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59 BCE
The Acta Diurna Populi Romani: The "Daily Acts of the People of Rome"
After his election in 59 B.C., Julius Caesar decreed that "the proceedings both of the senate and the people should day by day be compiled and published." This decree was formalized in a gazette titled the "Acta Diurna Populi Romani."
Caesar ordered the creation of the acta diurna to draw attention to the senate's power. Though politically motivated, the acta diurna also shared events such as births, deaths, holiday festivals, and more.
Source: Standage, p. 28-29
Picture: https://goo.gl/uYWSxw -
1 CE
Christian Epistle Sharing
Paul of Tarsus preaches and shares the teachings of Jesus Christ via letters. These epistles circulated throughout Greece and Asia Minor, and helped spread Christian teachings. Using letters proved to be an effective way of sharing information across vast expanses of land.
Source: Standage, p. 42-43 -
The Telegraph
The invention of the telegraph occurs, which allows messages to be sent and received in spite of long distances.
Source: Avalaunch Media, https://goo.gl/9anQxC
Picture: https://goo.gl/B87SkN -
Email
Emailing capability occurs.
Source: Avalaunch Media https://goo.gl/LB4Y4V -
ARPANET
The ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network) reaches the East Coast. The photo is a log of the first message sent via ARPANET.
Source: Standage p. 217
Picture: https://goo.gl/rkE8L5 -
Period: to
The Creation of the Web
Computer scientist Sir Tim Berners-Lee created a plan for the web in March 1989. It wasn't further conceptualized until October 1990, when Berners-Lee wrote the following coding processes: HTML, HTTP, and URI.
Source: WebFoundation.org, https://goo.gl/iny1jA -
Royalty-Free
Berners-Lee campaigned CERN to make the web royalty-free. On April 30, 1993, the CERN announced that "the web's underlying standards would always be royalty-free." This encouraged the free-flow of information.
Source: Standage, p. 224 -
Six Degrees
Six Degrees was an early social network site that enabled user profile creation and online friend requests. It was later shut down in 2000.
Source: https://goo.gl/y8eyoJ -
Blogger
Blogger, a blogging platform, is created by Evan Williams (who would later go on to co-found Twitter [Standage, p. 232]) and Meg Hourihan. Williams pioneered the term "blogger."
Source: Standage, p. 226
Picture: https://goo.gl/Ze87yA -
Wikipedia
Wikipedia is invented.
Source: Avalaunch Media, https://goo.gl/WumBHX
Picture: https://goo.gl/zCg2hk -
MySpace and LinkedIn
MySpace, used primarily for connecting with others socially, and LinkedIn, used for business connections, are invented. By 2006, MySpace would become the most popular social media site in the world.
Source: Avalaunch Media, https://goo.gl/1fnz6c
Picture: https://goo.gl/v35z7y -
Facebook
Facebook, previously only available on school campuses, becomes accessible for everyone over 13.
Source: Standage, p. 231 -
iPhones and Safari 3
Apple released the iPhone, which featured a mobile version of Safari 3. Today, iPhones are widely used for web browsing and social media.
Source: The Evolution of the Web, https://goo.gl/Pc5fyZ
Picture: https://goo.gl/pqLyVU -
Instagram and Pinterest
Instagram, a photo-sharing network, and Pinterest, a link and photo-sharing site, are created.
Source: Avalaunch Media, https://goo.gl/27ojEE
Picture: https://goo.gl/eHQQxu -
Period: to
Today
As of 2010, 98% of Internet users in Britain and America use social media and do so for many reasons: news sharing, catching up with friends and family, business, and more. In summation, Standage states, "Social forms of media based on sharing, copying, and personal recommendation, which prevailed for centuries, have been dramatically reborn, supercharged by the Internet."
Source: Standage p.7, p. 239
