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Originally called Quantum Computer Services when it first came out. America Online or AOL was the internet's first glance at online messaging, it was also a dial up internet service. -
1996-2020 Adobe Flash was a pivotal part of web design. Allowing websites to feature interactive graphics and games. At the time of its launch it owned most of the online real estate as apps such as YouTube and HBO incorporated it. It was the most used plugin at the time. -
Commonly referred to as the first social media site, it had the foundations for other social media sites to grow, like Myspace and Facebook, it allowed people to connect over the computer. -
It was originally Yahoo Briefcase and it offered free online storage long before Google did. Yahoo mail helped make email services more friendly. Yahoo was also the first to add news, and sports to its web directory making it the first of its kind. -
evolved from Sixdegrees taking its spot as a top social network, implementing the same things that Sixdegrees did like allowing users to make contacts and save them to a personal network. In 2011 the website shifted to a gaming site, in 2015 it shut down. -
as of 2025 LinkedIn has over 800million members originally built as a business social network, it reached 1 million users in August of 2004 it was a way for people to connect with others in their field. Still has use to this day. -
Allowed for customizable profiles, became the first ‘massive’ social media, it allowed users to share music and photos. Partnering with Google led to the end, features loaded at a much slower pace, spam began to appear on the site. Myspace then gained competition with Facebook, and in an attempt to rebrand itself as a music site, shares of the site were sold Specific Media. By 2018 the site was a shell of its former self, by 2022 it was an archive. -
Facebook was launched from the idea to become a college networking site. Facebook has changed the way that the online interfaces evolved, some may say that it laid the foundation for the current ways that we now know social media, allowing for people to social network, influence, advertising, business, and politics all in one app. It was the start of a so-called ‘digital age’ enhancing on features from other websites. -
Tumblr stands out as a social media site due to it being a space for diverse voices and unrepresented groups, it is the largest online fandom site. Tumblr is a key site when it comes to LGBTQ+ rights and climate activism users frequently fight for change. Besides the people the website functions is that it allows for creativity not only can you post but you can post by changing the color of the text, adding music, photos gifs as well as audio. It fosters a sense of belonging. -
The term Reblogging or reposting was first used online in March of 2007 the practice of reposting or reblogging as some may say someone else's content to put your own spin has allowed for the evolution of technology. People could post and add additional content onto someone else's words. -
The first hashtag was used on August 23, 2007 on twitter when at the time the symbol initially meant that the symbol was a address for a specific topic, i would consider them a design innovation because they originally started on one site and from there went to all of them, the hashtags are also used to help with marketing and advertising strategies. They are a definite show of how tech has grown. -
When Instagram debuted, it changed the social media landscape unlike Facebook and Myspace where one would scroll upon posts Instagram was primary focused on mobile photo sharing with the use of filters. Allowing users to express their creative desires as well as engage in visual storytelling. Its ever-changing platform has evolved to have stories, reel as well as IGTV. -
2013-2017
Vine, while it lasted only a few years was one of the biggest changes that social media had scene, it allowed users to share short videos rather than static posts, or images. It allowed for people to better hone their creativity and helped to create popular trends, due to the short story platform other apps grew once vine was taken off the internet, Musically, then TikTok Instagram added reels, like in real life interfaces are always growing and changing. -
The transformation from Musically to TikTok was a cultural milestone as two apps transferred into one phenomenon . The merger allowed for ByteDance the owner of Tiktok, to integrate Musically's user base. Before the merger there had been over 200 million users, the reason for the merger was that Byte Dance wanted to grow globally, musically already had a good American base, so when the acquisition happened this allowed for musically's fan base and creators to join onto a new app. -
Facebook and later Instagram rebranding as meta was a shift, from just social media to the grasp of technology something called the ‘metaverse’ that allows a digital environment for people to thrive and explore a digital reality that has an immersive experience. This was a step forward in becoming something more than just a social networking platform.