The End of an Era – From My Space to Less Space

It was July, 2006, and I was in LA recording the “Bridge of No Return” CD, and my producer, David Longoria, said something like “Man, you gotta be on MySpace!” And so it started, the voracious monster that was My Space for Music five years ago – Get more friends! Get more comments! Get more Likes! It set a new standard for independent DIY musicians’ ability to reach fans, promote their music, tours, merchandise, and ideas.

There was a lot to love about MySpace back then. Customizable profile pages, a super-slick streaming widget for songs, robust blog platform, and Friends! Thousands and thousands of Friends!!! Meanwhile, Facebook (2004) was starting to catch on, and then Twitter (2008) became the SNS du jour . Slowly, but surely, our attention-span for producing and consuming an online dialogue was being whittled down to 164 characters or less.  

I took the plunge to Facebook in early 2010, wanting to connect with real, here-and-now “friends,” while staying active with MySpace to promote my music. But at the same time, MySpace was making desperate attempts to recapture the mass exodus that was happening. Before the dust settled, they had neutered the blog platform, and instead put energy into Facebook- and Twitter-like functions like “Check-in,” et al. Somehow, I’m thinking when Shakespeare uttered the words “Brevity is the soul of wit,” he wasn’t thinking Facebook- or Twitter-brevity. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just as interested in what you had for dinner, how your commute to work went, what you’re listening to on Spotify, spiritual mandates, political rants, and pet photos as the next guy. I also appreciate the friends, writers, and organizations that contribute to the online dialogue that in some ways make up for the loss of human interaction that technology has brought on, and post comments, blogs, photos, and articles that inform, inspire, and involve us.

And so, I am closing my MySpace page, and with the help of my talented assistant, Sara,  have launched an exciting, multi-platform way of  “putting it out there.”

Facebook -   https://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=667837430

Nothing changing here. Still the best way to stay connected with friends, old and new.

Facebook Music Page - https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Michael-J-Downey/10150161100620145

Great new page with music, videos, photos, etc from Michael J Downey and the World. Now check it out and LIKE me, dangit!

Michaeljdowney.com – http://www.michaeljdowney.com/

We’ve completely re-tooled the home page with new links, a live RSS feed of recent blogs, etc. And I’m very excited that we were able to save all the blogs from MySpace and make them available via the new blog page – http://www.michaeljdowney.com/blog/blog.html

Japan tours, Korea trips, recording in LA, and random thoughts on music, travel, and life!

Hashi.org – http://www.hashi.org

My California Non-Profit Organization dedicated to furthering cultural exchange between the US, Japan, and Korea. Home page has live RSS blog feed, and searchable database of cultural exchange opportunities (e.g.- student exchange, homestay, volunteer opportunities, et al).

...the ancient art of conversation...