Thread: Help me understand the appeal of myspace from a *dance* perspective

I can see how myspace could be fun for sharing party photos, vacation photos, etc. I can see how it could be fun for following your favorite indie band.

But, from a belly dance perspective, what value does it offer, exactly?

I'm on facebook, which I find to have similar functionality. I like facebook and I'm starting to build a network of dance contacts on my "friends" list. I post "notes" there to announce new additions to my web site, correspond with individuals about stuff, and I've opened a group called "Shira's Belly Dancing Corner" that people are starting to join and participate in.

But myspace isn't going as well for me as facebook is.

I tried to post my class schedule, but it seems to have a bug. I was able to post ONE of my classes. However, when I clicked on the button to submit my schedule entry, it returned to displaying my schedule page but the class did not appear. I tried multiple times, using 2 different computers and 2 different browsers. What good is the calendar feature if it doesn't let you post your schedule?

Every time I open a myspace window on my computer, performance of my entire computer slows to a crawl. It makes using my computer feel like waiting for paint to dry.

I've posted a whole bunch of blogs, but almost no one is reading them, which is quite a difference from tribe.net and facebook.

So please help me understand - is there something great (from a dance-related point of view) about myspace that I'm just not seeing?

I don't personally make good use of myspace, so take the following with a grain of salt.

But myspace has historically been the connection of choice for bands and the clubs they play in. It's a big player in the entertainment industry. If you're interested in getting gigs of that type, or if your city has a large enough Arab population to be dealing with live bands and nightclubs, myspace can be an important way to keep up with local happenings and hear about potential gigs early.

I joined on the recommendation of a restaurant owner, who told me it's an important way to make connections with venues. When we were organizing an event at her location, she wanted to include two entire troupes of dancers *even though she'd never seen them dance or met them* because they were her myspace 'friends.'

That convinced me, and I joined. But I haven't made very good use of it yet.

I find Myspace insanely annoying, and am not sold on generic social networking in the first place (Though I enjoy topic-specific social networking sites like Ravelry and Goodreads, and both of those are *much* better designed than Myspace)

The only reason I do much on Myspace at all is because there are a couple of bands in town I open for occasionally, and since Myspace is basically the band information clearinghouse of the internet, it's the easiest place for me to coordinate with them.

Myspace is totally annoying, however I've made a lot of contacts through it. I've had people say that they saw me at some venue and then found me through that myspace and offer me work. I don't like it as much as facebook, but it's helped me connect.

Shira I'm having trouble with myspace speed too..

myspace doesnt have much appeal to me personally..I do not care for the overly decorated profiles that are difficult to read. I'm on there mostly for family members and to keep an eye on my teenager who has a garishly emo decorated profile that is so annoying to the eyes i can't stand to read it :)

I have a belly dance Myspace page, and I have the address on my business card. It's nice because sometimes after shows or classes, audience members or students will add me as friends. It is also helpful in the event that my website address changes because if I have both on my business card then at least people can still find me and get a link to the new site. Plus, I can have people like makeup artists, seamstresses, bands I work with, other dancers, restaurants, photographers, etc., listed as friends, so it's almost like a more accessible system of links. I have also gotten contacted by clubs looking for dancers, as well as DJs looking to network, via Myspace, and I think many people use it as a prime medium for navigating the web. That said, I don't really spend all that much time on it and probably don't use it to the fullest...

So, for those of you who have gotten gigs through myspace, what kind of stuff did you put on myspace to make yourself findable by prospective employers? Was it blogging? Was it your profile page?

I think, based on my personal experience, that MySpace is more useful if you are an alternative sort of dancer, gothic or tribal fusion or whathaveyou. I've gotten dance inquiries (and gigs) for doing my gothic stuff there, but never inquiries for Arabic-style. I think that rather goes with the whole music and bands orientation of MySpace. How these people found me, I don't really know--I'm thinking it was just from clicking around within their networks and finding their way to my profile through a mutual friend or extended network. I do use it as a publicity tool for my annual gothic event, Raks Spooki, and for that I do blog entries and repeated bulletins.

But really I'm mostly just there for the music. I too find Facebook a much more effective way to present myself.

Originally Posted by *Shira*

So, for those of you who have gotten gigs through myspace, what kind of stuff did you put on myspace to make yourself findable by prospective employers? Was it blogging? Was it your profile page?

Blogging and that kind stuff on MySpace is basically worthless, I think. Using the bulletin functionality is great for making announcements about where you'll be performing, etc, but that's just the internet equivalent of putting up flyers.

I've used Myspace as essentially an online extension of my in-person network. I started performing at variety shows put on by real-life friends of mine, then when people saw me at those shows, they added me on Myspace. Later, when they were looking for opening acts for their own shows, they got in touch with my through Myspace.

It hasn't connected me to anyone I didn't already have a real-life friends-of-friends-of-friends type of connection to, but it has made getting in touch easier.

i have had the same issues with my calendar (I post my performance schedule and local workshops). I found that the appointments needed to be uniquely named. This really irritates me, but i put up with it only out of necessity. I haven't gotten any gigs out of it but I just recently started promoting myself as a pro.

I found it very useful when I did not have a web site. I still use it and have gained many students and great contacts!
It ranks high on google so blogging often about classes or events is good. Maybe it's because I am in a small market?
I find it great for students to be able to friend me when they start classes.
It is good for a quick and easy reminder to students or my performance group as opposed to changing my web site.
All in all it's been positive for my business in general!

For me, I use it to keep track of friends, etc. I joined because some friends who had a band were insistent and very bad at answering e-mails! I have very few people on my friends list who either aren't belly dancers, ME style musicians or personal friends.

My experience is that all the functions are temperamental at the best of times. And yes, the site does run slow. But from what I understand, there are an average of a million users - give or take a few thousand - logged in at a time.

I, too, am annoyed with the uber fancy skins. Many times it is impossible to read what is on the site simply because the font colour is so close to the back ground colour.

But, that having been said, I also don't like most networking site including Facebook. But that is just me.

{{{HUGS}}}}

I avoid myspace like the plague.

From the first time I set eyes on a myspace-page I found that it looked terrible and the impression was confirmed every time I went back.

I prefer Facebook, it's much cleaner looking and less confusing.
It's a good tool for me to connect with people of the dance scene in other parts of the country. And yes, it helps me find new workshop sponsors.

MEISSOUN

bars, restaurants, speciality shops, entertainers, fitness instructors in my area use myspace. i have had contacts from that.

i'm cheap and don't want to pay for a website and myspace fills the need to have a place to send inquiries to look at pix or schedule. my myspace googles up high when looking for bd in my area.

personally i found tribe annoying to deal with and can not get into facebook. tinah

A lot of people use myspace as an alternative to having a true personal website, as Tinah mentioned. I think this is especially popular with the type of people who'd already have myspace pages anyway, and they see it as sort of a logical way to segue into their bellydance business.

Personally, I prefer to have my own website that I maintain, manage the content of, etc. For my purposes, it allows me to add all sorts of neat-o stuff like handouts, photos, articles, etc. in a format that is (for me anyway) a bit more user-friendly than myspace. I don't like the layout problems people have with myspace, and I also don't like the fact that someone could spam your comment board and then have potential clients see that (i know you can set it to off, but where's the fun in that?).

Now, I have a myspace page and a regular website and I receive far more business from the latter. That might be because my myspace started out as personal and then kinda morphed into businessy so it's not really designed for attracting clients.

Lately, myspace has gotten more and more difficult to navigate and I admit to staying off of it. This thread has me thinking I should pop over, though, and check it out and maybe revamp!

Here is my perspective, Shira.

I have sought out other *local* artists, bands, groups, and entities to friend on myspace. I think this has probably helped us quite a bit in terms of maintaining a local "presence". I prioritize local people in our top friends. To see what I mean, here is our myspace page: MySpace.com - Nile Breeze Dance Company - 42 - Female - CARBONDALE, Illinois - www.myspace.com/nilebreezedanceMy hope is that they will do the same, and that people browsing their sites will say "hmm, I wonder what the Nile Breeze Dance Company is?"

Even if it is not having much effect, it is mindlessly simple to maintain and update.

Originally Posted by faaria

I found it very useful when I did not have a web site. I still use it and have gained many students and great contacts!
It ranks high on google so blogging often about classes or events is good. Maybe it's because I am in a small market?
I find it great for students to be able to friend me when they start classes.
It is good for a quick and easy reminder to students or my performance group as opposed to changing my web site.
All in all it's been positive for my business in general!

Same here for before I had a website. Now I don't keep up with it, but it's nice for friends to see what dance stuff I've been up to.

myspace hasnt' done anything from a professional area, but is just a way to stay in contact with people who rarely check email, but are always on myspace..LOL

im sooo with ya shira!
excuse me, but all of those places, squdio, tribe, my, face...whatever.seem to me, a mutual mastorbation society.
they all leave a ton of cookies i have never found anything i felt was ligit on any of these "places".i get parts of them sent to me all the time.
z

I think this is what I don't like about most networking sites: many of them started out with very definite agendas and have become little more than pick up sites. Myspace was for bands, Face book and Linked in were actually set up as a way for professionals to network. Many of the people I receive friends requests from these days are men trying to pick me up or bands which have nothing to do with my style of music. Neither of which I am interested in.

{{{HUGS}}}

Originally Posted by tahiradancer

Myspace was for bands,

Myspace was developed as a competitor to Friendster and has always had individual profiles, and been positioned as a general social network. It was not built for bands, though they developed the special profiles for bands early on.

Face book and Linked in were actually set up as a way for professionals to network.

Facebook was not intended for professional networking, it was built for college students to network (in fact, when it first opened, and until a year or two ago, you had to have a college email address to sign up) an in that respect, it has always been about guys trying to pick girls up to the extent that that's an integral part of the modern college experience. ..l;,

Of the ones you mention, Linked In is the only one that was built for professional networking, and I've never gotten any contact on there that wasn't business related - have you gotten guys coming on to you on Linked In? That would be really annoying.

Thanks for the clarification. I went on Myspace because friends in bands were there. I was told that was what it was for. Facebook was introduced to me by my CEO / CotB boss. With this info, it makes me wonder. . .

{{{{HUGS}}}

I just use myspace to keep up with my friends and make new contacts. I don't have guys hitting on me. *shrug*

I know this is an old thread, but I'd like to add something: MySpace crashes my computer! Some profiles are very hard to open due to the Flash stuff people put on it. I don't like the messy-ness of MySpace, lots of profiles are very hard to navigate and sometimes tect isn't even visible anymore due to the backgrounds. Of course I've seen some very nicely designed profiles, so it is possible.
I also prefer Facebook to MySpace, but I do have a profile on MySpace.

Gahhhhhhhh, I HATE MySpace!!!!! The profiles are ugly and there's never a shortage of nasty perverts friend requesting me

But I'm still on there, because it's gotten me a couple of good contacts and even some leads for nightclub events. More so than Facebook. Seems like MySpace is still the preferred medium for venue owners.

we had a big show last may 7th, with brother of baladi.3/4 of those who came, got it from our myspace.it's just how kids do things these days!
actually shira, i have a friend request in to you, lololol