I’m Losing It, According To MySpace

November 16th, 2008 | Comments | Email This Article

I received the letter below from MySpace, and I’m not sure what to make of it. The service is threatening to take away my personal MySpace URL — forever. I’m a huge fan of MySpace’s contribution to the digital self-expression revolution, but this note left me feeling uneasy. Am I justifed in feeling this way? What do you think?

MySpace is saying that my account inactivity is prompting a reset of my URL, which would allow someone else to assume this “valuable piece of MySpace real estate.” (Who else but me would consider myspace.com/maxkalehoff valuable real estate?) Then it concludes with a directive to log into my account, as well as activate a “people you may know” feature to enlarge my network.

This is one of the more aggressive reactivation notices I’ve ever received from a social network or free ad-supported service. Could you imagine Facebook sending a letter like this? Could you imagine Google sending a warning letter to prompt Gmail reengagement — or else risk losing your address?

Perhaps this tactic is working — I mean, I fell for it. Yes, I immediately logged into my MySpace account for the first time in many months. The service is not relevant to me right now, but I decided it was better to keep my profile URL in case it aligns with my future needs. I cherish “maxkalehoff” and want to ensure I own my profile URL on what is still one of the most important online venues. It’s online reputation.

While this left me feeling uneasy, it also brings up valid questions about URL and profile ownership, and dormancy on social networks. Anyone have any knowledge in this area?

You’re losing it, Max!

Your MySpace URL is about to be taken away, so you may lose it forever. This is the unique URL you chose for yourself (such as www.MySpace.com/Tom)

It’s been some time since you’ve logged in and used your MySpace URL. You’re holding a very valuable piece of MySpace real estate, which is the URL you chose.

Since it doesn’t look like you’re an active user on this account, we will be resetting your username/URL so that someone else can use it.

How do you keep it for yourself? Simply login to your account right now by clicking here. That’s it!
While you’re there, check out the new feature that lets you automatically find people you may know. Just click the link: http://www.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=peopleyoumayknow

NOTE: We are only resetting the URLs of inactive accounts. We will *not* delete your account. We are simply trying to free up the username/URLs for people who actually want to use them. Thanks!

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JustHelping

I'm quite sure that's spam...you might want to go and change your password because you would've been asked to log into regular myspace, not a myspace URL. I got the same email the other day and it was from "losingyoururl4".

Go change your pw ASAP

maxkalehoff

That's a good question. I don't think it is, but I'm going to find out.
Regardless, I didn't click through to any of the linked pages to submit any
information.
My login was a pure, direct visit to MySpace via typing in the URL myself.

Miranda

I recieved this too, today. I found this page by googling it to see if it was for real. Well, up until this, I have NEVER seen a MySpace deleted. I see people every single day who haven't logged on for three years or more. I have an old MySpace that I haven't logged into in years, I looked at (without logging in), and it's still there, URL and all. I'm assuming that this is spam.... I don't understand the "right now by clicking here" part. It is a MySpace URL (yours /losingyoururl6, mine was 4, not 6) - but it goes to the homepage. I assume this means MySpace got to it and deleted the profiles or something.
I sent an email to the MySpace crew about it. Usually they read them and get back to me.

If this is spam, I'm sure thousands of people fell for it. I almost did. It looks extremely MySpacey.

Miranda

Adding to my previous comment, I just found a MySpace forum about it. I think that Kristin girl is full of shit, though. Maybe we'll find out something, though.

Miranda

Haha damn, forgot to put the URL.
http://forums.myspace.com/p/4273123/52659108.as...

Bruce Ertmann

I received the same email, Max, and found it to be disingenuous and threatening--a complete turnoff. MySpace may be attempting to recapture "market share" the service believes it may have lost to competitors, like Facebook. But it's a marketing tactic that never works.

Kind of reminds me of a similar ploy that GM used when Toyota hosted its national dealer meeting in Chicago a few years ago, an event that filled the major hotels and Grant Park for two days. GM responded by paying select hotels to park new models strategically in front of the hotels' entrances and hiring drivers to provide "free GM shuttle service" to Toyota attendees. The plan backfired, GM pulled the cars and service after the local news offered commentary and the regional marketing whiz who came up with the poorly thought out plan was reprimanded. Consumers (not to mention, Toyota) gave GM the thumbs down.

MySpace may be trying to re-engage dormant consumers to its social networking service via the strong-arm approach. It didn't work for this consumer, and I remain dis-engaged.

Crned

I say scam.

I got here, same as the others, because I've received the same email, and wanted to see if this is a scam. I'm not going to click that link until I'm sure. Instead I logged in the usual way. To be honest, I only reserved that account and URL for future use (it's the name of my band), but never really used MySpace otherwise. I haven't logged in for at least a year, so some sort of reminder/warning would make sense. But if it is real -- what the HELL are they thinking using a sender address like <04.123.0.63506163656C632E40446C2C2E6911@message.myspace.com>?? That doesn't look even remotely legit. What's more, they didn't use my name in the email, so from my point of view, this is a scam.

D14BL0

I got the same email as well. However, it was sent to one of my accounts that I actually haven't used in a long time. The email that my main MySpace account is registered under has yet to be sent that email.

Also, the links the the email I got do legitimately link to MySpace, so it seems fine.

Marlys

I received the same notice, but mine said,
How do you keep it for yourself? Simply login to your account right now by clicking:
www.myspace.com/losingyoururl4. Thatâ€™s it! There was NO way to click on it! I did go to Myspace and tried to log in.....the site just kept repeating - log in! Now what to do???

M

Ulyee F

Hi: this is a SCAM to get your login information....google the phrase and see where it leads.

-- Foob

maxkalehoff

Which phrase are you referring to? I haven't been able to find a phishing
form. It seems like the URLs all go to legitimate MySpace domain extensions.
No?