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Comments on

“Viewing American class divisions through

Facebook and MySpace”

The article written

A typical Facebook page (2007)

A typical MySpace page (2007)

• Overload of graphics• Animated graphics• Glitter• Too many colours• Bright colors (pink) or high-

contrast colour combinations (red on black)

• Or ‘transparent’ text blocks (text on a photo)

• Background: a large photo or bright and/or animated picture

A typical MySpace pageExamples from MySpace layout generators

Sexy Love

The QueenBurning Pink Lips

Glow Skulls

Grooviness

The article written

digital migration

Facebook kids vs MySpace kids

• Value education• From educated families• Mostly white• ‘Good kids’: good students,

athletes, socially active, have goals, maintain a ‘right’ circle of friends

• Do not plan to go to university• Usually from proletarian

background• Many immigrants, latinos• ‘Burnouts’ or alternative kids:

punks, emos, goths, gangstas, queers, etc

Aware of MySpace, but usually despise it and its members

Either not aware of Facebook or find it boring and useless, as many activities of the ‘good kids’

• MySpace allows a lot of design customization which negatively affects the overall impression of the site

• Design customization on Facebook is very limited. It guarantees that the profile pages look good

MySpace vs Facebook

• Most MySpace profiles are “so ugly and inconsistent” [1]• Facebook design is consistent and “clean”

The key differences

• MySpace looks very unprofessionally done (in the meaning of ‘Vernacular web’)

• Facebook has a professional minimalistic look

• Elements of ‘vernacular web’ (glitters, animated gifs, flash) and “screaming” media (such as autoplay video/audio or HUGE pictures) and very encouraged on MySpace

• Facebook has no tolerance to mentioned elements. No animated gifs!

MySpace =“digital ghetto” (boyd)

How teenagers see their online space

(from the dissertation of Danah Boyd [2])

Teens usually don’t see virtual spaces as different from the ‘real life’.Social networks for them is just another space to ‘hang out’ with there friends.Therefore, social network and their circle there is a reflection of their “true” life.

When teens are socializing, online and offline are not separate worlds—they are simply different places to gather with friends and

peers.

‘Alternative’ kids on MySpace

Goths,emos,‘art freaks’

Queers

To kids and teenagers (regardless of their class) MySpace is attractive for its

functionality • Kids see their virtual space as an extension of their room• Kids have a need to decorate their room is a specific manner• MySpace allows a complete “redesign”

How about adults, then?

Opinions“If you’re on MySpace now, you’re a [expletive] cretin. And you’re not only a [expletive] cretin,

but you’re poor. Nobody who has beyond an 8th grade level of education is on MySpace. It is for

backwards people.”

Michael Wolff (american journalist) in an interview with BusinessWeek, 2008

“BTW, MySpace just LOOKS ugly enough to be a ghetto or run-down shanty town. Facebook, by comparison, looks

like the suburbs. You might prefer one or the other, but the design echos the people it attracts, in a lot of ways.”

Article commenter, [3]

I hardly ever get on either anymore, but I'd agree with the assessment that Facebook has more the taiste the "upper

class" kids would be looking for: boring, pretentious, fake, and lacking in new, interesting ideas. Article

commenter, [3]

Facebook Myspace“The boldest Facebook makeover” in its history

• Now (2012), when *all* people are on Facebook, not just education-oriented, Facebook provides more space for self-expression

• A huge eye-catching banner on top of the Timeline

• The first step to blend the difference between Myspace and Facebook

• Are flashing, glittery backgrounds or ad banners the next step?

Facebook cover collectionsas extension of Myspace layout generators

http://www.myfbcovers.com

Graffiti on the face of Facebook

MySpace Facebook2010 – redesignMySpace decided to get rid of the status of ‘digital ghetto’Design was generally cleaned upOld profiles were reset to a default designDesign by default is ‘plain and boring’, but strick.

Explore

The borders between MySpace and Facebook designs are blurred

now

Question 1

“Everyone is on Facebook now.”

Considering the increased audience of Facebook and the latest developments in Facebook design, what do you think the trend is?

Is Facebook at risk of becoming a new MySpace?Do FB users need a space for self-expression (in terms of gifs and customizable profile layouts)?If yes, what is the chance that Facebook will satisfy this need?

Viewing class difference through *real-life* design choices

Viewing class difference through *real-life* design choices

Viewing class difference through *real-life* design choices

Money do not guarantee good taste (or ‘class’)

Viewing lass difference through *real-life* design choices

Comparison of websites

Women’s social sitesFemina.b

yGalya.ru

Blog platforms

LivejournalBlogs.mail.ru

News sites

Business news‘Yellow’ news

Question 2

Think of other pairs of sites where the visual solutions reflect the target audience.

References

1. “MySpace Now a ‘Digital Ghetto’.” “MySpace Now a ‘Digital Ghetto’.” Inquisitr.com. Web. 6 Jun. 2012. <http://www.inquisitr.com/27998/myspace-now-a-digital-ghetto/>.

2. Boyd, Danah Michele, University of California, Berkeley. Taken Out of Context: American Teen Sociality in Networked Publics. ProQuest, 2008. Print.

3. “Facebook, MySpace: a Race/Class Divide? | Technically Incorrect - CNET News.” “Facebook, MySpace: a Race/Class Divide? | Technically Incorrect - CNET News.” News.Cnet.com. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10283447-71.html>.

Used sources• boyd, danah m. “Responding to Responses to: ‘Viewing American Class Divisions Through

Facebook and MySpace’.” Danah.org. Web. 6 Jun. 2012. <http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ResponseToClassDivisions.html>.

• boyd, danah m. “Viewing American Class Divisions Through Facebook and MySpace.” Danah.org 24 Jun. 2007. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.danah.org/papers/essays/ClassDivisions.html>.

• Boyd, Danah Michele, University of California, Berkeley. Taken Out of Context: American Teen Sociality in Networked Publics. ProQuest, 2008. Print.

• Lialina, Olia. “Vernacular Web 2.” Contemporary-Home-Computing.org 12 Jul. 2010. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://contemporary-home-computing.org/vernacular-web-2/>.

• “Facebook vs MySpace - the Technology eZine.” “Facebook vs MySpace - the Technology eZine.” Technology.Lilithezine.com. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://technology.lilithezine.com/Facebook-Vs-MySpace.html>.

• “Facebook, MySpace: a Race/Class Divide? | Technically Incorrect - CNET News.” “Facebook, MySpace: a Race/Class Divide? | Technically Incorrect - CNET News.” News.Cnet.com. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10283447-71.html>.

• “Make Facebook Look More Like MySpace with Timeline Cover Photos From FBCovers | TechCrunch.” “Make Facebook Look More Like MySpace with Timeline Cover Photos From FBCovers | TechCrunch.” Techcrunch.com. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://techcrunch.com/2011/09/28/fbcovers-helps-facebook-look-more-like-myspace/>.

• “MySpace Now a ‘Digital Ghetto’.” “MySpace Now a ‘Digital Ghetto’.” Inquisitr.com. Web. 6 Jun. 2012. <http://www.inquisitr.com/27998/myspace-now-a-digital-ghetto/>.

• “MySpace.com: Is It Really a ‘Digital Ghetto’? - Yahoo! Voices - Voices.Yahoo.com.” “MySpace.com: Is It Really a ‘Digital Ghetto’? - Yahoo! Voices - Voices.Yahoo.com.” Voices.Yahoo.com. Web. 6 Jun. 2012. <http://voices.yahoo.com/myspacecom-really-digital-ghetto-3794802.html?cat=7>.

• “The MySpace vs. Facebook Debate - Starpulse.com.” “The MySpace vs. Facebook Debate - Starpulse.com.” Starpulse.com. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2008/05/13/the_myspace_vs_facebook_debate>.