I've been in several conversations over the past week involving the upcoming Facebook vs. MySpace rivalry. At least that's how I'm hypothesizing it. Facebook simply trounces MySpace as a product, but MySpace has volume. The question is if that can change. (Just for something to link to: Facebook opened up their platform last week.)
Facebook wins, hands down. It's not hideous, the search function actually does something, no auto-playing music on every page, and more and more I'm convinced that EVERYBODY's on there.
And it's altogether classier.
It's like asking which is better between Metafilter and Fark. If you have the mindset of an eleven-year-old boy, you'll go for one; if you possess even the slightest bit of intelligence and/or maturity, you'll go for the other.
posted by jimmy at 10:21 AM on May 29, 2007 
This is how the kids at my school put it:
"Facebook is for kids who have money, while MySpace is for the 'po' kids."
posted by Ironic at 12:37 PM on May 29, 2007
The implication of comparing this to Metafilter vs. Fark is interesting, and, I hope, inaccurate. I really want Facebook to trounce MySpace into nonexistence -- not just be the choice for those of us with taste.
posted by Rex at 1:10 PM on May 29, 2007
On the one hand, Facebook is obviously brilliant and as a developer I'm envious of the people who were able to crank out something so well conceived as that site is. I'm really in awe of it, and the MySpace folks really should be as well. I wouldn't even insult Facebook by calling it "a pretty MySpace" -- MySpace is just an ugly, hopelessly messy Facebook.
With that said, I'm surprised more people aren't as burned out on the whole Friendster/MySpace/Facebook concept as I am. I realize there are some new and beautiful things in this app, but people still seem to be spending most of their time doing the same things they've done for years with Facebook's predecessors: set up a profile, list your interests, upload photos, leave comments, find friends. It's so "been there, done that" that I still haven't bothered to fill in anything besides my name on my profile, and I wonder if I ever will. I'm obviously a minority, though.
In the end, it's too bad that Friendster wasn't Facebook.
posted by Dave at 12:28 AM on May 30, 2007
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