MySpace turns 15 and we're all nostalgic

**MySpace Memories: A Nostalgic Look Back**

As I sat reminiscing about my past experiences on MySpace, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over me. It was a time when social media platforms were still in their infancy, and users were experimenting with the possibilities of online interaction. For me, MySpace was more than just a platform – it was a community, a space where I could express myself and connect with others who shared similar interests.

Growing up, I had a unique friendship circle that included many individuals who were significantly older than me. We would often gather to discuss music, art, and literature, and I felt like I had found my tribe. MySpace became the hub of our social lives, where we would share updates, photos, and music with each other. The platform was still in its early stages, but it was already becoming an integral part of our daily routines.

I remember how exciting it was to create a profile on MySpace. It was like setting up a personal website, where I could showcase my personality, interests, and passions to the world. I would spend hours customizing my page with HTML codes, trying out different layouts and designs until I landed on one that reflected my unique style. And when it came to music, I was no exception – I spent hours uploading tracks from various albums and creating a playlist that would make my friends jealous.

MySpace was also the breeding ground for some of the most creative and innovative users online. We would share photos, artwork, and writing, showcasing our talents and passions to the world. It was like having an open studio where everyone could come and collaborate on projects – whether it was music, art, or simply sharing ideas. I remember how exhilarating it felt to be part of a community that valued creativity and self-expression.

Of course, no discussion of MySpace would be complete without mentioning the infamous "top 8" feature. It was like having an exclusive club, where you could invite your closest friends to join your inner circle. And if someone didn't make it into your top 8, it was like a big rejection – a sign that they weren't good enough for your close-knit group of friends. I remember the thrill of being included in my friend's top 8 list, and the anxiety of wondering who would be bumped out to make room for new additions.

But MySpace wasn't just about personal relationships; it was also a space for discovery and exploration. I would spend hours browsing through profiles, discovering new artists, bands, and musicians. It was like having access to a vast library of music, where you could explore and learn at your own pace. And with the rise of social networking, MySpace became one of the first platforms to introduce users to new sounds, styles, and genres.

One of my favorite memories of MySpace is when I connected with someone through the platform. I had joined a community for fans of American indie music, and it was like finding a hidden treasure trove of music enthusiasts who shared my passions. It was through this community that I met someone named Tila Tequila, an American model and socialite who would later become infamous for her neo-Nazi and white supremacist views. At the time, however, she was just another member of our online community – a person with whom we exchanged messages, photos, and music.

As I look back on my MySpace experience, I'm reminded of the power of social media to connect us all. It may have been a platform that was often criticized for its superficiality and lack of substance, but to me, it represented something more profound – a space where we could be ourselves, share our passions, and connect with others who understood us.

The rise of MySpace also marked the beginning of my journey into HTML coding. I remember spending hours scouring online forums, tutorials, and YouTube videos, trying to learn the basics of HTML and CSS. It was like learning a new language – one that would allow me to create my own content, design my own spaces, and express myself in ways that were previously unimaginable.

As I navigated the world of MySpace, I also encountered users who had created outrageous, attention-grabbing profiles that left little to the imagination. Some were so shocking that they made you laugh, while others were simply perplexing – a reflection of our collective psyche at the time. And then there were those who would post explicit content or ask for "likes" and comments in exchange for viewing their profile. It was like navigating a virtual playground where everyone was trying to outdo each other.

MySpace also became a platform for reconnecting with old friends and family members. I remember when my extended family in the States tried to find me on MySpace, after years of drifting apart. With millions of users on the platform, it was like searching for a needle in a haystack – but eventually, they found me. The reunion that followed was like a second chance at old friendships and new connections.

Of course, MySpace wasn't without its flaws. The platform was often criticized for its user interface, lack of security measures, and tendency to get bogged down with spam and ads. But as I reflect on my experience, I see these issues as an integral part of the platform's charm – a reminder that even in the digital age, imperfections can lead to growth, innovation, and self-expression.

As I closed my MySpace profile for good, I knew that I would always carry its lessons with me. The platform taught me about community, collaboration, and creativity – values that have stayed with me long after the sun went down on MySpace's starry nights. And as I look to the future, I know that these lessons will continue to inspire me, guiding me through the ever-changing landscape of social media and online platforms.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enso my myspace username was Korean boys 64 my myspace name was dr. Peter Venkman it was gnarly Arielle my myspace username was the camouflage chameleon I first account was my personal one it was Dan Ackerman and why see because someone else got there first then got regular Dan Ackerman and I was like friends with all of these like older like Kooks and stuff that I worked with and they would all be like what's up chameleon and then later they moved to a much more music oriented platform so I made a second account Dan Ackerman music right uploaded all kinds of music from different albums and stuff I worked on my myspace username I don't even want to tell you the topic moves my space was so important and it felt like such a big deal to be in someone's top eight you always tell you you had to reciprocate the feeling right like if your best friend put you as their number one you had to put them at least at number three two or one not only is like isolating eight of your friends or your family members like kind of messed up but then there was like ranking within the top eight do you remember that one of them was a girl that I had a crush on and I would it would I thought it was like a subtle message to them that hey you're on my top eight and you know I'm interested in the kind of things it's lame if tom is in your topic because you know like this person is not a serious user messed up in my head but I like evaluated all my friendships and like put one before the other and it was like this thing it's like and it was obvious and I think that's what I think that's what everyone did hell yeah I decorated my myspace page it was very classy that was a big mistake they shouldn't have let people do that I just remember everyone had these wild pages with blinky things and flashing things and everything was so seizure-inducing and I took it as a point of pride to keep my page very mellow Mary very sedate designing your own page was a really big deal if you knew how myspace is where I actually learned HTML like like learn what it was and what you could do with it I would go on to different peoples myspace steal their codes and then you could put that into your page and then kind of modify it alright I would go on google and look for you know MySpace theme codes and you can go in like copy and paste these certain codes you had to like drill down into the HTML and you could like code your own page up it was the first time I remember ever looking at the internet and being like oh everything on the Internet is just a big word puzzle I can figure this out it made me realize like oh wow this is actually so much easier to put stuff together and maybe I don't remember like a lot of what the hell you did on my series it was way more like lurking I feel like I think I'm mostly posted some photos and looked at some of my friends photos a very early version of photo sharing obviously music stuff became a big part of it that was the main thing we weren't really posting links back then so much as simply making an outpost for other people to come and see Oh a lot of my friends followed bands but someone that I like particularly remember was Tila Tequila because she was ving amis American and she was a car model then and like a lot of my guy friends had her on their top eight which is like kind of cringy on their part and then I was just like who is she I was like super infatuated with her but now she's the neo-nazi and a white supremacist so we don't talk about to India so much just like the Internet today you know you didn't have push notifications or anything and people could just post whatever they wanted to so like I remember I had some friends that were like really accrued and would like wow overnight they would post them like obscene image or something on my profile and I'd have to like check in the morning to go like delete it because it was like so gross where you put your own music on this oh that's cool I didn't know that was it good music I mean probably not you know all that matters I moved from Chicago when I was a little boy and I had an extended family that I left and many years later they were trying to look for me on their end and back then you know Matt myspace was the only social platform that you can actually go through and find people right and my name is John Kim so I'm sure that was a billion John Kim's in the world and somehow they were able to look for me on MySpace and connect with me this whole reunion happened after through myspace so just remember like even in 2004 whenever it was what I was like at the most I was ever into it I just constantly remember being like this site feels unfinished and I just remember thinking like this is very ugly even for 2004 on the Internet I just remember that so yeah that's all I know about MySpace I'm glad it's overso my myspace username was Korean boys 64 my myspace name was dr. Peter Venkman it was gnarly Arielle my myspace username was the camouflage chameleon I first account was my personal one it was Dan Ackerman and why see because someone else got there first then got regular Dan Ackerman and I was like friends with all of these like older like Kooks and stuff that I worked with and they would all be like what's up chameleon and then later they moved to a much more music oriented platform so I made a second account Dan Ackerman music right uploaded all kinds of music from different albums and stuff I worked on my myspace username I don't even want to tell you the topic moves my space was so important and it felt like such a big deal to be in someone's top eight you always tell you you had to reciprocate the feeling right like if your best friend put you as their number one you had to put them at least at number three two or one not only is like isolating eight of your friends or your family members like kind of messed up but then there was like ranking within the top eight do you remember that one of them was a girl that I had a crush on and I would it would I thought it was like a subtle message to them that hey you're on my top eight and you know I'm interested in the kind of things it's lame if tom is in your topic because you know like this person is not a serious user messed up in my head but I like evaluated all my friendships and like put one before the other and it was like this thing it's like and it was obvious and I think that's what I think that's what everyone did hell yeah I decorated my myspace page it was very classy that was a big mistake they shouldn't have let people do that I just remember everyone had these wild pages with blinky things and flashing things and everything was so seizure-inducing and I took it as a point of pride to keep my page very mellow Mary very sedate designing your own page was a really big deal if you knew how myspace is where I actually learned HTML like like learn what it was and what you could do with it I would go on to different peoples myspace steal their codes and then you could put that into your page and then kind of modify it alright I would go on google and look for you know MySpace theme codes and you can go in like copy and paste these certain codes you had to like drill down into the HTML and you could like code your own page up it was the first time I remember ever looking at the internet and being like oh everything on the Internet is just a big word puzzle I can figure this out it made me realize like oh wow this is actually so much easier to put stuff together and maybe I don't remember like a lot of what the hell you did on my series it was way more like lurking I feel like I think I'm mostly posted some photos and looked at some of my friends photos a very early version of photo sharing obviously music stuff became a big part of it that was the main thing we weren't really posting links back then so much as simply making an outpost for other people to come and see Oh a lot of my friends followed bands but someone that I like particularly remember was Tila Tequila because she was ving amis American and she was a car model then and like a lot of my guy friends had her on their top eight which is like kind of cringy on their part and then I was just like who is she I was like super infatuated with her but now she's the neo-nazi and a white supremacist so we don't talk about to India so much just like the Internet today you know you didn't have push notifications or anything and people could just post whatever they wanted to so like I remember I had some friends that were like really accrued and would like wow overnight they would post them like obscene image or something on my profile and I'd have to like check in the morning to go like delete it because it was like so gross where you put your own music on this oh that's cool I didn't know that was it good music I mean probably not you know all that matters I moved from Chicago when I was a little boy and I had an extended family that I left and many years later they were trying to look for me on their end and back then you know Matt myspace was the only social platform that you can actually go through and find people right and my name is John Kim so I'm sure that was a billion John Kim's in the world and somehow they were able to look for me on MySpace and connect with me this whole reunion happened after through myspace so just remember like even in 2004 whenever it was what I was like at the most I was ever into it I just constantly remember being like this site feels unfinished and I just remember thinking like this is very ugly even for 2004 on the Internet I just remember that so yeah that's all I know about MySpace I'm glad it's over\n"