MySpace Offers New SDK To Android, iPhone Developers

It’s possible that MySpace will soon become much more popular with people who own iPhones, iPod Touches, iPads, and Android devices.  MySpace announced this afternoon that it’s launched a new SDK designed to make it easier for developers to integrate the site into their applications.

MySpace’s timing is excellent.  Earlier today, a report from Gartner indicated that Android and the iPhone OS are the only two mobile operating systems to have seen a year-over-year increase in market share, and on Monday, MySpace introduced new privacy settings that could impress many of the users Facebook’s scared off.

The new SDK itself isn’t exactly bad, either.  MySpace said that it’s offering developers an integrated login UI, and then it’s covered all the basics by making sure people can send status and mood updates, see their friends, and upload photos and videos.

What’s more, MySpace explained in a statement, "MySpace will be supporting and frequently updating the SDK based on developer and user feedback, so please let us know what you think as you start working with the SDK."

It might really be worth looking for a slight bounce (or at least a smaller drop-off) in MySpace’s user stats over the next few months, then.

MySpace’s VP Of Corporate Communications To Leave

Today is not likely to be remembered fondly by members of MySpace’s PR department.  One of the most visible people on MySpace’s payroll announced this afternoon that she is leaving, and to complicate the situation, Dani Dudeck is actually the company’s vice president of corporate communications.

Dudeck’s departure may be rough on MySpace’s image for several reasons, starting with her destination.  Dudeck wrote on Twitter that she’s headed to Zynga, and while many factors could have influenced her decision, it’s hard not to infer that she thinks the social gaming company must in some way have a brighter future than MySpace.

The fact that Dudeck, and not MySpace, broke the news of her departure (and broke it with just a few days to go) is also a cause for concern.  Although to be fair, we’re waiting to hear back from MySpace regarding how it views the development and whether a replacement’s been lined up.

Also, in an objective sense, this shouldn’t represent too huge a blow for MySpace, regardless.  Dudeck has been with the company for years, but it would’ve arguably been worse if MySpace were to lose an engineering genius in charge of its next big product, or a sales whiz who arranged all of its biggest ad deals.

We’ll be sure to report any additional info as it becomes available.

MySpace Introduces Ticketing & Event Service

it will add additional features including mobile access, concert notifications and film releases.

“Ultimately our goal is to create a destination that allows users to manage their entire social calendar online through MySpace,” said Marcus Womack, Director of Events and Ticketing for MySpace. “Also, we’re providing artists with advanced tools to help connect with fans and promote their shows while conversely enabling fans to quickly and easily discover, share and purchase tickets to those shows.”

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MySpace Lines Up Special Content For iPad Users

Anyone who’s sneered at the idea of using the iPad as video-watching device, citing the laptops, desktop monitors, and TVs that offer larger viewing areas, might have to reconsider their stance on the grounds of "something’s better than nothing."  MySpace intends to let iPad users see at least the occasional movie trailer before everybody else.

Today marks the first time that this is occurring, with iPad users getting to view what’s been billed as the "exclusive debut" of the Resident Evil: Afterlife trailer.  At some point, iPad users should get the opportunity to see a trailer for Step Up 3D prior to the general public, too.

Of course, this tends to raise the question of how MySpace intends to separate out its regular visitors from iPad users, and on the MySpace Blog, COO Mike Jones addressed the issue by writing, "[U]sers who visit MySpace.com through the iPad Web browser will see specially customized content."

Jones also promised, "iPad users can also view full 1080p HD trailers for some of the most highly anticipated movies of the year . . ."

So it looks like MySpace – along with Google, Yahoo, and just about every other company in the world – will be trying hard to win over iPad users.  It should be interesting to see what the social network can achieve.

Should Social Media Be Held Accountable for User Actions?

A judge in Milan, Italy has convicted three Google executives over a video uploaded to YouTube in a case, which could have serious implications for social media and ultimately, the web in general, at least in Italy. The video, uploaded back in 2006, featured a group of school kids bullying an autistic child. Google says it worked with Italian authorities to help ID the person responsible for uploading it, and the uploader and other participants from the video were sentenced to community service.

Now, in 2010, Google executives David Drummond, Peter Fleischer and George Reyes(3 out of 4 defendants) have been convicted for "failure to comply with the Italian privacy code." They were all found not guilty of criminal defamation.

Should these Google execs be held accountable? Comment here.

"In essence this ruling means that employees of hosting platforms like Google Video are criminally responsible for content that users upload," writes Matt Sucherman, VP and Deputy General Counsel – Europe, Middle East and Africa on the Google Blog. "We will appeal this astonishing decision because the Google employees on trial had nothing to do with the video in question."

This is a case of a business being held accountable for user-generated content. Isn’t the entire web generated by users? What if Google’s search engine (algorithmically) indexed something illegal. Should company execs be penalized, even if they comply with authorities’ requests for removal of such content? Ask yourself these questions:

-  What if YouTube, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc. had to shut down because it couldn’t control the things users post?

- What if every blogging platform had to do the same?

- What if you went to jail for comments posted on your blog?

You’re not likely going to go to jail for comments posted on your blog, but the point is, that by allowing people to post comments on your blog, you are allowing user-generated content, that you can’t necessarily control until after it’s been posted, unless you don’t let them go live until approving them. Google is being held accountable for content that users uploaded, which was not in their control until after the fact. YouTube users upload 20 hours of video every minute, according to Google.

You can see why this case is much bigger than just the specific instance it involves. The case is subject to appeal, but if it is not overturned, what will this mean for the web? Tell us what you think.

"The video was totally reprehensible and we took it down within hours of being notified by the Italian police," says Sucherman.

"To be clear, none of the four Googlers charged had anything to do with this video," he says. "They did not appear in it, film it, upload it or review it. None of them know the people involved or were even aware of the video’s existence until after it was removed."

He goes on to talk about how the case "attacks the very principles of freedom on which the Internet is built," also mentioning that European Union law dictates that hosting providers have a safe harbor from liability as long as they remove illegal content once they are notified of its existence. "If that principle is swept aside and sites like Blogger, YouTube and indeed every social network and any community bulletin board, are held responsible for vetting every single piece of content that is uploaded to them — every piece of text, every photo, every file, every video — then the Web as we know it will cease to exist, and many of the economic, social, political and technological benefits it brings could disappear," Sucherman says.

If rulings such as the one against these Google execs were to become commonplace, how much do you think that would affect the social media industry? Companies like Google, Facebook, MySpace, etc. couldn’t let users upload content, which essentially means social media couldn’t exist. User-generated content couldn’t exist. How could you blog? How could you leave a status update on Facebook, or upload a family photo to Picasa? There is always the possibility that some user could make a death threat or upload child porn, so if the companies behind the services that were used to commit these crimes were held accountable, how could their businesses continue?

That’s why Google is not only upset about the ruling against its executives, but calls it a "serious threat to the web."

Should Google (or any other site) be held responsible for content that users upload (even when said content is removed)? Share your thoughts.

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