Is MySpace your space?

The young modernized population of Iceland likes to be up to date on just about everything nowadays. A nation that only a century ago lived in rustic little huts and spent its little leisure time huddled together over candlelight listening to fairy-tales is now glued to the computer screen and truly on the fast lane on the high tech highway. Therefore it does not come as a surprise that Icelanders took the internet phenomenon myspace.com with open arms.

The myspace service was founded in July 2003 by Tom Anderson (every myspace member's first friend) and Chris DeWolfe. Today it ranks as one of the top ten most visited websites in the world and is the fastest growing social networking website. For those of you unfamiliar with the site, on myspace one can join an online network by creating a personal online profile with text, pictures, sound-bites and more. You can then interact with friends that have similar profiles via bulletins, profile comments, emails and more. Every single day on average 230,000 individuals sign up for the service (that is almost the entire populace of Iceland), adding to the over 100 million members. In July 2005 the service was bought for $580 million by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, the parent company of Fox Broadcasting and other media enterprises. With an estimated 50 million users at the time of the purchase, the price tag of the service was roughly 10$ per member. Today financial analysts consider that deal a bargain, when sites such as youtube.com were sold for a price of around 100$ per member.

I joined myspace in late 2004. To begin, my network only included people in Boston, where I live in the US. Soon I made my first Icelandic friend on myspace, and the number grew quickly. At the moment more than half of my network is based in Iceland.

The Icelandic artist community was quick to make use of myspace. Icelandic bands, djs and other innovative types were among the first Icelanders to create online profiles. This gave myspace a definite trendy vibe. Word was quick to get around the streets of Reykjavik and today a great variety of individuals spanning all ages have joined myspace. Whether you are a 12-year-old elementary student, an over the hill 101 Reykjavik barfly or a young professional working in the booming Icelandic bank business, all these types are drawn to the computer screen by myspace. Even the president, Olafur Ragnar Grimsson (www.myspace.com/olafur) is a member and has 1106 friends and apparently appreciates Swedish pop quartet Abba. Former prime minister, Halldor Asgrimsson (www.myspace.com/halldorasgrimsson) has an online profile, not quite as popular as commander in chief (only 196 friends) seems to have gone vegan. (Or perhaps an profile dedicated to them.) Perhaps these are mock profiles, but if the progress keeps up, my grandpa will be a member before you know it.

Several groups devoted to Iceland can be found on myspace. The largest to my knowledge is 'Iceland on MySpace!!!' (www.groups.myspace.com/Iceland) with over 2500 members. On the group's page, Iceland enthusiasts discuss all things Icelandic. Topics range from 'Whaling in Iceland' to 'Iceland Airwaves' to 'Looking For an Icelandic Man'. Among other Iceland-themed pages I have come across on myspace is 'Saving Iceland' (www.myspace.com/savingiceland) devoted to creating awareness about Karahnukavirkjun, the enormous hydro power-plant under construction in the eastern part of Iceland.

Many more groups have some relation to Iceland. Somehow I stumbled upon the 'Pálmi Gunnarsson Appreciation Society'. Palmi is an Icelandic musician in his fifties (dare I say, past his prime) most famous for playing bass in Messoforte. Maggi Lego, a former member of Gus Gus, has a group devoted to him, 'The Maggi Lego fan club'. Maggi is the grandfather of the Icelandic dj scene, still going strong behind the decks and has a very glitzy myspace page (www.myspace.com/kondakela) under the pseudonym 'Dúlli Disco'.

Myspace does have its tasteless sides. If you hop randomly from profile to profile you are sure to find some rather objectionable comments, pictures and so forth. Usually the questionable material has something to do with bodily functions or aspects of our human community that remain hidden from most people on a day to day basis. These include such subjects as pornography and prostitution. I think it would be unfair to blame myspace or the internet for these matters since they are a part of the world we live in, whether we like it or not. Sites such as myspace are only a means by which these elements of society come to light.

On the whole I think myspace has had a good influence on social relations in Iceland. The site is heavily used for networking and for many it is easier to befriend someone on myspace rather than in person. Many locals here go to the the same small bar every weekend for years without ever speaking or greeting each other when they pass on the street. In such a small community myspace friendship often serves as a catalyst for real life relationships. This aspect of myspace is, in my opinion, very needed since Icelanders are perhaps not the most social beings.

Though circumstances can change with the speed of light when it comes to the www (World Wide Web, not the Wild Wild West) and the Icelandic cool-crowd might jump ship if they sense a shift in trendiness, I think it is safe to say that myspace will have a noticeable presence in Iceland in the coming years, as everywhere else.

Baldur (myspace.com/baldur)