Jay's Place

A SpaceHey review written for my English class

In my English class at uni we were given the task to write a review of a video game, mobile phone app or an online service. So here is my review of this website (it's already handed in). Just thought it kind of belongs there as well.

SpaceHey review

The website is, in short, an attempt to recreate MySpace, the once-prominent Facebook competitor, in its original form. You’re encouraged to add people to friends, read and write blogs, post self-destructing bulletins and comment on them, without any recommendation algorithm being involved. Extensive profile customization by means of HTML and CSS is one of the key features that sets SpaceHey apart from the rest, allowing for the measure of self-expression and variety not usually seen on social media today. This DIY approach also offers users an incentive to learn the basics of web development, and that I find pretty awesome.

Given the rather small scale of the hobby project, SpaceHey is lacking its own image hosting (with the exception of the profile picture) and sometimes suffers from insufficient moderation. The limited capabilities of the built-in instant messaging force some users to turn to services like Discord for chatting, partly defeating the purpose of the retro social networking site.

The purposefully outdated design and concept of SpaceHey may appeal to both those nostalgic for the golden age of MySpace and users who seek a less compulsive and time-consuming way to socialize online. I recommend giving it a try, but just be sure to stock up on GIFs to decorate your profile!