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Start of Timeline
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The Discrete Cosine Transform - Invention
The discrete cosine transform (DCT) compression technique is proposed by Nasir Ahmed. It became the most used data compression algorithm on social media enabling the practical transmission and streaming of digital media. Including digital image formats such as JPEG (1992), and audio compression standards such as Dolby Digital (1991), and MP3 (1994).
- Wyatt Robinson -
Talkomatic - Invention
Talkomatic is created by Dave Woolley and Douglas Brown. Talkomatic is a multi-user chat room application. -Wyatt Robinson -
ARPANET - Invention
ARPANET evolved into the Internet following the publication of the first Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) specification, RFC 675, written by Vint Cerf, Yogen Dalal and Carl Sunshine. -Wyatt Robinson -
Bulletin Board System (BBS)
Bulletin Board System (BBS) becomes one of the earliest known forms of social media, and remains popular and under development until the late 1990s. Created by Ward Christensen and Randy Suess. -Wyatt Robinson -
IRC (Internet Relay Chat) - Invention
IRC rises from the roots of BBS (and was initially intended to extend it), offering a similar service and experience. It remains in use today. -Wyatt Robinson -
Classmates.com
Helped classmates in schools (past and present) connect online. -Alyssa Springer -
Bolt.com
1st social networking and video website. -Alyssa Springer -
AOL Instant Messenger
AOL Instant Messenger was launched. -Alyssa Springer -
SixDegrees.com
Launched in 1997. With SixDegrees.com, you could set up a profile page, create lists of connections, and send messages within networks.SixDegrees.com is purchased by YouthStream Media Networks for $125 million. -Matt Ross -
Open Diary
Open Diary launched. Open Diary is 1st social blogging network. -Alyssa Springer -
Yahoo! Messenger
Yahoo! Messenger launched. A popular instant messaging service. -Alyssa Springer -
Hot or Not (AmIHotorNot.com)
Hot or Not was a site that launched that allowed users to rate each other's attractiveness. The site is rumored to have influenced the creators of Facebook and YouTube—and nurtured millions of insecurities. -Matt Ross -
SixDegrees.com is Shut Down
Sixdegrees.com, one of the first social media sites, is shut down. -Matt Ross -
Friendster
Friendster created and launched by Jonathan Abrams, a computer programmer. Friendster is a social networking platform that allowed users to share videos, photos, and interact with each other through personal profiles. -Matt Ross -
LinkedIn
LinkedIn, a business oriented social platform, launches. LinkedIn allows users to pos jobs for career development and professional networking. -Matt Ross -
Myspace
Myspace launches a rival of Friendster known also as “a place for friends”, with customizable profiles with the controversial “Top 10 friends” -Matt Ross -
Skype
Skype launches, a predecessor of similarly popular platforms of today such as zoom. Skype allowed users to communicate through video over the internet. -Matt Ross -
Facebook
“The Facebook” officially launches (originally under the guise of “facemash” in 2003, then rebranded as Facebook in 2005), out of Harvard university. The platform gained popularity and spreading from university to university. -Matt Ross -
Flickr
Flickr is an image and video hosting website, launches. Many users use Flickr to keep personal photos, and it is also widely used as a platform for hosting images and videos that are later embedded in other websites and services (such as blogs). -Wyatt Robinson -
YouTube
YouTube officially launches.YouTube is a video sharing platform, that is free for anyone to share their videos and content and made easy for others to view. -Matt Ross -
Reddit
Reddit is an American social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussion website. -Wyatt Robinson -
Twitter
Twitter launches as a microblogging platform. Users interact with short messages known as “tweets”. Users can like tweets or respond with their own tweets with a 140 character limit. -Matt Ross -
Tumblr.
Tumblr. launches. Tumblr. is similar to twitter in that it is a microblogging platform allowing users to react and share their own blogs as well as follow other bloggers. -Matt Ross -
Grindr
Grindr launches as the first dating site. Grindr was primarily for gay and bisexual men looking to find partners and later paved the way for other dating sites such as Tinder and revolutionized the dating world especially for homosexual men. -Matt Ross -
Daily Booth
Very similar to Instagram and was created in 2009. Lasted for about 3 years till they tried an overhaul in 2012 but never came back. At start up within 6 months they had 3 million uploads. -Derek Schumacher -
Pinterest
Pinterest launches. Pinterest is another platform that allows users to share photos also known as “pins” allowing other users to place add them to their very own “pinboards”. It is an interactive platform in which users can comment on each other's shared interests. -Matt Ross -
Instagram
Instagram launches; Instagram is a social platform allowing individuals with profiles to share photos and later videos that could be liked and commented on. Instagram would later introduce filters among other reactive options. -Matt Ross -
Twitch
Twitch is a live-streaming service that is popular worldwide. Twitch focused on broadcasting users playing video games. -Wyatt Robinson -
Snapchat
Once called Picaboo before they changed the name before launch in 2011. Jump to 2020 they have 360 million active monthly and with 3 billion snaps every day. -Derek Schumacher -
Vine
Vine – was released in 2013 and in the same year it became the most downloaded app in the U.S. iOS App store. They would get bought out by Twitter in 2013 and they would run the app till 2016 when the devs could not keep up with rivaling apps like snapchat. -Derek Schumacher -
Music.ly
Music.ly a lip-syncing app, launches. In 2017, ByteDance acquires Musical.ly for $1 billion. -Wyatt Robinson -
Yik Yak
Yik Yak launched in 2014. A site where you could post anything you wanted as everyone on the app was anonymous. Another feature was that only those in a vicinity of you could see the post. At its peak it was valued at 400 million. Yik Yak would close down in 2017 due to bomb threats and hate-fueled acts of violence posted all over their site. -Derek Schumacher -
Discord
Discord is a free instant messaging and video/voice calling service designed for the gaming community launches. -Wyatt Robinson -
Tik Tok
Launched in 2017 outside of China which in China, they called it Douyin. It allows you to post a short video with music or sound clip in the background. Tik Tok would soar to the top as in 2020 they have more than 2 billion downloads. In 2021 it would surpass google as the most popular website. -Derek Schumacher -
End of the Timeline
This is the end of the timeline there is no information beyond this point yet.