MySpace and Hewlett Packard Add Print Function to Users' Profiles

MySpace and Hewlett Packard have announced a deal which will see printing functionality added to users profiles on the social networking site.

The agreement will see a HP-branded button added to users personal profiles, blog entries, comments, messages and pictures to allow them to share their online content offline.

MySpace CEO and co-founder, Chris DeWolfe and Vyomesh Joshi, executive vice president of Printing and Imaging at HP explained that with members of all ages and over 4 billion images across the MySpace network the company believes adding a feature to help users unlock that online content and share it with others offline is an important addition to the social network.

Expected to launch in November, it is unclear whether the printing feature will be restricted for users printing their own personal photos, or whether they will be able to print the pictures of just about anyone on the network. We imagine the latter would raise all kinds of issues involving privacy, among other things.

It’s also a little vague on the issue of printing photos from your friends’ profiles. While similar issues could be raised, MySpace already has a feature that allows users to set their pictures to public, private or only viewable by friends. Profiles also have a similar public/private setting as well as a diary, friends only or preferred list for blogs. Adding the print feature as optional and allowing users to activate it for certain albums or photos could be the answer to really letting users share pictures online and offline.