Under the right circumstances, an air of exclusivity can create a lot of interest. Under the wrong circumstances, it can generate a lot of shrugs. And by blocking some Australian mobile users, MySpace seems to have earned an unhealthy mix of the two.
MySpace Turns Away Australian Mobile Users
People are, after all, taking note of the development. “MySpace has blocked Australians from accessing the new mobile phone version of its site in order to protect its exclusive and probably lucrative partnership deal with Optus,” reported The Sydney Morning Herald, a major national newspaper. “The move effectively blocks Australians who are not Optus mobile customers from accessing MySpace on their handsets.”
But in terms of an outcry, there’s been virtually nothing. Most onlookers are simply wondering why MySpace, which isn’t doing so well in the struggle against Facebook, would turn away anyone. Want a taste of Australia’s attitude towards the social network? Before the launch of MySpace’s mobile version, a Gizmodo Australia headline stated, “MySpace Mobile is Coming; MySpace Still a Horrible Site.”
As for Australians who don’t feel that way . . . Unless MySpace is gaining some serious money through its arrangement with Optus, annoying an already shrinking fan base isn’t the smartest course of action. In this case, “exclusive” could wind up meaning “empty.”
