Let's buy MySpace – group sends open letter to Murdoch | The Wall Blog

An open letter

Dear Rupert Murdoch, News Corp, MySpace CEO, MySpace user, Social Network user, Internet enthusiast

This letter comes to you from a place of great frustration over the current state, and the future, of one of the first leading social networks, MySpace.com

It also carries with it overwhelming surprise, and some sadness, that a network containing millions of users, and one that sold to one of the world’s most powerful money men, has fallen on very tough times. A 50% cut in staff numbers is the latest in a string of terrible news announced from the once giant of the social network scene.

As with anyone that has always had a deep rooted passion for the internet and all that comes with it, it’s strange to think that a company not so long ago bought for over $500 million dollars would be seemingly nearing the end of its business life. Add to this passion for internet any sort of business sense, a knowledge of internet business in particular, and the situation moves beyond ‘hard to believe’ and into the ‘what the hell have they done’.

The rise of Facebook and Twitter simply cannot be any sort of valid excuse for a near total collapse of MySpace.

This is a social network that still boasts millions of registered and active users, is still used as a default place for established and new music acts to promote themselves, a social network that still has very high Google rankings for popular search terms, a social network that still has page views that would put most popular websites to shame.

Companies have been pondering over a cheap move for MySpace, Yahoo being just one big internet company thought to be mulling a move for the social network. MySpace CEO Mike Jones has confirmed they will sell if the ‘right’ offer comes along.

We say let’s take back a ‘social network’ that has a worth high enough that one of the richest men in the world will take his traditional media companies funds and purchase the website for over half a billion dollars. We say that with the right understanding and democratic choices on purpose and function of the network, MySpace can not only return to former glory but also prove a stable and rewarding investment for all its users.

My Football Club proved that given a common interest and passion the crowdfunding model can be applied to something as complex as owning and operating a professional football club.  This approach can work for a social network.

We need people wanting to use Bebo, MySpace, Twitter and Facebook, on their terms, with developments, design, functionality, purpose, promotions and general point of existence being decided by them â€" you, the user.

It’s amazing to see a network like MySpace in a situation where as a business it cannot run or be a success even after several attempts. It is very clear that listening to the users is key to any success that is to be had from the site.

We are asking Mr Murdoch to name a price, and to be fair with this price.  We are asking people to not accept that they cannot control what they use online, return to MySpace but on your terms, ‘OurSpace’ ‘YourSpace’, your rules.

Personal network that nobody can find or see? Sure, no problem.

Open network so everyone can see everything about you? Fine.

Want to play games and post scores? fine, but your friend might not want to see this, also fine.

Your choice, you’re in control of it all.

Social network users, want to own a piece of the biggest shift in the way internet businesses work? Pledge to help buy MySpace and be part of the future of a real ‘Social Networks’.

Thank you

The executive committee for ‘Let’s buy MySpace’

Source : Google blogsearch