MySpace is all about creating innovative ways for our users to discover and be discovered – and today, we’re teaming up with the hit Fox show “GLEE” to take discovery to a whole new level. This also opens the doors for integrated promotions that put the audience (yes, YOU) front and center in the decision-making process for some of today’s top television shows, which is why I’m delighted to fill you in on our collaboration with “GLEE.”

Think you’ve got what it takes to be a part of William McKinley High School? Beginning today through April 26, “GLEE”’s executive producers are holding a nationwide online casting search for fresh, young, talented performers to fill new roles that will be featured during the show’s second season. MySpace is exclusively offering this uniquely interactive chance for aspiring actors and singers nationwide to earn their time in the “GLEE” spotlight by auditioning via www.myspace.com/gleeauditions.

Yesterday we welcomed Ellen DeGeneres to the MySpace Karaoke family with the launch of the Ellen MySpace Karaoke Channel found here www.myspace.com/ellenkaraoke. Any Ellen fan knows that she has been a long time fan of music and finding new talent, especially now with her new job as a judge on American Idol. MySpace Karaoke is the perfect place for Ellen and her fans to sing their hearts out as it is a destination for the discovery of new talent and an audition platform for the genuinely talented to be discovered. Using state of the art streaming and recording technology users can sing, record, and playback personalized renditions of their favorite songs to share with friends. It was only natural that Ellen deserved her own channel on the karaoke platform.

Numerous blog posts have surfaced over the last few days that have created confusion surrounding MySpace’s user data. We want to set the record straight – MySpace is not selling user data.

Through the MySpace Developer Platform, third party developers can access – free of charge – MySpace users’ publically available real-time data (such as status updates, or updates about when a user adds music, photos, or videos to their profile) using our Real Time Stream feed. This is the same MySpace data that is already publically available through Google’s real-time search feature.

At MySpace, our platform engineers have invested thousands of man hours building a site that can manage massive amounts of user data and entertainment content. Our platform receives more than 6 million requests for data per second. To meet those…

Yes, it is that time of the year again — time for pretty much everyone in music industry, along with virtually all of the bands they work with, to descend upon Austin to spend three days drinking beer and soaking up their hangovers with three dollar breakfast tacos. (Man, it really is the most wonderful time of the year!)

Of course, that’s not the only thing that happens during the annual South By Southwest festival in Austin. In addition, some 50,000 bands (give or take) play at various venues in the city, making it a mandatory event for anyone who loves discovering new bands, or just experiencing live music in general.

Touchstone Pictures’ The Last Song, starring Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, will hit theaters on March 31st and MySpace is offering a cool opportunity to fans allowing them to interact directly with the stars of the film. Boasting an ensemble that includes Cyrus and Hemsworth, along with the talents of Greg Kinnear based on the novel by Nicholas Sparks, the film is a perfect match for many of our users.

Miley has won the hearts of audiences worldwide with her singing and acting, and we are thrilled to be hosting the exclusive live chat with the cast, as well as author Nicholas Sparks and director Julie Anne Robinson, this Saturday, March 13 at 5:00pm ET/2:00pm PT!

As today’s kids become more tech-savvy and engrained in the world of social media, MySpace has teamed up with Enough Is Enough, one of the nation’s leading Internet safety organizations, to bring parents “Internet Safety 101,” a multi-media program that educates, equips, and empowers parents and educators with the knowledge and resources they need to protect their teens online.

“Internet Safety 101” includes a four-part DVD teaching series, accompanying workbook and Web site, and features experts from around the country who educate parents about new Web technologies and ways to protect their kids from online dangers. In the program, I share useful advice for parents related to safety and security in social networking sites and discuss the importance of tools such as privacy settings. You can see a clip of my video as well as video vignettes from of other experts from the program here, on the Enough Is Enough Web site.