(Rumor) MySpace to Axe Flektor

By Eric Brown | Published Jan 8, 2009

With the economy growing worse by the day companies are looking to do everything they can to eliminate dead weight. Much like when SixApart nabbed Pownce and stated they were shutting it down, MySpace is following suit and may shut down Flektor.

Flektor is a slideshow creation tool that MySpace acquired back in 2007. At the time the acquisition seemed to make sense. Flektor’s goal was to provide a way for users to generate quality, video-style content without all the poorly-shot or stolen video you see around the web generated by users.

MySpace, being a playground for user generated content in the form of video and widgets, seemed to be of the mind that by adding a flashy, easy to use, content generation tool to their arsenal they could possibly bridge the gap between them and other social network sites that contain large amounts of user-generated content. In the end, they would not only be a wonderful venue for displaying content and widgets, they would be a force to be reckoned with if the content was generated with them as well.

Flektor Services may be cut by MySpace
Flektor Services at a Glance

But the times they are a changing. The widget craze has subsided some. Data portability and identity management now top lists that were about creating the coolest, most useful widget you could. And rumor has it that the effective, yet less known tool, Flektor may be next on the list of a large amount of cutbacks surrounding the technology and web industries.

While rumors circulate, Mashable.com had this to say about it: “Another source confirms the rumor, noting that the changes are part of a broader plan to integrate Flektor technology on MySpace. Additionally, the source says that “most” employees will still have jobs with the company.

Although Mashable did not disclose the "other source," and MySpace has yet to make the announcement official, this would seem a logical step toward trying to keep the benefits of the service while eliminating unnecessary costs of maintaining it as a separate entity.

So will Flektor be chopped? Things seem to lean in that direction, but one thing is for sure — expect to see more and more of this as the global economy continues to limp on.