If you ask anybody which Social Networking Sites they use, the majority of people will say Facebook, and others may include Twitter. But just how long have Social Networking sites been a part of the web and our lives? We look back to what was possibly the first Social Networking site – SixDegrees.com, which was founded in 1997, and the many Social Networking sites that have popped up over the years since. Some have died along the way, others have just plodded along and others have thrived.
Social Networking sites, especially within the South African context, have only really taken root in our conciousness and conversations over the past few years. I recall when MySpace was the place, you had to have a MySpace account. Then came along this vanilla style, white & blue site called Facebook! This simple looking site has taken the world by storm. Much like the Microsoft of the 80′s and the Google of the earlier millennium, this site is the juggernaught of Social Networking sites, albeit with it’s fair share of controversy.
Social Networking Sites Timeline
As you can see, 2003 was when Social Networking started to gain “collective” consciousness and momentum. Sites like SixDegrees.com and Friendster were important players, and the likes of Facebook learned from their failings to gain worldwide popularity.
We are going to profile some of these Social Networking Sites over the next month, some of the more important sites that shaped the Social Networking space. So please stay tuned for more.
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