Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg probably grew tired of being at the end of alphabetical roll calls growing up. Now he's finally in first place.
Facebook has passed News Corp.'s
The difference isn't as close as it seems, though. Facebook is the social-networking site with momentum. It tacked on another 2.8 million visitors during the month, while MySpace's stateside audience fell by 0.7 million users. Other traffic-monitoring sites, including Compete.com and Amazon.com's
If you're MySpace, how do you get your groove back? If you're Facebook, how do you make sure you keep growing?
MySpace has its strengths, primarily as a social-networking site for artists, including musicians and comedians. And naturally, most sites would also be envious of drawing more than 70 million unique monthly visitors in this country. The site just has to make sure it doesn't keep shrinking. A continued decline would come at a devastating time for MySpace, which is approaching the end of its three-year, $900 million paid-search deal with Google
Facebook can't get too cocky, though. History and logic dictate that Facebook will eventually overstay its Web 2.0 welcome. Just as sites such as Friendster peaked too soon and United Online's
Now, that doesn't mean Zuckerberg should start handing out bidding cards to Google, Yahoo!
Facebook deserves the pole position. It has been an innovator in opening its platform and has resisted the ad-blitz trap that transformed MySpace into a gaudy sensory overload. However, blue ribbons are sadly temporary in this Web 2.0 world. Facebook is blazing now, but it will never be able to stop running.
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