There?s been so much literature floating around about the ongoing MySpace vs Facebook war. The former is leaving no stone unturned to chest-thump its supremacy in the wake of some serious?and presumably unforeseen, competition while the latter is silently building up.
I read an article which said, ?Facebook, the latest networking darling, is the hot new thing for Gen-X, prompting a number of fickle youngsters to quit MySpace for Facebook.?
Not sure I agree entirely! So MySpace is losing ground to Facebook, but it?s not just with the ?fickle youngsters?. I?m not awfully young nor am I fickle but I?ve transitioned to Facebook. And there are quite a few like me. I?ve had an account with MySpace and found it awful to use. The spam, the difficulty of maneuvering around it, the frustrating search, and just the lowest-common-denominator feel of MySpace have kept me away from it ever since.
Facebook, relatively, is far more corporate, smart and elitist in its approach and layout. But to play the devil?s advocate, commercially, MySpace is raking it in.
Advertising rates on MySpace have gone up, consequently boosting profitability. Estimated ad revenue for 2007 calendar year for Facebook is $125 million and $525 million for MySpace, according to research firm, eMarketer. Together, the two account for 72% of all online advertising on social networks. The unique audience of MySpace stood at 61.3 million whereas that of Facebook at 19.5 million.
So Facebook is certainly no MySpace killer; well, not as yet. But for a recent phenomenon, Facebook has amassed terrific membership already and its tribe continues to grow.
There are many pros and cons with both but the bottom-line is that between the two networks, the world is becoming smaller by the hour.
Partner vs Chak De! India
Mindless comedy, fun and music still rule over spirit, determination and lofty intentions?the overseas box-office of Partner versus Chak De! India is proof of that. But when the same commercial star of Partner features in an English language title (Marigold) opposite an international actress, the result is fatal. To summarise, the Asian audience overseas continues to opt for glossy escapist entertainment with their mainstream stars being presented in their regular avatars. Unfortunately, realistic cinema will not find acceptance if it is too stark.
Online DVD
Netflix is testing lower prices for some of its online DVD rental plans with some members. It maintains however that it is a regular price test so that we do not read more than what meets the eye. To put it simply, with rampant physical and online piracy, the overseas home-entertainment market for Bollywood is in a shambles, and that?s true of Hollywood as well. Little surprise that everyone?s forced to experiment with price cuts to match the pirate.
?The author is a film producer and overseas distributor. He may be reached at garg.tan@gmail.com