Facebook and MySpace: What's the Difference?

While the two Web sites offer many of the same social networking features and tools, they take decidely different approaches to getting people together.

By Mark Sullivan, PCWorld

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MySpace

MySpace gives its members plenty of room to express themselves. Sometimes the results aren't pretty.

Facebook

Facebook, which began at Harvard, attracts a somewhat more serious clientele, as is evident in pages like this one.

MySpace: Finding Friends

At MySpace you find people you might like in the friend lists of your existing friends, then send them an "add me" request.

Facebook: Finding Friends

Facebook is made up of a large number of networks based on school, work and city affiliation. You search these networks for new or old classmates or workmates, then add them as friends.

MySpace: Self Promotion

Receiving SPAM, or requests from random, self-promoting people or groups to be added as your friend, is becoming more common at MySpace.

Facebook: Asking for "Adds"

Asking to be added as someone's friend at Facebook is done in pretty much the same way it's done at MySpace.

MySpace: Applications

Links to the applications at MySpace are listed in a single block at the home page. Relatively few apps--music, video, email, IM and blogging--can be embedded at MySpace member pages, however.

Facebook: Applications

Facebook offers a long list of user-developed apps--some useful and others silly--that can be easily added or removed from your profile. One page of the choices is shown here.