MySpace lost 10 million users in a month; Close within the year?

The latest statistics suggests that MySpace is on its way out, as one of the longest serving social networks on the web.

comScore figures show that MySpace losts 10 million users last month. As the cornerstone to the younger days of the Generation Y, the site is facing dark days after it had lost nearly 50 million users from over the course of last year.

Since the site moved away from ‘traditional’ social networking to a more music based site, MySpace chief executive Mike Jones conceded defeat to Facebok, arguing that the site is “no longer a social network anymore”, and that it was now a “social entertainment destination”.

Since News Corp. bought the company for $530 million in 2005, MySpace cuts to jobs with over 500 staff worldwide being forced out of a job.

But if MySpace is losing so many in such a short space of time, could the site be offline come the end of the year?

MySpace is supported by a few notably large music groups, like the Arctic Monkeys and Lily Allen. But it’s largely a one way street, with music artists seeing the site as a conduit for either better communication with fans and listeners, or a larger scope for potential sales.

However, if comScore figures are anything to go by - then it will not be long before artists cancel or fail to renew their contracts with the site, once they realise that there are better and more viable alternatives for users to take to.

While Facebook may not be the greatest place for a musician or artist to take to, YouTube is and has been a suitable alternative. With combined music and video, plus an interactive format that is keeping up with its userbase, it is a far more ‘liberal’ atmosphere. Though, granted, YouTube suffers from an excessive flamebait war problem, it is nevertheless an ideal, passive and ‘non-sign-in’ needed place to go to access reliable and interactive content.

News Corp. has failed MySpace by not allowing the site to keep up with the times. Perhaps it was used to access the numbers of users required to boost other sites, in a ‘human shield’ like defence? Either way, I would be surprised if MySpace survives the year.

It would be a shame to let it go, but there’s only so many times one can transplant a new organ to an already dying body.

Facebook bans 20,000 accounts daily

Facebook chief privacy advisor Mozelle Thompson appeared before the Australian Parliament’s cyber-safety committee this week to discuss Internet-related security issues. Thanks to the event, we learned that about 20,000 users are kicked off Facebook every day for various infractions, including for lying about their age.

“There are people who lie. There are people who are under 13 [accessing Facebook],” Thompson told Federal Parliament’s cyber-safety committee, according to The Telegraph. “Facebook removes 20,000 people a day, people who are underage.”

Although the company requires its users to be at least 13-years-old, the limit is easily circumvented, like on pretty much any website on the Internet. “While the social network has mechanisms to detect liars,” Thompson admitted that “It’s not perfect”.

The original report suggested that the 20,000 accounts banned daily are all for individuals found not to be at least 13-years-old. This is not true; the number actually includes accounts deleted for any serious rule-breaking. Furthermore, it does “not include the proactive efforts that actually prevent fake or under age accounts from being created.”

“At Facebook, we take safety very seriously and we were pleased to participate in a hearing in Australia to talk about our safety policies, practices and systems,” a company spokesperson said in a statement. “As we explained in the hearing, these efforts include removing numerous accounts everyday for activities including spamming, posting inappropriate content, and violating age restrictions.”