The internet (or at least the artistic, elitist, snobbish circles I lurk in) views MySpace as the online equivalent of the WB or UPN. Despite some conversation on the success of "ugly" websites, I doubt the aesthetics are likely to drive a design devolution. MySpace is, in a word, shit. But Fox Corp. is betting big that social portals will be the conduit for the future of entertainment. Another group that's taking MySpace seriously is the "moral majority"of the Christian Conservative. Since they've either "won" or are "winning" the War(s) on abortion, drugs, alcohol, TV, videogames, comic books, the liberal media, immigrants, gays, & pornography, it only makes sense to strike at the heart of the beast, the Internet, & specifically MySpace.
The comments during this years ChristCon are exactly what you would expect, with the addition of MySpace being "the work of Satan". MySpace does suck, but it's popular, so it's still worthy of our attention. Murdoch's (correct) gamble is that the "portal" of the social network will be the conduit for information in the future – encompassing TV, the PC desktop, cellphone, instant messenger, & radio.
future.
