Shawn Gold is out as MySpace's senior vice president of marketing and content, we keep hearing. It seems few at News Corp. or Fox Interactive Media will miss him, from the tart-tongued reports of his exit. Gold, previously an executive at AOL's Weblogs Inc., touted himself as MySpace's "chief marketing officer," a title he didn't hold. His pretensions to the C-suite, as well as a clash with MySpace's European marketing chief, Jamie Kantrowitz, may have cost him his job. And then there's the curious question of what, exactly he did at MySpace. On a social network, users ought to provide both the marketing and the content. True, bands have found MySpace to be a congenial environment to promote their tours and music. But MySpace's own efforts to market its video channels have proved more laughable than lucrative.

It's widely-known that each of Facebook's nearly 50 million active users are either procrastinating millennials in their cubicles, college students, or pedophiles. Now, reports indicate a third group has joined Facebook, MySpace and social networks: the Russian mob. "Facebook and MySpace are a goldmine of data for the bad guys," MessageLabs founder and chief security analyst Mark Sunner told Australian outlet, The Age. Sunner goes on to explain that by the bad guys, he means the "shady" Russian Business Network, which is not, as of yet, a News Corp. property. Worried? Contact MessageLabs, which for a small fee, will set you up with a far more secure network, according to MessageLabs. Someone should let the Russians know about this business.

Somebody bring Steve "sexy-calves" Chen back from Hong Kong. Things are getting ugly. And by things, I mean YouTube, which is previewing a redesign of its site that features drop-down menus and a new "look" (ugly) and "feel" (greased enamel?). NBC and News Corp.'s online-video joint venture Hulu may be months late and its launch team probably just got off another all-night conference call, but the site isn't out of the game yet. Not if the YouTube redesign team keeps screwing up Hulu's competition.

The website for Hulu, NBC and News Corp.'s online-video joint venture, looks pretty. But the reality of getting ready for next week's launch? Very messy. A tipster tells us that a dozen members of the Hulu launch team are stuck on an agonizing "all-night" conference call. Also on the call: Executives from distribution partners including AOL and Yahoo. The topic of discussion? No doubt the fact that the site, days away from launch, isn't quite ready. Poor, unlucky souls. No wonder their old-media colleagues have nicknamed them "Hulusers." And I suppose that makes the videos on the YouTube-notgonnabe website Huluser-generated content.

Word is that NBC and News Corp. will finally launch video site Hulu, its long-overdue response to YouTube, on Monday, October 29, making its self-imposed deadline of the end of October by two days. Never mind that it was originally supposed to launch on September 24, but CEO Jason Kilar begged for more time. Two days early, or 35 days late? On TV, it's all in how you spin it. [TechCrunch]

Is MySpace mascot Tom Anderson, the default friend added to everyone's profile on the social network, 32 years old, as his profile says? Or is he older — 36 or 37? TechCrunch's Michael Arrington says he's heard Anderson is actually 36 or 37. Which would hardly make Anderson the first person to lie about his age on MySpace, if true. Still, this rumor is doubly painful for MySpace and News Corp. First, it reminds people that his true age is just the least of the mysteries surrounding Anderson. And second, it points out MySpace's fatal flaw as a business. Unlike Facebook, which forces users to tie their online identities to real-life groups like colleges or workplaces, there's no reason for users — or advertisers — to trust anything in a MySpace profile.

Do you hear the people sing? Rupert Murdoch did today, when nearly a quarter of investors spoke up for greater democracy within the oligarchical nonsense that is NewsCorp. At the corporation's annual meeting in New York, 23% of shareholders voted to change the current dual class voting structure to a 'one share, one vote' model. The Murdoch clan's control of 30% of the voting shares makes it unlikely the rebelling shareholders will get their way. The Guardian notes that "Defending the status quo, Mr. Murdoch said protection from takeover bids was beneficial to shareholders because it allowed the management to take more risks." Okaaay.

After claiming in August that Fox Interactive Media — News Corp.'s Internet division, which includes MySpace — would generate revenue exceeding $1 billion next year, Rupert Murdoch has gently lowered expectations. News Corp. now says they will reach "about $1 billion" in Internet revenue in its 2008 fiscal year, which ends next June. [Silicon Alley Insider]

The deal that MySpace founders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson got from Rupert Murdoch will pay them more than every exec at News Corp. except Roger Ailes, the head of Fox News. Nikki Finke notes that their pay package is particulary impressive because News Corp. is stingy with executive compensation. The pair are rumored to receive $15 million spread over two years — plus equity in MySpace China.

At last, I understand the vision of synergy between News Corp. and Dow Jones. It's all about Kara Swisher, basically. The abrasive, pint-sized reporter-turned blogger spent dinner at Web 2.0 Summit locked in conversation with gregarious, pint-sized megamogul Rupert Murdoch, News Corp.'s CEO, and, come December, Swisher's boss. Swisher, of course, has been blogging hot and heavy on AllThingsD about Facebook, MySpace's chief rival. She's just the starting point. News Corp. is so vast that next year, it could easily assign an army of Wall Street Journal reporters just to cover itself. Check out the photos for Swisher's encounter with Murdoch, and more.

What are the terms of the new contract between MySpace founders Chris DeWolfe and Tom Anderson with their corporate daddies at Rupert Murdoch's News Corp.? "$30 million over two years," suggests Valleywag —which sounds a lot less cute when you put it as "News Corp countered with an offer of $15 million each spread over 2 years," as Nikki Finke did. But, but, that's only $7.5 million a year! How are they supposed to party like rock stars? [DHD]

When I got home from covering the Web 2.0 Summit keynote with News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch and MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe, I found the following email in my inbox: "This information is not for on-the-record use, it’s simply a background overview for your reference if you‘re planning to cover tonight’s discussion." Funny, I never recall asking for this document, let alone agreeing to keep it off the record — an arrangement that, in my experience, requires the mutual consent of reporter and source. So here, forthwith, are News Corp.'s official talking points about Wednesday night's event. Contrast them with my live reporting. Of most vital interest: The new San Francisco office is hiring 200 people.

"What that tells you is that News Corp. is totally underpriced." — News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch, asked by AllThingsD's Kara Swisher about Facebook's rumored $15 billion valuation at the Web 2.0 Summit.

WEB 2.0 SUMMIT — "I'm happy to say I'll have a job for the next two years," says Chris DeWolfe, CEO of MySpace, on stage with conference organizer John Battelle and his boss, News Corp. CEO Rupert Murdoch, confirming widespread rumors that he and MySpace cohort Tom Anderson had renewed their contract to run the social network for another two years. "I had to go from the nickel-and-dime newspaper culture, to the magazine culture ... to Hollywood and the Internet culture," says Murdoch, nodding to the reported — but unconfirmed — figure that DeWolfe and Anderson would make: $30 million over two years. More live coverage, after the jump.

Shriveled-up megamogul Rupert Murdoch, the pint-sized force behind News Corp. and MySpace, is presenting the keynote at tomorrow's Web 2.0 conference. What big surprise does he have planned for the audience? As we mentioned last week, it's not going to be the rumored MySpace platform launch — that's still a ways away. In our inbox today landed a wild, juicy rumor which reeks of bullshit but is too hot to keep for ourselves. The email said that Murdoch will announce the acquisition of widget maker RockYou, a top Facebook-application developer, and the rumored price is a shocker — a cool $800 million.

News Corp. continues efforts to prove that it didn't pay $580 million for the Michael Bolton of social networks. Its latest tack: remaking MySpace into a true destination, not just a place for bands to advertise. Its latest attempt is a new licensing deal with Sony BMG that allows MySpace to stream music videos and audio from the label group's catalog in exchange for a share in sponsorship and advertising revenues. No doubt MySpace is trying to get a jump on the rumored Facebook music platform. No chance, of course, that it will first work on actually making the site navigable.

The Hudson Yards development competition is SO ON. West Side represent! News Corp. and the Related Companies versus Conde Nast and Durst and Vornado versus Morgan Stanley and Tishman Speyer! This is actually EXCITING. White men fighting for a new Manhattan tower! Fight, whitey, fight! [NYO]

Lucy Hood, Jamba CEO and president of Fox Mobile Entertainment, has quit. Though no future plans have been announced, we suspect she'd fit right in at the Fox Business Network, alongside Hewlett-Packard alum Carly Fiorina. Heck, she could make it an intracompany transfer. [Silicon Alley Insider]

Former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina has signed on to be a Fox Business Network contributor. According to the press release, Fiorina achieved the highest rate of innovation in company history. How they measure that metric is a mystery to us; after all, shortly after Fiorina left, the company engaged in some highly innovative leak-detection practices, leading to the resignation of several board members. But never mind that. The only stat that will likely matter to Fox's Joe-Sixpack audience, sadly, is how short her skirt is.

Felix Salmon of Portfolio thinks online auction-house eBay should sell Internet telephony service Skype to News Corp. for use in its social network, MySpace. Salmon thinks that a free calling service fits more naturally with MySpace, which is, after all, about communication. While that may be true, eBay will likely have to accept a much lower price than what they originally paid. Even Skype cofounder Niklas Zennstrom is conceding that Skype was overvalued from the beginning. If even a founder is doubtful of Skype's value, though, why should eBay strike a private deal to sell the unit? We say let the marketplace rule. eBay should list Skype on, well, eBay, and auction it off. Just imagine how much profit it will make from the listing fees.