13 Responses for "Cess Pool of Crappy Design"

1. Zandra August 11th, 2006 at 12:27 pm 1

   I’m a myspace user and I agree with you. I hate that I can’t just view people’s pages without having to be assulted with their crappy taste in music.

2. D M August 11th, 2006 at 1:55 pm 2

   MySpace is the asshole of the internet. It’s shitty to use, shitty to deal with, shitty to read.

   But you can stalk people on it, sometimes. It’s the only reason I’ve got one-and I’ve long since decided not to give a fuck about it.

   So resist. there are other, cooler ways to have internet presence!

3. Kables August 11th, 2006 at 2:03 pm 3

   If you’re concerned about the design on MySpace, then you don’t get MySpace. I don’t mean to be harsh — I simply mean that the reason it’s so off-the-charts popular is precisely because of shitty design. Not that bad design attracts people; rather, most people have no knowledge of the principles of design, and since users can pimp their MySpace pages precisely to their liking, they turn out shitty. But what if people couldn’t pimp their pages? Where would be? Stuck with the rigid rules and tyranny of Friendster. MySpace gives people just enough control that their pages are their own.

   So, yeah, MySpace pages are terrible. But so is teenage fashion. But if you want to be linked into, you have to put up with it (MySpace and teenage fashion). The best you can do is make your MySpace page presentable. If that still bothers you enough to bitch about it, stay away . . . chances are you’re not really using MySpace to its full potential anyway.

4. Kables August 11th, 2006 at 2:08 pm 4

   Oh, and as zefrank says in that episode: “Ugly as a representation of mass experimentation and learning is pretty damn cool.”

   Word.

5. Toftie August 11th, 2006 at 2:39 pm 5

   Wow, I had no idea I just shit on your mother’s face.

   As with all blog entries, mine is exaggerating my hatred. And YES, I did note what he said at the end and that is why I thought he was cool because even though he is acknowledging all the things I hate about it, he turned it around to show pretty much your point, which I don’t really disagree with. Like most things I hate, it’s because there is a little bit of me in them or something I don’t want to admit I like. So there is a little toftie wanting to design the hell out of a page and talk to all sorts of people and be friends with bands and feel pluggedin. I’m just lazy and still liking the good ol’ fashion browsing of the internet and having made the jump to community spaces (other than this). And “concerned with the design of myspace” is sort of a strong statement. I’m not concerned. I don’t stay up at night worrying about it, but maybe I’m taking your words too literally now.   And do you really think it’s “off the charts” popular because of shitty design?  No, maybe because they GET to design their page it appeals to them, but there is so much more going on here than friendster and that’s what makes it popular.  Not because everyone likes the shitty design.
   Hmmm…think I touched a nerve.

6. Kables August 11th, 2006 at 3:38 pm 6

   Perhaps I didn’t phrase it right: bad design doesn’t make MySpace popular, but the fact that people can design badly makes MySpace popular.

   No, you didn’t touch a nerve, really. It’s just that this topic has been hashed out on so many web design blogs, that the topic has gotten old, especially when the benefits of social networking are so obvious . . . all these self-righteous designers won’t deign to participate in MySpace, yet they have so much to gain from it. It’s like an interior designer who is unwilling to go to a friend’s party because that friend has Coors Light posters on the wall and 70’s shag carpet on the floor–even if every one of that interior designer’s friends is going to be there, there’s free beer, and there’s a good chance he’ll hook up with a hottie. It’s such a priggish, conceited attitude. Throw the baby out the bathwater.

7. toftie August 11th, 2006 at 4:29 pm 7

   I knew what you meant, I was just ridin’ ya. The fact is I’m not a designer and I am joiking about my pretentious attitude towards MySpcare just a little. The truth of the matter is I can’t figure out why I haven’t gotten on the bandwagon and so I’m thinking out loud. But far be it from me to try to talk about things that have already been talked to death on this here internet. I’ll try scanning around and reading more so I don’t bother with themes that may be deemed overdone.

8. D M August 11th, 2006 at 7:06 pm 8

   I didn’t realize that the design issues of MySpace had been so contencious. And I spell like ass right now b/c I’m drinking.
   But I cannot deny it’s force as a social network, not at all. The genius of allowing bands to post songs, etc, etc…I mean, it’s all about being able to expose more to more people.

   And it does that well. Plus, as you noted; you can muck with your page as much as you’d like. People like to feel like unique snowflakes.

9. toftie August 11th, 2006 at 11:14 pm 9

   But fight club taught us that we are not unique snowflakes.

10. Aaron August 12th, 2006 at 9:12 am 10

    Shut up, punk.

11. Kables August 13th, 2006 at 12:02 pm 11

    Aaron is a unique snowflake. And cute. Like a bunny.

12. Kables August 13th, 2006 at 12:04 pm 12

    You can talk about anything you like. You know how we all like to debate.

13. Madster August 14th, 2006 at 11:18 pm 13

    What’s MySpace?