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Beginning of Modern Day Internet
In 1971, what we know as the internet began. Ray Tomlinson invented an email program to send messages across a distributed network. -
Growth of Internet Continues
Though the internet started to grow in 1971, it wasn't until 1984 that we started to truly witness exponential growth. The number of hosts was over 1,000. -
Internet Commercialization Begins
In 1987, hosts were well over 28,000 and commercialization of the internet really started to take off. -
Welcome to the WWW Revolution
The number of hosts surpassed 2 million. This is also the year when web pages truly took off. The white house developed their web page, and marketers truly started to realize the potential the internet had. -
Birth of Social Media
In 1997, Six Degrees launches and is known as the first social media site. Users were able to create profiles and then friend other users. This became the backbone of the system we know today. AOL Instant Messenger, or AIM is also introduced. -
Chat Rooms
In the early 2000's, chat rooms gained popularity. They made it easier for individuals to be social online. -
Social Media BOOMS
In 2003, we saw a huge increase in the amount of social media users with the introduction of Myspace. Myspace is one of the original profile websites, and led to the creation and popularity of sites such as Facebook. -
LinkedIN
Also in 2003, LinkedIN is launched. LinkedIN is specifically targeted to professionals who want to network with each other. -
Facebook
In 2004, Mark Zuckerberh launches Facebook. Facebook is currently the number one used social media site today. -
Reddit
Reddit is a social news, rating, and discussion website. Throughout the last decade, Reddit has seen a fair share of controversies including the 2014 release of nuder celebrity photos. -
Twitter Launches
Twitter launches in 2006, and becomes very popular despite only allowing users to compose tweets that are 140 characters or less. Twitter was also one of the first sites that gave verified accounts to celebrities. -
Tumblr
Launched in 2007, Tumblr began as one of the first sites that combined social media profiles with blogging. Several countries such as China, Indonesia, and Iran have blocked Tumblr because of content the government does not support. -
FourSquare
Foursquare is launched. While no longer considered popular, FourSquare is a search and discover mobile app that allows users to check in and leave reviews for businesses. -
Pinterest
Wedding and event planning became easier in 2010 when Pinterest was launched. Pinterest is a website and mobile app that allows users to discover and save ideas on a board. Pinterest really plays into the DIY attitude that has sprung in the last decade or so. -
Instagram
In 2010, Instagram launched and became one of the first sites that was solely focused on the posting of photos. Users were able to add a description to their profile, and comments under photos, but the purpose of the site/app was to show off images.
