Facebook vs. Myspace: The Heat is On

By: Jessica Cantarelli/staff reporter

Posted: 9/9/05

Many users are choosing sides when it comes to two of the most popular networking Web sites today, www.Facebook.com and www.myspace.com

Both sites aim to serve the same basic purpose: creating communities and connecting people with common interests. Registered users on both sites can benefit socially, professionally or romantically due to the availability of information on the large population of users.

While this is true for both, the sites have their differences. Facebook limits its registered users to those with an e-mail address belonging to one of the chosen participating schools, while MySpace is open to anyone who wants to join, binding they are at least 16 years old.

Although some users are members on both sites, many have a favorite among the two.

"I prefer MySpace to Facebook," said Lisa Hartman, a senior psychology

major. "MySpace is better. It is more advanced. You can put videos on

your page and it's more individual. Facebook is more one-dimensional."

MySpace allows users to add more than one photo (any number up to 10), whereas Facebook only displays one photo.

Facebook started off as a site limited to college students, but is currently working to open Facebook to many high schools as well. MySpace is open to anyone and everyone.

The two sites also have their loyal members. Darrell Flynn, a senior sociology major, belongs to MySpace and refuses to join Facebook.

"MySpace is not just students, it's a whole community," Flynn said. "Bands and random people can join. It's nice because of the personalization, you can really make your page your own."

In the online networking community, the personalization of one's profile is a huge selling point.

"MySpace offers a whole aspect of music," Flynn said. "Facebook doesn't give you the option of listening to all these indie bands from all over the world."

Flynn plans on staying loyal to MySpace and said there's no chance he'd ever become "one of those lame Facebook kids."

Jen Muser, a sophomore math major, says her heart belongs strictly to Facebook.

"MySpace is ghetto looking. It just doesn't look as nice as Facebook," she said.

The level of security on Facebook is substantially higher than on MySpace. Facebook allows only those within a member's college to freely view random profiles, but outside the campus, a user must be a confirmed friend in order to view a member's profile.

Facebook members also have the option to change their privacy settings to restrict certain people from viewing personal information that may be posted on one's profile.

MySpace members can see anyone's profiles, communicate with a variety of people, share photos, and post journals, comments and interests.

Erich Voigt, a junior graphic design major, said both sites have their good and bad points.

"Facebook is nicer for talking to people around campus," Voigt said. "But with MySpace, there's a bigger network of people."

According to Voigt, Facebook is a community, and MySpace is a way to seek out new friends with similar interests.

"It hasn't changed the way we socialize, it's merely given us a new way to," he said.

With the growing population on both Facebook and MySpace, it's rare to find someone who doesn't belong to either one.

Allen Rotert, a junior music education major, doesn't believe in joining either site, and promises he never will.

"Those sites are for people with no friends," Rotert said. "It was created by somebody who wanted to have 150 friends, who wanted to believe he had a social life."

He believes sites like Facebook and MySpace can be highly addictive and create a "computer fantasy world."

"I have friends," Rotert said. "If I wanted to talk to them or know their schedule, I'll call them up or see them in person."