Rupert Murdoch: Facebook is Just a Directory
Rupert Murdoch, the 78-year-old CEO and chairman of News Corp., just gave a revealing interview to The Street's Dan Freed. In this interview, Murdoch argues that the latest head-count reduction at MySpace was necessary because the number of employees at the company had grown out of control. In addition, he also told Freed that he wants the site to be very different from Facebook, which, in his eyes, is nothing more than a directory, while MySpace is a place "to find common interests, share music, that sort of thing."
In the same interview, Murdoch also says that he has no idea how to monetize Twitter and that nobody has actually figured out how to monetize "the Web today to any extent other than search." Micro-payments, in the eyes of Murdoch, are also not a good alternative to advertising revenue, though he still thinks that subscription models for his papers along the lines of what the Wall Street Journal currently does might be a solution for monetizing news content.
Facebook: Just a Directory
With regards to Facebook, we can't help but think that Murdoch must be willfully oblivious to the fact that the service's users are abandoning the company in favor of Facebook. Just a simple look at the current traffic stats for both services tells a very clear story about the abysmal state MySpace is finding itself in today. While Facebook is growing rapidly, MySpace's traffic is, at best, staying flat. And to think of Facebook as nothing more than a directory just ignores the reality of how users are using the site and what Facebook's management team envisions the service to be.
Maybe before Facebook turned into the platform it is today, that statement could have held true, but today, to imply that users on Facebook don't go to the service to find others with common interests is simply wrong.
Micro-payments: Not a Solution
We have to agree with Murdoch, though, that micro-payments are probably not a viable solution for monetizing news content on the web -- though we would argue that some people have managed to make a living off the Internet from doing things other than just monetizing search.
So far, users have also resisted subscription models for online newspapers. The only exception here is the Wall Street Journal, which is really a special case, and only time will tell if readers are willing to buy online subscriptions to their favorite papers.
Image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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Of the two I am a bigger fan of Facebook. That being said... From a low level perspective, it's easy to laugh at and correct this statement. But Facebook is, and always has been a place to connect with people you know. Now on a broader spectrum of connection, but the statement is true. Whereas MySpace (the irony of the tagline here) has always been a much more public experience, where you're invited to explore people.
Yea, the directory to find friends and interact. MySpace is a joke (although it's good for bands).
I'd like to add that I think my statement above still holds true. I think Murdoch's statement (or his intended statement) is also true. What's actually happening is people are starting to use the internet for connection more frequently (new tools, new generational userbases), therefor abandoning MySpace.
i like how facebook can find friends and interact with them, and so twitter do but not myspace.
So how does Rupert Murdoch become an expert on social sites? Does he frequent many of these sites to determine what's what? His financial acumen probably can't be disputed. His insights on social behaviors of people are another story.
And he would be correct. Facebook = New & improved phonebook
i guess he has an extremely fast connection and a supped up computer when hes browsing myspace pages. sadly i recently went to someone's page and seriously i thought my computer was going to crash from all of the crap people add to there page. It literally took 5 min to load.
Im not totally going to hate on myspace but it was the only alternative at the time when friendster would go down. not to mention all of the slutty skanks on myspace. RIP myspace, the pain will be over soon.
Rupert. Late to the party.
I agree with the writer's view about MySpace and Facebook. Myspace is fighting a losing battle. It is a slow and unattractive website. The only thing that I ever use it for now is to listen to music and I don't even need to sign in to do that.
If Facebook is just a directory, than the Internet is just a TV.
Maybe he could revamp MySpace into a social network for young conservatives like an MTV outlet for the Fox crowd. That's the only way I see him milking revenue out of that dying site - neoconservative Christians, the easy way to make a quick buck.
Murdoch wants to control the Internet. His first step is to sell his rags online. By doing this he believes other newspapers will follow. Perfect example , he has a gold nugget in the Mccanns. It has not gone unoticed by many that while the greedy british goverment are on holiday and no one is running the country Murdoch and Mitchel have chosen this week to pull a PR stunt with the Mccanns...Heraldsun (Murdoch is chief executive) reporting that madeleine has been seen at least a dozen times this year in Australia. This is news to the Australian Police.
A small detail here that has also not gone unoticed, no one has a clue what madeleine would look like now aged six years.(The aged photo is a MAYBE). Proof being that Murdochs rags still carry the photo of madeleine aged 3 years.
In the Mccanns murdoch has found the one thing he lost when Princess Diana died. Sales. It has now been more than two years and still madeleine is a head line grabber and Murdoch knows this.
With regards to Facebook if he finds it so unappealing why is he on it.
Two Fists One Heart...a movie from Australia recieved rave reviews from all but one newspaper Murdochs...Why would this be when it is reported to be the best movie in a long time to come out of Perth...Could it be that....
Arts Minister Sheila McHale refused David Elfick the backing for his movie...Rhonda Wyllie stepped in and held a lavish soiree at her home raising 4 million towards making the film..
Sheila McHale works closely with Fox Studios backed by Rupert Murdoch.
Again Murdoch likes to be in control...only a handful of movies are made in Australia a year...usually backed by him.
Is Murdoch upset with the Wyllie's ? Rhonda Wyllies stepson plays a cameo and he is not mentioned either.
The rave reviews were on MARCH 4TH 2009...
Melissa Wyllie was involved in a big charity event for Murdoch three years ago.
Now the Wyllies are involved again in Murdochs newspapers but this time for a much more sinister reason....Madeleine Mccann...The Wyllies are good stock they have more money than any one could dream of. The most Rhonda has done in her amazing life is to be charged with speeding....I hardly think she would have ever given the mccanns a second thought ..until now that is...now that her name has been spread across tabloids telling the gullible people that she could be involved with the abduction of madeleine mccann...Murdochs little golden nugget... Coincidence?
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/272454
Perhaps Mr .Murdoch can post this in his Newspapers....The photo shows an amazing likeness to our "VICKY LOOKALIKE" seen last weekend in all of his newspapers.
Rupert. Late to the party.
Arts Minister Sheila McHale refused David Elfick the backing for his movie...Rhonda Wyllie stepped in and held a lavish soiree at her home raising 4 million towards making the film..
The Australian Gold Nugget-Kangaroo is currently the only legal tender, pure gold bullion coin to change its design each year.