MyDD :: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy

Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy

by Anthony de Jesus, Thu May 03, 2007 at 02:46:44 PM EST

Instead of exploring the "he said/she said" aspect of this, I want to look into why people might feel the way they do about this much-talked-about scenario.

First, let's take the perspective of someone working in the Obama campaign who is confronted with a request for $40,000. How much is a campaign worker paid (if that worker is not a volunteer)? How does an annual salary of $60,000 sound? At least, that's that the average political campaign worker's annual salary after 10-15 years, according to the Princeton Review. Imagine that someone is asking for almost as much money as you make in a year for a few months of part-time work that your teenage son could have done. How does that make you feel? Wouldn't you feel like you're being extorted?

Now, let's take the perspective of some parts of the blogosphere. Let's face it, some people have dreams of fame and fortune by becoming a political blogger. There's a ton of Daily Kos drama caused by people angling for front pager gigs. The Obama campaign saying they refuse to pay x dollars sets a cap on how much one could possibly hope to make from blogging and citizen net activities that don't require a degree in computer science. This crushed some dreams, and people have responded angrily. Wouldn't you lash out if you felt that someone was threatening your valuation of your self-worth?

Tags: Barack Obama, MySpace, blogosphere, netroots (all tags)

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I think you have really got it (none / 0)

on both sides.

Although to be sure, by definition anything like this that turns into a controversy is a mistake.

John McCain is a Bush ally on Social Security.

by John DE on Thu May 03, 2007 at 02:49:07 PM EST

Many assumptions (3.00 / 1)

in your diary based on pure speculation and no evidence. Not much of a deconstruction. More a constuction of an apology for the campaign.

by littafi on Thu May 03, 2007 at 02:50:00 PM EST

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (3.00 / 1)

I agree with you. If you start paying "citizens" $40,000 for four months of part-time MySpace work, what you're going to create is (1) a speculation market on candidates' names and MySpace real estate, (2) a new dot.com bubble in which every start-up is just trying to get a lot of e-mail addresses so they can sell out to the highest bidder, regardless of candidate or party, and (3) outrageous inflation in the pay for unskilled, MySpace savvy interlopers who know a gold-rush when they see one.

Barack Obama made a principled decision. Had he decided otherwise, you'd have seen MySpace pages for candidates "going public" for immense amounts of money before being sold to the candidates in exchange for a pot full of our campaign contributions.

Anybody who gets up early to see how their "Draft Mr. X" e-mail list is doing on the stock market should just get out of politics.

by Manic Lawyer on Thu May 03, 2007 at 02:59:08 PM EST

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (3.00 / 1)

Sorry, this is pretty lame and condescending (a few months of part-time work that your teenage son could have done? WTF?) If Anthony's work wasn't worth $40,000, they could have easily offered something lower. Instead, they spread rumors that he was looking for a big payday and locked him out of the community he helped build.

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by clarkent on Thu May 03, 2007 at 02:59:31 PM EST

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

Why should they pay an extortionist? Anthony changed the password, without permission, to Barack Obama's MySpace page.

I think what keeps getting forgotten here is that Anthony started Barack Obama's Myspace page without permission from Barack Obama. While it might be true that Obama should have taken control of HIS MySpace page as soon as he found out about it, he was obviously trying to be a nice guy. Anthony seemed to be a genuine supporter. Obama offered to pay him to administer Barack Obama's MySpace page. Anthony refused. Obama agreed to allow Anthony to continue to administer Barack Obama's MySpace page as long as Obama also had the password. Anthony agreed. Then he reneged on his agreement and tried to extort 40 grand from the Obama campaign.

I wouldn't have paid him a dime. Obama did the right thing.

by Mystylplx on Thu May 03, 2007 at 03:52:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

So why did the campaign ask him to make an offer, then freeze him out instead of making a counteroffer?

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by clarkent on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:01:43 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

How do you know they didn't make a counter-offer?

And also remember, if they did look at an offer or make a counter-offer it was only in a effort to be nice and avoid controversy. When they asked for an offer and Anthony came back with 40 grand I can well imagine them just throwing up their hands in disgust and saying to hell with trying to be nice.

by Mystylplx on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:06:17 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

They were asked.

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by clarkent on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:10:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

That then is understandable. This guy changed the password to Barack Obama's MySpace page and then tried to cash in on it to the tune of 40 grand. All for a few total hours of design work and the need to log in every day so the script can run and accept all the new friend requests.

I agree the HTML and design work were his and he can have them. It's unfortunate he also get's Barack Obama's friends list, not because Obama can't repopulate the list in no time, but because after the way Anthony's behaved I'm concerned with what he might do with all those names of Obama supporters.

by Mystylplx on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:21:23 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

It's funny to me how Obama supporters are so quick to turn on one of their own.

"And so in the place of the palace of privilege, we seek to build a temple out of faith and hope and charity."-FDR

by jallen on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:40:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

Naw, not funny. Sad.

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by clarkent on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:41:59 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

After trying to extort 40 grand from the Obama campaign he is not "one of their own."

I think it's funny how Edwards supporters muster junior high school arguments in an endless attempt to smear the superior candidate.

Naw, not funny, sad.

by Mystylplx on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:45:57 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

Right back atcha, bub.

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by clarkent on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:47:08 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

Well, the more traditional formula would be, "I know you are, but what am I?" But "Right back atcha, bub." is close enough to prove the point.

by Mystylplx on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:52:02 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

Making groundless accusations of extortion doesn't help your case. For your information, I haen't at all used this issue as an opportunity to criticize Barack. His supporters are the ones I take issue with on this.

"And so in the place of the palace of privilege, we seek to build a temple out of faith and hope and charity."-FDR

by jallen on Thu May 03, 2007 at 04:57:14 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

It's not a groundless accusation of extortion. It's something where it is or is not possibly extortion based on who you believe. The truth is, in part, irrelevant to some of what I am trying to say here.

My point is that some people may be preconditioned to believe that it is extortion when it might not be because of what the dollar figure cited represents in terms of their annual salary, while other people are preconditioned to believe Joe Anthony is not an extortionist because they want to be Joe Anthony and criticizing him is taken as criticism of their idealized view of netroots celebrity with cash benefits that they project upon the guy.

Things You Don't Talk About in Polite Company: Religion, Politics, the Occasional Intersection of Both

by Anthony de Jesus on Thu May 03, 2007 at 05:41:07 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

You're overthinking this.

"And so in the place of the palace of privilege, we seek to build a temple out of faith and hope and charity."-FDR

by jallen on Thu May 03, 2007 at 05:54:32 PM EST
[ Parent ]

Re: Deconstructing the MySpace Controversy (none / 0)

I would rather overthink this than engage in simplified Bush-level analysis.

Things You Don't Talk About in Polite Company: Religion, Politics, the Occasional Intersection of Both

by Anthony de Jesus on Thu May 03, 2007 at 08:12:01 PM EST
[ Parent ]