The history of social networks

The history of computerized social networks (non-computerized social networks have of course existed since our ape ancestors moved to live in tribes) should be started

1969 - ARPA-Net - the father of the Internet

In the late 1960s, the United States' DARPA developed a computer network designed to withstand a Soviet nuclear attack. The uniqueness of the network, and what will make it the father of the internet and social networks in the future, is that the network did not rely on a single server, but allowed each computer to serve as its hub for those connected to it and thus operate the network even if part of it was damaged.

1972 The universities are attached to RPA-Net

The network is no longer a military network only, but also incorporates government and academic departments. In the coming years, the network will become a central means to help researchers collaborate and publish articles. In reality, the importance of the move is that it allowed male and female students to get to know each other during the long nights in the laboratories.

1972 – Invention of email

In the first phase, electronic mail allowed short messages the length of text messages, but very quickly the possibility of extending the text, combining files was developed, and a few years later the forward command was invented which allowed jokes and later videos to be distributed further.

1976 - Apple invents the first personal computer

Although it took many years for personal computers to connect to the Internet, starting in 1976 the middle class started connecting to personal computing, writing homework on the computer and playing Pac-Man.

1982- Invention of chat

Chat actually started as real-time email, but very quickly became software in its own right.

1989 Invention of the WWW

It's hard to believe, but until Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web, the Internet was essentially a text-only network that required you to type commands to do - well, there really wasn't much to do at the time on the Internet.

1993 – The first browser

It was possible to combine text and images, and to click on links to go from page to page. It was called Mosaic, and parts of it still exist in Firefox browsers.

1995 - The Internet opens for commercial use

Until then it was mainly used by governments, armies and universities. From 1995 any business could set up a web page, and pretty soon every business did set up one.

1997 – ICQ – the first social network

Everyone who wanted to see what was happening with their friends and contact them in real time was given the opportunity when 3 young Israelis and Yossi Verdi invented the small and friendly software with cute beeps that told you who your friends are on the Internet.

1999 – Napster: Social file sharing

Music became social media when Sean Penning invents software that allows anyone to download and upload music to the Internet.

2000 - The Internet bubble bursts

Thousands of start-up companies and millions of investors and programmers lose their lives when it becomes clear that even on the Internet you have to find a way to make money.

2001 – the first blogs

Bored young women in San Francisco begin sharing their thoughts and experiences with their bored friends through online journals.

2001 – Wikipedia: The community encyclopedia

Wikipedia is of course an encyclopedia, but it is actually also a community that jointly created one of the largest websites in the world while maintaining a framework of rules.

2002 - the beginning of WEB 2.0

Sites that failed to make a profit from content creation and distribution are finding that it is much cheaper to let surfers create the content. Along the way it turns out that the involvement of surfers is very good for business.

2003 MySpace and LinkedIn are established

The first social networks that call themselves by this name allow users to create profiles, make friends, and in the case of MySpace also organize parties.

2004 Facebook: The Real Thing

Facebook organizes the social life of the students at Harvard and later that of all of us.

2005 YouTube puts the broadcast in our hands

Chad Hadley develops a way to store and display video cheaply and quickly, and suddenly every cat chasing its own tail gets 15 minutes of fame. 

2006 – Twitter: Who needs more than 120 characters?

The microblogging service produces a new minimalist form of communication.

2007 – The iPhone puts the Internet in your pocket

Although mobile internet has been available to geeks since 2001, it was the iPhone that made it a mass medium.

2008 - Obama's presidential campaign

The campaign of the young and anonymous senator manages to raise hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of volunteers with the help of the correct use of social networks, thus demonstrating to the world the power of this tool.

 2009-2011 - too many things to put here.