Social networking?
Do any of you all use social networking sites to further advertise your blog?
Like Myspace or Facebook?
I was reading a few blogs last night on how to better utilize these sites as promotion tools for your blogs.
While I can see that, and think it's an awesome idea, myspace annoys the crap outta me.
Friend requests from fake profiles that link to dating websites, people who request to be added as a friend so they can then spam friend request your entire friends list.
An-noying.
I am on both of those by the way, in the sidebar over there, but they tend to get on my nerves.
I have enjoyed finding old friends from high school and stuff, but I check the site like maybe once a week regardless of how many emails alerting me to new comments, new friend requests, and new invites I get.
I spend about an hour once a week approving and denying, replying to stuff, but that's about as much time on myspace as I can tolerate.
Why?
The flashy graphics on the profiles. The sparkly things every where. The constant thanks for the add pre-made graphics people post.
Hate them.
Myspace is like every thing a blogger shouldn't post on their blogs, but perfectly acceptable on Myspace.
You would never make your blog look like your myspace page. You wouldn't have auto load music, you wouldn't have sparkle graphics every where, you wouldn't constantly go around saying thanks for adding me to your blogroll with a cute graphic.
Right?
I've had my blog listed on my myspace profile for awhile to to be honest, it hasn't driven much traffic here.
I so far, do not see the benefits of being on that site, except I now have a lot of "friends" I will probably never hold a normal conversation with.
Relationships on myspace consist of thanks for the add, check out my new profile, cool graphics man, I love that song on your profile.
On blogs, people take the time to get to know you, they read your blog for a period of time before taking that first step to leave a comment. You end up in a series of emails getting to know your readers. Those emails sometimes turn into meet up days.
Those meet ups sometimes end up in people becoming friends.
I've made so many real life friends from my blog, and none with msypace.
I'll keep doing these social network sites and see if they eventually pay off, but I really am not seeing any benefits to my blog or my social life from them.
Comments
I have looked at Myspace a little bit... a couple people I know have Myspace.. errr, space, if that's what you call it. And I didn't like the auto load music, and I didn't like the flashy graphics and things... so I'm with you, and I don't think I'm going to go to myspace much. And anyway, my work blocks it so I can only go at home. I wonder about the other social networking sites, though, like MyBlogLog. Do you visit those?
Posted by: Cynthia Blue | June 8, 2007 11:12 PM
I hate most Myspace profiles (the majority of them look like something your average teenager would do for their first blog or website, where they're just learning about html or something. Myspace fills a different sort of void. I have gotten to know a few people on there, but other than that.......I just don't really get the appeal.
Posted by: Devilish Southern Belle | June 8, 2007 11:35 PM
I've never figured out the appeal of myspace, its like warping back in time 10 years! animated gifs all over the place, annoying photo backrounds and backround music. even 10 years ago these annoyed people on the net. ;)
i use delicious to keep my favorites, just wish there was a way to make folders...i think im too old to work with tags. i just want to plunk them into folders. lol
Posted by: zorn | June 9, 2007 1:00 AM
I must have the world's most boring MySpace page. I signed up a while ago, but never really did anything with it. No music, no animated gifs, and the plain default page layout. I can't believe some people are still doing what I call the "1995 Geocities" thing!
I'm actually thinking of taking it down, because I just can't find much value in keeping it. Mostly I get friend requests from people who want to spam me. Who needs it?
Posted by: Christine | June 9, 2007 10:07 AM
I've wasted a lot of life tinkering with my MySpace page. Finally found a place that had an overlay that's pretty plain and hides all of the regular MySpage page crap.
Posted by: Chickie | June 9, 2007 11:54 AM
I have to agree. While I have gotten some traffic from plugging my sites on my myspace I don't really see the point of it. Seriously, I've been on the net now for well over eight years and maintaining my own sites. When I look at the "cool" and "bet looking" profiles I cringe at all the obvious don'ts. Animated background text, flashy sparkle images that stretch tables out of proportion, net speak, eww.
I made my account so that friends who would stop hasseling me about it but I never check there. I get too many friend requests, sexual overtures, and just too many weirdos spamming me. -_-
Posted by: Joana | June 9, 2007 10:41 PM