• online advertising

    Why Facebook can't sell ads

    Facebook has made a bold bet on being the next Google. The problem is that it may have made the wrong bet. The Wall Street Journal has taken tardy notice of Facebook's "engagement ads," first launched in August. They are not an easy sell; they require advertisers to come up with some compelling "action" for Facebook users to take, which will then be shared with their friends, and thus spread virally through the social network. And yet the chief way Facebook hopes to sell these ads is through an automated sign-up process. Facebook has a direct-sales team, but its top management lacks experience in managing large sales teams. Which may explain why MySpace, which has built a large salesforce by recruiting heavily from Yahoo, has 15.9 percent of the display-ad market, while Facebook has a mere 1.1 percent. (Chart by WSJ/ComScore)

    10:00 AM on Tue Nov 11 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    3,899 views, 18 comments

    Most discussed ifstone: But Facebook doesn't run many (any?) display ads, which is one point in its favor compared to MySpace, which has more »

  • Camp Cyprus

    MySpace DJ taunts Wall Street Journal reporter

    Poor Jessica Vascellaro. The Wall Street Journal reporter will never be able to live down the video she and several Webhead friends recorded on a Cyprus vacation. The song-and-dance number was controversial as a sign of bubble-era excess — and as an indication that Vascellaro might be rather too close to the companies she covers. Last night, as Vascellaro partied at the MySpace Music party, the DJ put on "Don't Stop Believing" — the same Journey song which provided the soundtrack to their seaside frolics. Kara Swisher has video from the party: More »

    12:20 PM on Fri Nov 7 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    2,068 views, 6 comments

    Most discussed NickDentonMumsBum: wn hts brsts. Y'r gy. K. K. W gt t wn. Y ht Bbs. Htrs. Jgs. Gzmbs. Grn Ttns. Jggly Wggls. more »

  • party report

    MySpace Music party a dud

    When the highlight of the evening is Twitter CEO Ev Williams meeting faded hip-hop star MC Hammer, you know the night was a waste. Indie-music consultant Corey Denis reports that the event "had ten actual music industry people there, tops." MySpace didn't have much to celebrate, either: It has yet to appoint a figurehead CEO to its MySpace Music faux joint venture. The only thing confirmed about Courtney Holt, the MTV executive widely rumored to be taking the job, is his gender. (Photo by Brian Solis/Bub.blicio.us)

    11:20 AM on Fri Nov 7 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    1,249 views, 8 comments

    Most discussed FaceMelter: Lionel Ritchie and DJ AM? I know AM used to fuck his daughter, but what kind of crazy combination is that? more »

  • corrections

    New MySpace Music chief Courtney Holt is a dude, okay?

    I feel sorry for Courtney Holt. Partly because the MTV executive is rumored to be taking a terrible job running MySpace Music, a feature of the social network masquerading as a separate company. But mostly because of his name. In a previous article, I was enough of a bonehead to refer to Holt as "she." Trying to do my part to promote the role of women in the tech industry, okay?

    5:40 PM on Wed Nov 5 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    1,186 views, 6 comments

    Latest by PaulaSilo: i've worked with him. he's a total loser. more »

  • great moments in pr

    Three's a Trendrr

    Dear Trendrr publicist who sent us a data dump on the presidential candidates' social-networking prowess a day after the election: Here's your "hit" on a hot "influencer" site that thinks you're "dumb." Hands up, everyone who still cares how many MySpace friends John McCain has this afternoon. Thought so.

    3:00 PM on Wed Nov 5 2008
    By Paul Boutin
    398 views, Comment

  • hires

    Another MySpace Music CEO candidate stalls on the job

    Why is it that Courtney Holt, the MTV executive reportedly offered a job running MySpace Music, has yet to take the CEO position there? Because, like the other candidates, he figured out that running a feature of a website is not a real job.

    4:20 PM on Tue Nov 4 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    349 views, 3 comments

  • online advertising

    Viacom turns MySpace bootlegs into an advertunity

    A year ago, Viacom sued YouTube for one billion dollars, claiming YouTube was not blocking uploads of copyrighted Viacom material from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1 and others. Today, MySpace will join YouTube in running ads targeted to Viacom-owned clips, instead of deleting them. Auditude, a Palo Alto startup, provides the software that identifies Viacom-owned content. Remember when musicians believed all advertising was evil? Now, I'm looking forward to seeing a Big & Rich ad targeted against another Big & Rich ad, overlaid by another Big & Rich ad for a Big & Rich ad I haven't seen yet. Collect them all!

    10:40 AM on Mon Nov 3 2008
    By Paul Boutin
    166 views, 2 comments

    Latest by Uncle-Sam's Littlle Helper: Thanks! I tried to write you back on MySpace, but my network is running so slow because of all more »

  • breakdowns

    MySpace foe can't keep it up

    Brad Greenspan, the former CEO of Intermix Media, the company which launched MySpace, loves to make trouble for News Corp., the media giant he claims bought Intermix and MySpace for a song. Too bad he pays more attention to his ongoing, one-sided feud than his revenge vehicle, LiveUniverse. Greenspan's startup is having trouble with his uptime; a tipster says his LiveUniverse and LiveVideo sites have been down for two days running. That's not the real problem; the real problem is that it took two days for anyone to notice they've been down.

    3:20 PM on Thu Oct 30 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    748 views, 4 comments

    Latest by MaiaEuryalus: The company is being evicted from its LA offices after months of not paying rent, and they had their phones more »

  • owen van natta

    MySpace Music's fruitless CEO search

    Why can't News Corp. find anyone to run MySpace Music, the spinoff from its social network which is part-owned by major labels? No one seems able to state the obvious: MySpace Music is a feature, not a company. The outside investment it garners is just an elaborate way of cutting in the labels on MySpace's music-related profits. No wonder former Facebook COO Owen Van Natta turned down the job; TechCrunch reports that he cleverly tried to get MySpace to buy Project Playlist, a music startup he'd invested in, as part of the deal. Van Natta picked the right test: If MySpace had been willing to fold Project Playlist into MySpace Music, it would have proven that the music venture really had some independence. Any other CEO candidate should ask the same questions Van Natta raised with his quid-pro-quo deal.

    2:40 PM on Tue Oct 28 2008
    By Owen Thomas
    448 views, 1 comment

    Latest by nirreskeya: Was Owen planning on moving to LA, or just commuting from the Bay? Both sound terrible to me. more »