Rupert Murdoch to buy MySpace for half a billion

omg.

omg.

i bet ya friendster and tribes.net reach for one revolver.
m.

Falafel.

also - does this mean Tom, my only myspace friend, is going to be loaded?

That means that essentially FOX's parent company is paying at least, what, $50 or so, per account?

This is wicked lolz

Intermix gained attention earlier this year when the New York attorney general's office sued it, accusing it of illegally planting "spyware" programs on the computers of people who visited its Web sites. The company has since announced a preliminary out-of-court settlement of $7.5 million over the matter. News Corporation will pay $12 a share for the outstanding shares of Intermix, while Intermix simultaneously said it will buy out minority partners who currently own 47 percent of MySpace.

This is evil, but i admit major LOLing here... only because I could imagine Fox news guys actually advertising this. unironically.

(my memories of checking f'edcompany dawt kawm everyday in 2001 comes back to me)

i haven't had a friendster page for two years.

My cousin's cute girlfriend talked about it this weekend and then my SECRET ADMIRALS messaged me on it!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=758009&Mytoken=20050718160028

MySpace made more money and its heavy focus on entertainment meant people stayed on the site for longer than Facebook, which was used as more of a directory, he said in a withering critique of the site at an advertising festival in Cannes.

Dude obviously hasn't got Scrabulous on his Facebook profile.

If he would just mandate that all myspace images be changed to WSJ-style hedcuts, dude would have a synergystic home run on his hands

Murdoch's right, though. If Facebook wants to keep users on the site it needs to implement, oh I don't know, FACEBOOK CHAT maybe.

Nice one you warmongering fucking prune.

Not surprising to see the owner/supreme dictator of Fox News this delusional.

Facebook is for secretaries.

MySpazz is for 14yo girls who live in caravans, and proper musicians.

Facebook = 800 lil' green patches invites vs. MySpace = sudden loud blast of a dreadfully awful low-fi "indie" band that class themselves as "punk"

http://latino.myspace.com/

Facebook = Waiting for Godot recreated as a social networking site

You can permablock stupid shit like lil' green patch or whatever the fuck it's called.

---Facebook is for secretaries.

That's kind of exactly it. I got on it I don't know, a year ago maybe, and my dad was already there. REACH, dude.

From: Owen Van Natta
Sent: martedì 23 giugno 2009 11.30
To: FIM MySpace All
Subject: IMPORTANT: PROPOSED INTERNATIONAL RESTRUCTURE
Importance: High

Everyone,

Last week we made a number of changes to MySpace’s domestic structure in order to create a leaner, more nimble organization. Today, we are announcing the next step in our overall restructuring effort – a proposal to streamline our operations abroad.

Unlike our recent domestic restructuring announcement, what we are announcing today is a formal proposal we intend to implement, rather than an executed plan. As required by laws in countries where we operate, we will not implement the plan until we have consulted with potentially affected employees. As a result, even though the plan we are proposing today would apply to all international divisions of the company, a finalized international restructuring will be put into action over a period of days.

Similar to our domestic restructuring, our international plan is designed to rein in growth in staff and expenses that we cannot sustain. Our proposal would reduce MySpace’s international staff from 450 employees to approximately 150 employees and close at least 4 of our offices outside the United States.

Upon completion of the proposed plan, London, Berlin, and Sydney would become the primary regional hubs for MySpace’s international operations. Under the proposed plan, MySpace would place all existing offices in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, and Spain under review for possible restructure. MySpace China, a locally owned, operated, and managed company, and MySpace’s joint venture in Japan would not be affected by the proposed plan.

We are focusing on London, Berlin, and Sydney for two very simple reasons: (1) these are markets where we have a lot of MySpace users as well as the resources to allow us to compete effectively and (2) these are major international commerce centers where a robust MySpace presence can help our company develop new and innovative business partnerships.

As with the domestic changes we made last week, these proposed international reductions and eliminations will be extremely challenging – professionally and personally. These are difficult decisions and they are essential to our financial well-being and the re-establishment of our overall growth strategy.

Our goal to tap into as many international markets as possible drove us to create too many offices around the globe, and with them came inefficiencies. Under the new plan, we will refocus our efforts on regional business partnerships and integration in a smaller number of territories, while retaining a robust international presence. We remain steadfast in our commitment to reaching a global audience.

The last two weeks have been tough for everyone. The employees who leave us played an important role in the successes of MySpace in these international markets, and I thank them for their hard and dedicated work. The restructuring steps we have taken have laid the groundwork for an exciting new chapter of innovation for MySpace. I look forward to working with you all and speaking with you in the coming days.

Thank you,

Owen

——————

MYSPACE PROPOSES INTERNATIONAL RESTRUCTURING

Proposal Includes Plans for Office Consolidations and Staff Reductions

LOS ANGELES—June 23, 2009—MySpace today announced its intent to restructure its international operations and refocus personnel around a smaller number of territories, while retaining a robust global consumer presence.

The proposed restructuring plan, which is subject to consultation with international employees in some countries, would apply to all international divisions of the company, reducing MySpace’s international staff from 450 employees to approximately 150 employees and closing at least 4 of its offices outside the United States.

Upon completion of the proposed plan, London, Berlin, and Sydney would become the primary regional hubs for MySpace’s international operations. Under the proposed plan, MySpace would place all existing offices in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, France, India, Italy, Mexico, Russia, Sweden, and Spain under review for possible restructure. MySpace China, a locally owned, operated, and managed company, and MySpace’s joint venture in Japan would not be affected by the proposed plan.

“With roughly half of MySpace’s total user base coming from outside the U.S., maintaining productive and efficient operations in our international markets is important to users worldwide and our immediate financial strength,” said MySpace Chief Executive Officer Owen Van Natta. “As we conducted our review of the company, it was clear that internationally, just as in the U.S., MySpace’s staffing had become too big and cumbersome to be sustainable in current market conditions. Today’s proposed changes are designed to transform and refine our international growth strategy.”

Once a social networking behemoth, News Corp.-owned MySpace's rapid descent up against competition like Facebook and Twitter may soon lead to mass layoffs.

The Wall Street Journal, itself operated by a division of News Corp., reported today that MySpace is preparing "a dramatic downsizing of its business." Someone familiar with the matter told WSJ that a third to a half of its 1,100 employees could be let go and another source said the layoffs could be officially announced as soon as this month.

I ponder the day when myspace will become hip again

Good.

I'm sorry people are losing jobs, but it's a virus-riddled cesspool that only exists because (some) people still choose to use it (I'm looking at you, bands!).

facebook this is your future

viruses? i've never gotten a virus from it ever. Also, when image is 1/2 what constitutes a band (argue, whatever, it's fact) I prefer myspace to the blank coldness of facebook. Well, I prefer it when the image isn't too exuberant and doesn't crank the title song to autplay-11 and feature a giant gif of a buoyant rack wobbling around when I'm on the campus compu. labs. Otherwise, a-ok!

I've gotten that System Tool 2011 thing that basically shuts down every function on your computer the last three times I've visited a Myspace page. I've had to root it out of my registry every time, and the last time actually required a full system restore (which sucked eggs). I'm NEVER going there again.

Did you click on something to attain it? Is it instant? I don't have an account but I'm on myspace fairly often whenever I don't want to cue up (let me stall for 10minutes-program:) itunes to listen to a band I'm curious about.

Nope, just got me by simply arriving at the page (an official Java notification will show up to tell you it's loading a script, but by the time you see that it's too late...you've already got it).

Surprised facebook hasn't done more to try to take over the band market actually (i.e. make really nice looking, customizable, easy-to-use band pages where music is instantly playable) -- would it just be too server intensive?

There are a lot of third-party apps bands can incorporate into their facebook pages for music playback (Soundcloud/Bandcamp/Reverbnation) and other things like upcoming shows and banners, etc. So it's there, but facebook doesn't push any of it.

Youtube handles band streaming quite well nowadays doesn't it? or it could? I suppose a profile page isn't as established an 'advert' as a myspace page was though, Soundcloud is a bit too image free for promotion, Facebook seems completely wrong. I kind of miss having an obvious place where a almost every band would have their songs.

How could MySpace have had 1,100 employees? What were they all doing every day?

flooding the site with fake profiles for car models whose income is over $250,000, i'm guessing

Myspace Expected To Lay Off At Least 150 Employees On Wednesday

We’ve confirmed the rumors of Myspace layoffs with our own inside source; From what I’m hearing the company expects to lay off at least 150 of its around 400 employees tomorrow (37.5% of its staff). According to the source, another group of around 150 employees will be put on a transition plan, where they will still be laid off but can work with pay for a few weeks while they search for another job.

Myspace cut around 47% of its staff back in January and these new layoffs come as Myspace is preparing itself for a sale, which we’re hearing will be signed tomorrow and announced on Friday. While there are multiple rumors circling regarding who exactly will be buying the beleaguered social network, the names being tossed around include a bidding group fronted by Activision CEO Bobby Kotick, Buzzmedia, and even LivingSocial.

failed murdoch ventures warm the cockles of my heart

In late February 2011, News Corp officially put the site up for sale, which was estimated to be worth $50–200 million.[54] Losses from last quarter of 2010 were $156 million, over double of the previous year, which dragged down the otherwise strong results of parent News Corp.[55] The deadline for bids, May 31, 2011, passed without any above the reserve price of $100 million being submitted[56].

Heard some talk that they may just shut down.

Geocities et al dragged its carcass along limply for some years before it disappeared. But yeah places like Soundcloud, Bandcamp and lastfm are killing off the only thing left myspaz was useful for, so. Adam otm, suck that murcock

failed murdoch ventures warm the cockles of my heart

― Leee Marcello's Putting Challenge (Schlafsack), Tuesday, June 28, 2011 12:30 AM Bookmark

there it goes

MySpace, which was bought by News Corp in 2005 for $US580 million, was bought by Specific Media, a digital ad-targeting platform, which said financial terms were confidential.

The News Corp-owned technology blog All Things Digital put the purchase price at $US35 million ($32.7 million), however, and said the deal includes slashing about half of MySpace's staff of between 400 and 500 people.

lolllllllllllll

Well, its not funny that 250 people have lost a job, but yeah.

they better not delete chad wrinklepaws' myspace

their designers deserved to be fired

http://www.hipsterrunoff.com/altreport/2011/06/myspace-sold-2-new-company-35-million-will-user-experience-suffer.html

just for added value: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/jun/30/rupert-murdoch-monopoly-news-corp

I noted it on some other myspace thread earlier, but the new owner of myspace is literally Justin Timberlake

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/43581327/ns/business-us_business/

And Mike Jones is the CEO! What a team-up!

WHO

lol "Its new owners should be able to recoup their investment if the company gets each user to click on about 20 ads over their lifetime, she said." good luck with that

Their letterhead should say Justin Timberlake (feat. Mike Jones).

If they could strip the music part to its essentials -- a mix of songs by artists (including live songs, demos, etc.) and a "top 8" endorsed by that artist, and some way of creating music stations, maybe they could compete with Pandora. I mean, it was fun when the Bruce Springsteen page sprung up one day on MySpace, and his one friend was The Hold Steady.

Just don't give me pop-up ads for smileys and Kick-Ass. Overhaul that thing so that it'll be a retro thing for young moms in 2015.

lol "Its new owners should be able to recoup their investment if the company gets each user to click on about 20 ads over their lifetime, she said." good luck with that

― Ktulu says, I've come to hate my body (wk), Thursday, June 30, 2011 6:18 PM Bookmark

I don't know if I've clicked on 20 ads on the entire internet since I've had it.

thanks for killing myspace man

Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch

Who's heard of VICE media? Wild, interesting effort to interest millenials who don't read or watch established media. Global success.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/oct/14/rupert-murdoch-phone-hacking-scumbags