MySpace and Friendster are two of the largest social networking sites known today. To the ordinary man, no one would ever guess that beneath all the supposed success of MySpace through its founders Tom Anderson and Chris DeWolfe and Friendster founderJonathan Abrams were a lot of issues that never really escalated towards the wandering thoughts of people today. Today, these are two of the popular social networks although people would rarely compare them and dig deeper as to their rocky and turbulent past.

From a glance, it would all depend on the people who have been affiliated with the networks. Friendster was obviously way ahead of doing this in 2002, amassing over 3 million subscribers by fall. But by April, 2004, MySpace apparently overtook the premier social networking website.

Google, being known for trying to buy out successful sites, offered a hefty $30 million dollars but was turned down. Hence, the question remains, how did MySpace succeed in overtaking the once popular social network pioneered by Friendster?

For one, flexibility and features had something to do with it. Friendster opened its doors and put an age limit, closing the doors on people who were below 18. While the intent was good, it also proved to be costly. These days, kids are being exposed over the World Wide Web at young ages to get a feel of the power of being able to experience the comforts of online benefits.

Additionally, the allowance for being able to modify their own site pages through blogs, colors, themes and embedded objects was never introduce by Friendster initially. MySpace offered all these luxuries, using the feedback and thinking outside the box and listening to the demands and requirements of people in terms of enhancing the social networking experience. While Friendster has been slow to react to this and has resorted to it as of late, it all seems too late since people have already shifted to MySpace due to its vast array of features available to the people who put premium in expression and themes.

Perhaps Mr. Abrams was a bit too complacent that with the immediate boom of the number of subscribers, the support needed to provide for his subscribers was totally overlooked. The restrictions that were applied on the part of the Friendster era were no match to the open house approach that MySpace gave its valued subscribers.

The result was evident. MySpace took over the reigns of being the more popular social network online today. There are other networks who are on the rise and are threatening to leave Friendster eat their dust. But taking their cue from the obvious success that MySpace has been able to accomplish, such a possibility has made Friendster work double time to avoid being left behind by the competition.

Social networks are not merely about connecting people and sharing images and pictures. It is also about being able to express themselves in the manner that they would want as long as they are not offensive in nature. To date, Friendster has implement a form of leniency towards its subscribers in trying to gain lost ground. It has found itself now playing catch-up to MySpace. Hopefully they are not far behind since there are other networks that are on the rise wanting to reach MySpace and leave Friendster behind as well.