There have been rumors for some time, fueled by occasional comments from News Corp., that the media giant's days of owning also-ran social network MySpace are numbered. News Corp. COO Chase Carey indicated that MySpace may be sold or spun out when he spoke on the company's earnings call on Feb. 2.

Buried in a line item of the News Corp. (NWS) fiscal second-quarter earnings release were the results of MySpace, under the category of "Other." The description of the segment was: "The Other segment reported a second-quarter operating loss of $156 million, which is $31 million greater than the prior year. This decline was primarily due to increased losses at the Digital Media Group, stemming largely from lower search and advertising revenues at MySpace."

Continue reading Is News Corp. Saying Goodbye to MySpace?

Is News Corp. Saying Goodbye to MySpace? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp. (NWS) issued its fiscal second-quarter report on Wednesday after the bell. The stock rose 2.5% to $17.51 on active volume by the end of the regular session. The reaction in the after-hours session was, to be honest, dreadfully boring. The shares finished up fractionally to $17.55 at the conclusion of that trading period. Guess the market wasn't too impressed by the earnings news; either that, or it figured that the rise before the posting of the numbers was good enough.

According to the corporate press release, adjusted net income calculated out to 29 cents per share in Q2. That was four pennies above the year-ago profit. Marketwatch says that the 29-cent figure was one penny ahead of the overall estimate.

Continue reading News Corp. Earnings: Growth in Adjusted Q2 Profit

News Corp. Earnings: Growth in Adjusted Q2 Profit originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 03 Feb 2011 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading MySpace Cuts Workforce by 47%

MySpace Cuts Workforce by 47% originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 12 Jan 2011 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

The world of Internet traffic moves at lightning speed. So, too, do the moods and preferences of users. Back in 2007, News Corp's (NWS) MySpace was No. 1. Google.com (GOOG) took the No. 1 spot in 2008 and 2009. In 2009, Facebook has taken the No. 1 spot, with 8.9% of U.S. visits, edging Google.com, which had 7.2% of visits, Reuters reported, citing online measurement service Experian Hitwise.

Facebook was started by Mark Zuckerberg and a few classmates in 2004. Facebook users can create profiles with photos, lists of personal interests, contact details and other information. Users can communicate with friends and other users through private or public messages and a chat feature. They can also join interest groups and "like pages."

Continue reading Facebook Edges Google as Most Visited Site in the U.S.

Facebook Edges Google as Most Visited Site in the U.S. originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

According to an item highlighted by TheFly, it appears as if News Corp. (NWS) may be interested in selling MySpace. There are no guarantees, of course, but I'll tell you this: I hope a sale happens. And the sooner the better.

Sure, in theory, MySpace was a great acquisition. It was the hot destination on the web for a while. Reality, however, has a way of interfering with even the best ideas. The Internet can evolve very quickly; CEOs need to be extremely cautious about what they decide to buy when they are playing this part of the media game.

Continue reading Will News Corp. Make the Right Decision Concerning MySpace?

Will News Corp. Make the Right Decision Concerning MySpace? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 01 Dec 2010 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

News Corp. (NWS) and MySpace. They've been together for a while. And I have a question: Should they still be together? Is there any reason for the social networking business to be in Rupert Murdoch's empire? Personally, I don't see a rationale for keeping MySpace in the fold.

Of course, I'm sure Chief Digital Officer Jonathan Miller has a different opinion. In fact, in the following Reuters article, he denies rumors concerning a desire on the part of News Corp. to sell the asset. Too bad, because I think it should be sold. Seriously, my sympathies go out to anyone in charge of bringing MySpace back to relevancy.

Continue reading News Corp. Should Get Rid of MySpace

News Corp. Should Get Rid of MySpace originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 10 Jul 2010 12:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Off-Platform Key to Social Media Survival and Success

Off-Platform Key to Social Media Survival and Success originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 08 Apr 2010 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

I'm sure everyone knows about the growth problems at the social-networking site. This recent article at Reuters discusses them. Morale at the company appears to be waning. Unique visitors aren't what they used to be. An ad agreement with Google (GOOG) is about to expire; any new transaction on that front may not be as valuable now that MySpace has been relegated to not-as-cool-as-it-used-to-be status.

Continue reading News Corp. Not Having Fun with MySpace

News Corp. Not Having Fun with MySpace originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading MySpace's Cofounder Jumps into Social Gaming

MySpace's Cofounder Jumps into Social Gaming originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 04 Mar 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

An interesting piece of legislation is now blasting its way through the chambers of the Maryland legislature. This legislation threatens to lay waste to Internet social networking as we know it, if not for the inclusion of one solitary line of text.

While it appears honorable and well-intentioned on it's face, Maryland's HB65 (pdf file) is meant to place severe restrictions on the practice of international marriage brokering. If signed into law, the bill will place strict and deeply invasive disclosure requirements on the clients and providers of international match making services. This legislation does not bode well for the likes of eHarmony and Match.com.

Continue reading Facebook Saved by One Line of Text

Facebook Saved by One Line of Text originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sun, 28 Feb 2010 10:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) has been decent recently about integrating tools outside its own realm into its newer products. Take, for example, Outlook. The most widely-used corporate email client has lost ground in recent years to web-based email alternatives that allow email usage without a locally-installed application.

From looking at the newer Outlook 2010 (which has not been released yet), Microsoft is trying something new: making Outlook a central communication hugs that not only handles corporate email, but integrates such social networking services as MySpace, Twitter and Facebook.

Continue reading Microsoft Pulls Facebook and MySpace into Outlook

Microsoft Pulls Facebook and MySpace into Outlook originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Five Social Media Marketing Stats That Will Blow Your Mind

Five Social Media Marketing Stats That Will Blow Your Mind originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 11:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Retailers Lagging in Social Media Rush

Retailers Lagging in Social Media Rush originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Fri, 12 Feb 2010 09:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Social Media Backlash?

Social Media Backlash? originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

If Mark Zuckerberg knew then what he knows now ... Facebook would be more like MySpace, which is now owned by News Corp. (NWS). And, he's willing to admit this in public.

In a six-minute on-stage interview with TechCrunch, Zuckerberg went on at length about the social media platform's privacy settings, which have been the subject of unending debate. He says that he'd make more data public by default if he could start Facebook again. Though Zuckerberg cites Internet trends that indicate a reduced concern with privacy, the real reasons are more likely financial.

Continue reading Facebook Wants to Be MySpace

Facebook Wants to Be MySpace originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 11 Jan 2010 10:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Facebook could use more older women, not to mention younger people in general. As the company pushes toward what is expected to be an IPO in 2010, it needs to shore up its user base in all demographics, if for no other reason than to diversify against a new social media platform that appeals to a specific community. So, even with the site pushing past 100 million monthly active users according to its advertising tool, with the addition of 5 million in December, there is work to be done if Facebook will make a successful entry into the public market.

Long derided by "serious folk" as a place for kids, Facebook's membership consists mostly of adults. Fifty-six percent of the user base is female, and 60% of users are 25 years of age or above. In fact, 20% of them are at least 45 years old. Some of the groups that are underrepresented are showing rapid growth. Men over 55 grew twice as fast as their female counterparts, though the younger generation moved onto Facebook most aggressively last year. Users age 26 to 34 showed the biggest overall increase in 2009, with 839,000 monthly active users. This represents a substantial shift from the trend earlier in the year, in which it was the later generation flocking to Facebook. Women over 55 didn't jump on the bandwagon as quickly as other groups.

Continue reading Demographic Gaps Threaten Facebook's Future

Demographic Gaps Threaten Facebook's Future originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Continue reading Social Network Ad Spending Jumps in '09 and Will Keep Rising

Social Network Ad Spending Jumps in '09 and Will Keep Rising originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Does anyone remember Friendster? For about ten minutes seven years ago, it was the hottest thing in social networking. The site that effectively kicked off the social media movement didn't stay in vogue long, however, eventually riding a wave of user referrals to Asia. Meanwhile, MySpace, Facebook and Twitter came along, taking over the sector -- and the hype that comes with it.

Well, Friendster is worth something to somebody, it seems. The company is due to be sold at the end of the month for $100 million. The social networking service is tops in Asia, which is where more than half of its 100 million-strong user base can be found.

Continue reading Friendster to sell for $100 million

Friendster to sell for $100 million originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Once upon a time, Mac users could brag they were much safer from malicious electronic attacks. After all, in the days before Google (GOOG), when Microsoft (MSFT) was the only uber-player in town, Windows was the perpetual malware target. Phishers, however, aren't discriminating; they're just looking for an account to plunge. So, both Apple (AAPL) and Microsoft users are threatened. Virus writers do tend to focus on the Windows operating system, which owns 90% of the OS market, but phishers are platform independent.

Phishing involves attempts to get a user to reveal information about their accounts. Once the soon-to-be victim clicks that link or fills out a form, the "transaction" is complete -- no operating system interaction necessary. As a result, there really isn't any advantage to using a Mac over a PC.

Continue reading Apple's Macs aren't safe from phishing attacks

Apple's Macs aren't safe from phishing attacks originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

For News Corp. (NWS), MySpace is the mistake that keeps on costing. It's bad enough that Murdoch's empire paid $500 million for the social networking platform shortly before Facebook knocked it from the premier spot in the social media beauty pageant, but now we also know that News Corp. has committed $350 million to office space for MySpace that will never be used.

News Corp is shelling out more than $1 million a month for 420,000 square feet in Playa Vista, near Los Angeles International Airport. The deal was signed in August 2008 by Peter Levinsohn, former president of the Fox Interactive Media Unit. At the time, he issued a chest-puffing memo claiming it was "the single biggest real-estate transaction in Los Angeles in the last 25 years." Fortunately, he didn't mix the word "genius" in there at all.

Continue reading News Corp's MySpace mistakes pile up

News Corp's MySpace mistakes pile up originally appeared on BloggingStocks on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.