace page to edit.
You’re In!
You now have a MySpace page (in the most
basic sense of the word.) The space will look pretty vacant since you still
need to set it up. The first tasks on the agenda are to change Mobile Alerts
and select a domain name, or URL.
Review/Activate Mobile Alerts
On the left-hand side of your main page you will see many options for editing your page. Look for the “Get MySpace Mobile Alerts!” link and click on it. By default your site is set to send your mobile phone a text message every time your site receives a friend request; blog, profile, or image comment; new message, or; event invite, but you have to enter and verify a cell phone number to receive them. While MySpace does not charge a fee for this service, chances are your cellular service provider will. If you decide to receive Mobile Alerts, you may want to check with your service provider and learn the fees for text messages. To remove the alert option, clear the checkmarks next to each option, by clicking the box with your mouse. Whether you decide to keep and activate the settings, or remove them, you must click <Apply Settings>. Next, you will be asked your cellular phone number, and provider. Enter the information and click <Submit Number>. An activation number will be sent to your cell phone, which you must input in the activation box in order to activate the alerts.
Select Your Site Address (URL)
Return to the middle section of the main menu and scroll down to “Pick your MySpace Name/URL” in the red outlined box. When you click the link to choose a URL, a page will appear with two boxes: one to select your URL, and the other to confirm it. Type your choice in each. Be sure to include letters and numbers, and to keep your URL gender-neutral if you are concerned about security. It is strongly suggested that users under 21 years of age, always choose a gender-neutral URL and username.
While you can change your
display name (the name that shows on your profile page) as many times as you
like, once you pick your URL, that’s it—you’re married for better or for
worse. In short, you can’t change your URL once you choose one.
When you’re happy with your URL selection, click the <Submit> button. A
pop up message will appear confirming your chosen name, and asking you one more
time if you like your URL choice. If you do, click <OK>. To make any
changes click <Cancel>. When you click <OK> yet another message
will pop up, asking you once more if you are happy with your choice as it
cannot be changed. Click <OK> or <Cancel>.
Enter Your Real Name
This next step is optional and can be bypassed by clicking the “Skip” link that shows up at the bottom of the page. Entering your real name (first, last, or both) allows users to search for you on MySpace. This information is not “public” in the sense that it won’t be listed on a viewable directly, but keep in mind that anyone could randomly put together names in search of people they don’t really know. Remember, if you want specific people to visit your site, you can always send an invite. Either enter your name and click <Enter> or choose the link to skip this option.
What’s With all the Names?
Real, user, display—because MySpace asks for quite a few names, this topic warrants further detail.
- Display Name: By default this is whatever name you input as your first name. You can change this whenever, and as often as you like by going to the Account Settings menu. We detail this later.
- Username: This is the extension you chose as your URL. Your username and URL (domain name) cannot be changed.
- Real Name: Your real name is just that—your actual name. You have the option of entering your real name in order for other people to find you on MySpace. This option is strongly discouraged if you are under 21 years old.
Once you input and confirm your user and domain name, you will see a page that displays your various names (as discussed above.) You will also see code that you can cut and paste into your profile (we’ll show you how later) in the AIM section. This is optional.
Main Menu Overview
You probably already noticed after signing
up, that the first name you input on the sign-up page automatically shows up on
your MySpace page as your display name. You can change this at any time and
often. Many users prefer a gender-neutral name, so they avoid the attention of
online predators. Certainly, if you are under 21 you do not want to list your
birthday and your real name, or any name that hints at your gender.
On the left side of the main page you will see options as shown in the graphic below. These include: editing your profile and account settings; adding and editing photos and video; and managing your calendar, blog, and address book. You will also be able to view your photos, video, blog and profile. Notice that our domain name now appears under “Tell people about your MySpace.”
Further down the left-side menu column, are
other options for building your web page (shown below). Add your school and
let classmates locate you, or add a Yahoo, Gmail, or other online address book
and discover if contacts already reside on MySpace. If you are still in
school, or under 21 years of age, avoid adding your school for safety reasons.
Online predators look for profiles with personal information and school data.
However, alumni may wish to list a school as a way to reconnect with old
friends. You can also post a new bulletin message here (bulletins are mass
emails that are sent to your friends and contacts.)
Basic Menu Options
Now that you’ve registered and reviewed the basic menu options, let’s walk through each one and learn how to do the following:
· Edit Profile
· Account Settings
· Add/Edit Photos
· Add/Edit Videos
· Manage Calendar
· Manage Blog
· Manage Address Book
Your profile is more than that —it is a list of your likes and
dislikes, and spells out the reason you’re on MySpace. Add as much, or as
little information as you want. The categories on this page include Interests
and Personality (profile headline,
interests, about you, people you’d like to meet, music, movies, TV, books, and
heroes); Name (your user/IM name
which can’t be changed, and your display and real names); Basic
Information (gender, date of birth,
occupation, city, country, state, zip code, ethnicity, body type, height, and
the reason you’re on MySpace from dating, serious relationship, friendship, or
networking); Background and Lifestyles (marital status, sexual orientation, hometown, religion, smoker,
drink, education, income); Schools (schools you’ve attended); Companies (companies you’ve worked for or started); Networking (add categories you wish to network in) and; Profile
Songs (where songs go when you add them to
your profile).
When you click on each section of the profile (i.e. Interests, Name, and
Schools) you will see blank text boxes and a world of buttons. Your main
options at the top of each page are <Save All Changes> and <Preview
Profile>, so as you input information, you can immediately save, or preview
your main profile page. For each entry on each page, you can click <Preview
Section> or <Preview Profile>. The first button lets you see how the
specific entry you just added looks, and the <Preview Profile> buttons
shows you how the entire profile is shaping up. When you choose one of these
preview options a message appears asking if you’d like to save the changes or
return back to the edit page to make some changes.
When inputting details about yourself, remember, this is a public space. Never give out personal information, including your address, to people you do not know. Parents should monitor what information their children add to this site. In the Basic Info section, it is recommended that people under 21 years of age do not list their body type, or height. Under the height option, check the “no answer” box. In fact, the only questions on that page that require an answer are gender, birth date and state. Even this can be taken off your profile, which we’ll demonstrate later. (You’ll notice that MySpace has a great deal of duplicate steps—they require that certain information is input, and display it on your page by default, but yet other options allow you to keep the information from going “public” or to be completely deleted.) Single people should also take safety precautions with their identity, and college students should think about what they’re posting as it could hurt their chances of getting a job a few years down the line.
The Backgrounds and Lifestyles section asks personal questions from sexual orientation to income. With the exception of “marital status” each of these questions has a “no answer” option. Once again, listing your school, when are still in school is not a wise idea. Your friends will already know what school you go to, so there is no need to remind them. Another point to bring up is the “dates employed” option on the Companies page. This information can be given on your resume, and doesn’t need to be listed on a public website.
Decorating Your Pages
Editing your profile may seem like a mundane set of chores, but the “slots” on
these pages can be used for more than just adding text. You can also add HTML
and CSS, or “MySpace codes” into each of the boxes, which in turn decorates a
certain area on your profile page (as shown here.) You can then add pictures,
slideshows, videos, backgrounds, and music to any area in the form, which in
turn shows up on your main profile page! That is where things really get fun
and creative. It’s so easy—all you have to do is cut, paste, and save!
Before we get to the fun stuff, it is very important to learn the basics of
your page, so read on.
View Your Profile
Now that you’ve added information to your profile, let’s see how it looks. To
view your profile, just click the “view my profile” link in the upper
right-hand corner. Notice that any headline you entered in Interests and
Personality now appears next to your picture. Further below that you’ll find
your interests and details. In the right-hand column are your “blurbs” with
information about you and who you would like to meet.
The next main menu option on the edit page is Account Settings. This is your security, privacy, and site management hub.
Functions available on the Accounts Setting menu include changing your password, which you want to do every few months. If you wish to have no part of email notifications and MySpace newsletters, there is an opt-out option here. We’ll talk about Privacy Settings in the next part of this section, so skip to the next option on this menu graphic, IM Privacy and Mobile settings. This will allow you to block users and make your “existence” on MySpace known to only people you choose. A few options down the menu, you will also see a link that will allow you to Block Users. The Away Message setting allows you to create message that is sent to anyone who emails you while you’re gone. Finally, at the top of the page you will see a link to cancel your account. It is very important that all new users visit each of the options on this account menu and customize the settings.
Some people think of MySpace as
a game and want to acquire as many friends as humanly possible. Kevin Smith,
director of many fine movies such as Clerks I and II, recently boasted to Jay Leno on Leno’s late night show that he spends
quite a bit of time on MySpace trying to make as many friends as possible.
While Smith is director who promotes films, others, especially those under
twenty-one years of age may wish to keep their identity and profiles private,
sharing their space with a select few. Whatever your privacy preferences,
you’ll need to set them on this menu.
The graphic below shows the screen you will see once you select the Privacy
Settings link from the Account Settings menu. If you want to limit the
people who can add you as a friend, click the “Require email or last name to
add me as a friend,” option and “Block friend request from bands.” To limit
the email you receive you may also wish to click the, “Friend only group
invites,” and “Friend only block comments.” At the bottom of the menu you can
decide if you want to make your profile public, or private. After making the
selections, click <Change Settings> at the bottom of the page.
So,
this is what our sample MySpace page looks like at this point--kind of like an
empty room with bare walls--very uninteresting indeed. Your personality has
yet to be added, which is what we will do next. Well, we’ll show you
how—only you can actually add your personality. We’ll come back to this
page later and describe all the fun functions, but for now let’s revisit the
main profile page and Add/Edit some photos. To return to the main edit page
click the <Home> option in the main tool bar at the top of the page.
Tip: If you want your profile to be totally private, adjust your age so it is under 15 years old.