Social Networking Sites
Believe it or not, in the early 2000’s the closest thing that internet browsers had to a social network were websites that touted message boards and discussion forums. Back in those far off days, the ability to talk to other fans, bands, gamers, enthusiasts, and others with similar interests from across the globe seemed pretty innovative.
However, the internet outgrew message boards and Myspace sprung up allowing users to step out of message boards and start to connect with each other on a more personal virtual level. Although at first Myspace was simply a place to network to listen to new music and independent bands, it quickly grew to include just about everyone.
Yet, there was still not a true meeting place for those who simply wanted to get online and connect to friends and meet new friends, which is how Facebook was born. Although Facebook was a little stunted at first given it was limited to only four East coast US schools, over the course of a year it quickly took off jumping from university to university until it opened its doors to the public and the social network dam burst.
Following suit Twitter popped up for those who wanted to get even more social exposure than Facebook could provide and business networks such as LinkedIN became the new rage. Now, it is hard to imagine a world without social networking as the trend has changed the way that advertisers, people, friends, and even family members connect with each other. In a world where distance often disproved the theory of six degrees of separation, the internet has made the popular philosophy a true way of life.
