Techmeme’s homepage currently has the following entry:
NEWS AS A SOCIAL PLAY: HERE COMES MYSPACE NEWS!
— MySpace is getting into the news business with launch due in early 2nd quarter, according to inside sources and the company’s own sales materials. — MySpace News takes News to a whole new level by dynamically aggregating real-time news and blogs from top sites around the Web.
Funny, isn’t it? Techmeme advertises that MySpace is launching a TechMeme of its own. At least, that’s certainly what it looks like from here. A “dynamically aggregating ….. from top sites around the web.” That description fits TechMeme to a Tee.
TechMeme (run by Gabe Rivera) is exactly that. A news aggregation service that works all on its own. It searches “elite” websites (news and blog sites alike) for breaking news and stories, spots what might be big, and posts a link for all to see. So how is what MySpace doing different?
Whatever MySpace is doing, it sure as hell isn’t “a whole new level,” because TechMeme’s been there and done that. The difference is, TechMeme is a respectable website that only geeks and people that know what they’re doing use. It’s not Digg, and it most certainly (thank God) isn’t MySpace. Also, the difference is that MySpace is just about the number one must popular site on the net, and rather unfortunately, TechMeme isn’t.
It’s sad. TechMeme really deserves that honor. Here it is, serving up news about its successor. Once MySpace News launches, those that never heard of TechMeme never will get the chance. It’s sad to think that something as despicable as MySpace will be serving up the news as it happens – let’s just hope for sanity’s sake that TechMeme keeps on the ball here.
MySpace, the abode of hormonal teenagers: and (in the eternal words of Jon Stuart) where predators & prey alike are to be found. TechMeme, where geeks get their news before it even happens. Good against Evil.. It’s a battle for sanity and power, and the results could be catastrophic. Do we really need to say any more?