Main Accounts: The Story of MySpace

Latest Episodes:

The Secret Lives of Snape Wives [from Very Special Episodes] Oct 22, 2026

Show notes

Plenty of Harry Potter fans love Severus Snape. A few truly worshipped him. In the early 2000s, these fans found each other online and came to believe Harry’s least favorite professor was real. A god in an alternate universe that bled into our own. Nothing in the world could shake their devotion to Snape.

Until their sisterhood imploded.

Special thanks to our guest Dr. Zoe Alderton, author of Snapewives’ and ‘Snapeism’: A Fiction-Based Religion Within the Harry Potter Fandom.

Listen to Very Special Episodes on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Wednesday.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

8. MySpace Forever Jun 07, 2023

Show notes

In April 2023, Joanne did something she hadn't tried in well over a decade — she logged into her MySpace account. For our season finale, she set out to find the people who still use MySpace to this day. She reviews the factors that contributed to MySpace’s demise, and looks at what we lost when the MySpace era ended.

Thanks for your support of Main Accounts! What tech company should Joanne dig into in the future? Let us know on Twitter @jomc.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

7. MySecurity May 24, 2023

Show notes

"If you open a hole on the internet," UCLA professor Sarah T. Roberts tells us, "it gets filled with sh*t."

The tragic death of Megan Meier was a turning point for MySpace. As the first social media company to operate on a massive scale, MySpace and its users were forced to grapple with the consequences of that scale.

In this episode, Joanne is joined by Thomas Kadri of the University of Georgia School of Law to discuss how our legal system was ill-equipped to deal with the social media era. UCLA professor and author Sarah T. Roberts chronicles the early days of content moderation. And Bridget Todd and Scott Zakarin are back to talk about bullying in the MySpace era.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonus: Tina Meier (Full Interview) May 10, 2023

Show notes

Our last episode featured the tragic death of Megan Meier, which became the biggest scandal MySpace would ever face. In this bonus episode, Joanne wanted to share our full interview with Megan's mother, Tina. Tina told us more about Megan's life, the trial, and the work of the Megan Meier Foundation. Since 2007, the MMF has worked to end bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6. Megan's Story May 03, 2023

Show notes

The moral panic over online predators on MySpace was largely overblown, but there was some truth to these concerns. These stories ended up on the nightly news and further stoked people’s fears about who was actually behind MySpace profiles. And one story — the biggest scandal MySpace had faced yet — showed how the use of a fake account could result in circumstances confusing and surreal, and tragic beyond belief.

And it set in motion events that would lead to MySpace’s eventual collapse.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bonus: The Jason Scott MySpace Story Apr 26, 2023

Show notes

We first reached out to digital archivist Jason Scott in episode five about the MySpace data loss. It turns out Jason had a lot more to say about his place in MySpace history that didn't make it into that episode.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

5. My Music Apr 19, 2023

Show notes

MySpace forever changed the way we listen to music. The social network shifted artists' relationships with their fans, and the site helped launch the careers of many huge stars, from Panic! At The Disco to Adele.

What made MySpace such an influential platform for musicians? And why did all the music disappear?

In this episode, Joanne sits down with Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias (former Head of Artist Relations at MySpace) and Josh Brooks (former VP of Programming and Music at MySpace). She also speaks to American musician Damon Krukowski (Galaxie 500, Magic Hour, Damon and Naomi), creator Scott Zakarin, and Jason Scott of the Internet Archive. You'll hear more from Jason next week.

See Also...
The MySpace Music Dragon Hoard
https://archive.org/details/myspace_dragon_hoard_2010

Damon Krukowski's Newsletter
https://dadadrummer.substack.com/

Roslynn Alba Cobarrubias
https://www.instagram.com/roslynnc

Scott Zakarin
https://www.instagram.com/scottzakarin/
Jason Scott
http://ascii.textfiles.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4. Scene Kids Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

MySpace amplified the ongoing moral panic around teenagers on the internet. For young MySpace users, many of the trials of teenhood were transposed from the locker rooms, lunchrooms, and high school corridors to the realm of testimonials and Top 8. But was it really worse than any reality that teenagers throughout history have known?

Joanne is joined by Alexis Nedd (author of Don't Hate the Player) and Noor Al-Sibai (author of the forthcoming MySpace Scene Queens) to talk about growing up on MySpace.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

3. MySpace Famous Mar 29, 2023

Show notes

In this episode, Joanne delves into how MySpace—like reality TV—became a vehicle for celebrity in the aughts, and gave way to the culture of influencers. She catches up with people who built a fan base on the platform.

Special thanks to our guests Bridget Todd (host of There Are No Girls on the Internet); Taylor Lorenz (technology columnist for The Washington Post); and Hanna Beth (one of the first people to become MySpace Famous).

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

2. Dialed Up Mar 22, 2023

Show notes

Let’s look back at the internet communities that were thriving before MySpace — even before Friendster. Why did MySpace get ahead when there was strong competition from other social networks at the time?

To explore the earliest days of social media, Joanne is joined by investor and entrepreneur Benjamin Sun, who co-founded Asian Avenue in 1997, and Katie Notopoulos, senior technology reporter for BuzzFeedNews.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Main Accounts: The Story of MySpace

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected