
  MySpace CEO Owen Van Natta Steps Down  - jasonlbaptiste
http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/10/myspace-ceo-owen-van-natta-steps-down/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Techcrunch+%28TechCrunch%29&utm_content=Google+Reader
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glhaynes
If I were CEO of MySpace I'd embrace the demographic that still regularly uses
it. Make it the "bar/pub/club" of the Internet -- Facebook is staid and
stately (well, perhaps only compared to MySpace) while you can let loose on
MySpace... you can decorate your name, your page, there's loud music and
bright things everywhere, it's a party.

~~~
staunch
That sounds fine, but what does it really mean they should do? MySpace grew so
large because people logged in every day to stay in touch with their friends.
Now they login to Facebook. How do they convince people to start coming back
to myspace.com?

They have to be _something_. A profile you don't care about, and that none of
your friends look at, is not going to cut it. It doesn't matter how exciting
and party-like their site appears.

~~~
zaidf
1\. To find the newest bestest bands of tomorrow...today 2\. To find the best
parties in town tonight 3\. To find insider view of upcoming Hollywood flicks
and television.

All huge industries. Each one of them pretty much forced their way into
MySpace. And now it seems like their strategy is to kick them out--not
outrightly, but by killing the culture.

DO make sure when people post crazy HTML stuff it doesn't include a virus OR
hurt the user's proc usage.

DON'T try to kill your creative culture by making it another facebook-like UI.

~~~
staunch
Your circle of friends solve #1 and #2 better than anything else, and they're
on Facebook. I'm not aware of #3 being particularly in demand.

I think the verdict is in on hideous MySpace profiles: not very many people
cared about them at all, and almost no one cared enough to stick around on
MySpace for them.

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alttab
He was CEO of Myspace for less than a year (who could blame him) and a CEO of
another company for only 5 months.

Sounds like hes not fit for the position.

~~~
aswanson
Or that he's in a volatile industry.

~~~
staunch
Or he chooses jobs badly.

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mattmaroon
On the one hand, Myspace has done nothing but swirl down the drain during his
tenure. On the other hand, his task was monumental, and who knows what
bureaucracy from Fox he has to deal with.

------
hendzen
who wants to be captain of a sinking ship?

~~~
rms
CEO of Myspace would look good on my resume and I suspect it pays well, has a
good health care plan, etc.

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vinhboy
Wait, it's not Tom?

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phatbyte
Does anyone still uses myspace ?

