Tech | April 22, 2009 | 19 comments

MySpace co-founder to step down... while user base slows and Facebook rises to the top

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30355647/

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AwesomeJosh
MySpace co-founder Chris DeWolfe will step down soon as the social networking site’s chief executive, amid the site’s stalled user growth and the rapid rise of rival Facebook.

MySpace owner News Corp. said Wednesday the decision was made by mutual agreement with former AOL Chief Executive Jonathan Miller, who was appointed News Corp.’s chief digital officer April 1.

DeWolfe will remain on the board of MySpace China and be a strategic adviser to the company.

Co-founder Tom Anderson, who is every account holder’s first friend on the site and acts as its glitch fixer and president, is also in talks about taking a new role. Anderson is being considered for a creative product role that will take him away from his day-to-day responsibilities, said a person with knowledge of the situation.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the discussion was confidential.

“Chris and Tom are true pioneers,” Miller said in a statement. “Thanks largely to their vision, MySpace has become a vibrant creative community with 130 million passionate followers worldwide.”

Facebook lapped MySpace a year ago in overall users worldwide, and now has 200 million to MySpace’s 130 million.

MySpace is still the largest social network in the United States, with 70 million users in March, but the total was down 4 percent from a year ago, according to tracking firm comScore Inc.

Meanwhile, Facebook’s users in the U.S. rose 72 percent in March to 61 million, comScore said.
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19 comments // MySpace co-founder to step down... while user base slows and Facebook rises to the top

  • TheDesertEagle
  • Snuff99
  • Apocalipstick
  • FallenMorgan
  • anikhanj
    • 0
      anikhanj  

    • MySpace got greedy, decided to plop advertisements on every piece of area on their website, the website looks gravely disorganized and cluttered, then people got sick of it or simply refused to join.

    • 2 years ago
  • 02
  • UrbanGypsy
    • 0
      UrbanGypsy  

    • My MySpace usage used to be much higher than Facebook, but now its the other way aroud. Now I dont even care about MySpace... i'm thinking of deleting the account..

      One website I'll never stop being a member of is Youtube... Ive been there for years...

    • 2 years ago
  • Maeveeo
    • 0
      Maeveeo  

    • My Space is good for little kids not people who play Music , it's so I heard the last place Labels look for talent
      ! You Can't Get to Far On MySpace If You play MUSIC & Your Really Good MYSPACE IS NOT THE PLACE TO GO !

    • 2 years ago
  • lordsbassman
    • 0
      lordsbassman  

    • I feel bad for the musicians. That's the reason I joined, then everyone else did. Now it's the only reason I keep going back... [about once every two weeks.]

    • 2 years ago
  • USWGO
    • 0
      USWGO  

    • Well Myspace has become a stupid site because I tried to put a joke video on myspace and because I said one word which was the non-cuss term Americans didn't like I said that there was a bomb in my taco because it was super hot and nearly killed me but myspace mods thought I was supporting terrorism because they couldn't take a **** joke so they took down my video several times I reuploaded it.

      Myspace has become the penicle of NOTHING!

    • 2 years ago
  • lordsbassman
  • ZinaDude
  • Snuff99
  • macgarys1
    • 0
      macgarys1  

    • abbym0308

      it's already happening, Twitter is the fastes growing social network, faster than Facebook (not in total users but in growing pace)

    • 2 years ago
  • lordsbassman
  • macgarys1
    • 0
      macgarys1  
    • macgarys1:

      i wouldn't either... i don't get it.... i didn't get Myspace either, Facebook i go to because i've found friends from kindergarthen and elementary school. ) people i really liked back then, and than for some reason we stopped talking. (which i didn't in myspace) so we catch up. That is ok.. now going in my cel phone and typing (oh sorry... twittering...) what's on my head... mmmm not so much..

    • 2 years ago
  • keithponder
  • oracleruby
    • 0
      oracleruby  

    • Best of luck to Chris DeWolfe. With a background like his I'm sure he won't have any problems finding his next adventure. MySpace has brought me an abundance of joy, a little tears, and a bunch of laughs a long the way. Although I'm not addicted to it as a couple of years ago, I'm still in love with the site.

    • 2 years ago
  • abbym0308
    • 0
      abbym0308  

    • Don't worry, in a few years' time we'll be reading the same headline but with Facebook on the decline and some other new internet phenomenon taking over. It's just the nature of the game.

    • 2 years ago
  • mistigrist
  • vicafri
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