Critical Review: Myspace and Facebook

Delia Phillips
Mr. Elsesser
4/30/10
BCA


Although launched in 2003, Myspace didn’t really take off until 2006 when it became the most popular social networking site ever. I had a Myspace and I thought it was awesome. But after awhile it got old, and that’s when facebook made its appearance. If you go to any high school, 90% of students have a facebook.

Since September 2006, anyone over the age of 13 with a valid e-mail address can become a Facebook user. Facebook’s target audience is more for adults than youths.

Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow computer science students. The website's membership was initially limited by the founders to Harvard students, but was expanded to other colleges in the Boston area, the Ivy League, and Stanford University. It later expanded further to include any university student, then high school students, and, finally, to anyone aged 13 and over. The website currently has more than 400 million active users worldwide

Facebook has met with some controversy. It has been blocked intermittently in several countries including Syria, China, Vietnam, and Iran. It has also been banned at many places of work to discourage employees from wasting time using the service.

Privacy has also been an issue, and it has been compromised several times. Facebook settled a lawsuit regarding claims over source code and intellectual property. The site has also been involved in controversy over the sale of fans and friends.

Users can create profiles with photos, lists of personal interests, contact information and other personal information. Communicating with friends and other users can be done through private or public messages or a chat feature.