MySpace’s Tom Anderson Misrepresented His Age
MySpace’s Tom Anderson has been discovered as misrepresenting his age. Newsweek obtained [link via KCHBlog] documents that reveal Tom’s birth date — making him 37 — not 33. MySpace officially states that misrepresenting age will result in account deletion:
[...] We take extra precautions to protect our younger members and we are not able to do so if they do not identify themselves as such. MySpace will delete users whom we find to be younger than 14, or those misrepresenting their age. [...]
I guess when MySpace was on its way to being popular, Tom Anderson wanted to be cool, and be in his mid twenties and not thirties.
I might sound like an ass, but if the #1 user/public relations person can misrepresent their age, even by four years, why should the rest of the users be held accountable for it? What good is the age if even the company’s own representative fails to comply with this basic guideline? I understand that he isn’t the only one, and I feel for him because he’s on the hook in this way — but the company hasn’t spun any damage control yet, nor any response from Tom.
I imagine that someone might reply with “But Tom is an adult and didn’t hurt anyone,” but my response to that is two parts:
* Yes, he’s an adult +/- four years. His actions should reflect what’s within MySpace’s guidelines, and set the example for others. If he was 20, is it appropriate for him to represent that he’s 16? Where do we draw the line in this — we can’t because in America age is important because it authorizes you to purchase alcohol, tobacco, adult magazines, firearms, and the age of sexual consent.
* He didn’t hurt anyone, except for all the users who were deleted for providing false age.
What do I expect to be the outcome of all of this? Well, it would be laughable to see Tom’s profile get deleted … but I know that’s very unlikely. It would be more reasonable for Tom to correct his age information and do a blog entry about why his age differed and what the guideline is for users. I’m not the only one who feels this way, TechCrunch broke this on Oct 23rd and there still hasn’t been any change to his profile’s age!
If you’re interested, my age on social networking sites (work related or not), I don’t lie about my age. I don’t disclose my birthday for security reasons, but on all of them, I am listed as being born in 1985, making me 22.
Should Tom change his age or is it OK for someone to misrepresent their age on these social networking Web sites? Let me know what you think in the comments.
November 7th, 2007 at 7:58 AM
Maybe he just forgot his age, you know — because he’s so old.
November 13th, 2007 at 12:05 AM
Right, and I’m 16. (Well, I admit I act like it sometimes.)
November 14th, 2007 at 10:07 PM
Whatever. Who cares, Tom can lie about his age if he wants to. There’s still woozyfly and facebook.
July 7th, 2008 at 8:13 PM
I’ve yet to find anything substantial to show that “Tom” actually exists at all! The profile “Tom” at MySpace is entirely NetBot. “Photos” of him are, photoshopped and then some! I viewed a “video clip” “Tour of MySpace Headquarters” which was shot at the old office(s) of Microsoft. It depicted one cubicle with a MySpace banner tacked overhead and another MySpace poster on the plexiglass. It was shown in the background..behind the commentator.
MySpace also files it’s corporate papers dba MySpace.com in Deleware. Hmmm….
There also was an “interview” that took place in 2007, between “Tom” and a reporter from a computer magazine. Fact: Neither Tom nor the Interviewer actually were present for any interview at all! The entire text (published) was botnet generated as a “public relations” tool.
Many “friends” on MySpace are nothing more than NetBot generated profiles that use keywords similar to those found on ones profile. The your friends are my friends gig that appears in the sign up spin for myspace.
Notice the language starting with sign up. “Sign up now” “Go tell your friends” “Invite your friends” “Go to your profile page now” All very basic “orders”. Yet, nowhere have I seen anything that stresses that one read the Terms of Service very very carefully. The author uses one real example above. There is also a clause that allows “MySpace” to take and use any uncopyrighted material(s) from any user profile page..etc. for their own use. (ex: personal photos).
The most important statement though that unfortunately takes away any clout the author mentions about “Tom” violating TOS is the following “MySpace is released from all indemnity…” This is why any lawsuits for MySpace’s total lack of oversight re: user accounts have never even made it to trial. “Telling” parents to “sit with your children while they are on the computer” Suggesting key loggers to “spy” on children/spouses is myspace’s answer to their total lack of oversight re: user accounts.
If there is one thing the public should demand .. it is this. That the public finds the MySpace TOS totally unacceptable and demand that it be changed.
Unfortunately, I don’t see this happening.
I have yet to see any articles, press releases or statements made by persons other than “MySpace” or a spokesman from “MySpace”. Something strange about “MySpace” stated that 129,000 sexual predators have been identified. Oh really? I have yet to see hard data to back that Bot up.
Tom is a Bot. I have nothing else to show otherwise.