1. THE HISTORY OF SOCIAL
MEDIA
By Cian Buckley

2. What is Social Media?
 Unclear – constantly evolving
 Wikipedia – “media for social interaction, using
highly accessible and scalable communication
techniques. Social media is the use of web-based
and mobile technologies to turn communication
into interactive dialogue”
 Social media is the tools, services, and
communication facilitating connection between
peers with common interests (Garret, 2011)

3. MODERN SOCIAL MEDIA
 1950’s – 60’s PhonePhreaking
 PhonePhreaks – hacking into unused
company test lines
 First “social media discussions” and virtual
seminars
 First form of blogging – unused voicemail
boxes
(copybrighter.com, 2011)

4. Bulletin Board Systems –
BBS’s
 1979 – Ward Christensen
 “small servers powered by personal
computers, attached to a telephone
modem, where one person at a time
could dial in and get access.” (copybrighter.com, 2011)
 First replicas of modern social
networking – message board
discussions, file downloads, games
 80’s- Underground feel
 BBS’s – adult content, pirate software,
anarchist movements

6. INTERNET & WORLD WIDE WEB
 Internet been around since 60’s
 US army
 1964-first commercial use
 Early 90’s available to the masses
 Prodigy & CompuServe early attempts
 Safe environment – open discussions and
sharing
 Napster – 1999-2001 – Sean Parker

7. YOU’VE GOT MAIL
 1998 AOL – first
instant messaging
 SixDegrees 1997
 Friendster 2002-
03
 MySpace 2004-06
 Facebook
SOCIAL NETWORKING

8. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SuNx0
UrnEo

9. THE FUTURE
 Nearly impossible to predict
 Facebook vs Google
 Phase out?
 Political Power – Arab Spring
…….Only time will tell