Social networking sites are a phenomenon that developed in the 1990's and are ever increasing in popularity with a remarkable range of cultures. Boyd and Ellison offer a 3 part definition to encompass this type of social media. These sites allow users to construct a private or semi private webpage within a bounded system; users construct a list of other users that they know or share a connection with and users view and search the profiles of their friends and their friend's friends.
Early social network sites didnt start out as such. QQ started out as a Chinese instant messaging service. Lunarstorm as a community site, Cyworld as a Korean discussion forum tool, and Skyrock was a French blogging service before they added social networking site features like private and public messaging services. Likewise Classmates.com was launched in 1995 and consisted of a directory of school affiliates and began supporting a friendlist after SNS's became popular.
The first discernable SNS was created in 1997, sixdegrees.com was the first to take basic features of todays social networking sites and combine them to form the first functional social networking website. AsianAvenue, BlackPlanet and MiGente are just a few websites to follow the SNS trend and combine other similar features to become some more of the first social networking sites.
The appeal and uses of these sites today can vary greatly. In 1994 teenagers began flocking to Myspace to connect with friends and favorite bands. Now, Myspace is primarily used for indie bands and other musical ventures. Professional sites like LinkedIn, Xing, and Visible Path are aimed at attracting and possibly helping "business people".
Social networking sites have come a long way since their dawning. The range of use for these sites is virtually limitless with a site out there designed to fit just about any need. From personal entertainment to business networking, SNS's seem to be here to stay.
For more information please visit:
Boyd, D.M. and Ellison, M.B. (2008), Social network sites: Definition, history, and scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 210-230. doi: 10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x
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