MySpace, I Still Love You ($35 Million Sale Be Damned)

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MySpace, the once undeniable alpha dog has long been dethroned and most people see no hope of resurrection, especially after its recent sale for $35 million. It seems everyone has long forgotten the honeymoon days of MySpace, and that's unfortunate.

Before MySpace started constantly redesigning like they were the online incarnation of the cat lady of New York, it worked. It worked really well.

And so, MySpace, here's to you:

MySpace -- in some ways -- felt less invasive than the blue devil Facebook. Your mom and boss weren't your "friends" there, your eighth grade lab partner didn't find it appropriate to find and "poke" you.

Facebook is like a horrible nightmare where worlds collide and your best friend, boss, ex, parents and favorite band end up at your grandparents' Christmas dinner.

Sure, now there are a million settings to prevent these worlds from colliding violently, but you still know every time every single one of your friends stopped at the ATM, had a bagel, or downloaded a crappy album. MySpace seemed so much more casual.

The saddest part of watching MySpace's fall from grace is that nothing has fully replaced it's music functionality yet -- yes, sort of, but not fully.

Sure, to discover new bands there are some really well designed programs with never ending playlists (like Pandora and Grooveshark). But these don't offer you nearly the same functionality.

There is an enormous amount of funding in music related startups this year. It's old news but let's go ahead and say it again -- this is a really exciting time to be involved in music related technology.

Facebook's music offerings are growing leaps and bounds practically daily but they still aren't up to where MySpace used to be. Then there's the simple fact that it seems like a no brainer, but a lot of bands have yet to catch up.

All of this noise and still nothing has reached the power that MySpace commanded in its prime, and that's truly unfortunate. You could check out a band you like, check out a band in their top friends, then check for tour dates. It was really a place to discover new bands, follow your favorites, and if you felt like it, meet other fans.

Golden boy Justin Timberlake apparently agrees. Not only that, but he thinks there's still hope! Oh, and we thought we couldn't love you more!

Well, sir, best of luck to you -- we'd love to see you succeed.