Timeline of Social Media Platforms

This Digital Artefact is a timeline of social media platforms dating from 1973 to 2018.

This project couldn’t have been made possible without the work and efforts of

Barry Donnelly @ https://machineslither.com/

Mary O’ Sullivan @ https://marymaryborough.com/

Onoir O’ Brien @ https://onoirobrien.com/

Reece O’ Reilly Butler @ https://reeceoreilly.com/

1973

Invention: PLATO Talkomatic

Talkomatic is created by Dave Woolley and Douglas Brown, at the University of Illinois, as a multi-user chatroom application. It is an instant sensation among users in the PLATO System’s online community.

For more information on PLATO please click here

Invention: PLATO TERM-Talk

TERM-Talk is created by the staff at the Computer based Education Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, as an instant-messaging application enabling any two users on the PLATO system to conduct a live, character-by-character typed conversation on the bottom of the screen of their PLATO terminals. Soon many features would be added to it including “Monitor Mode”, enabling one user in the TERM-Talk to share their screen with the other user to ask questions or point out something that they’re seeing. Years later this concept would be introduced as “Screen Sharing” or Remote Desktop Software.

1973

Invention: PLATO Notes

PLATO Notes is created by 17-year-old student Dave Woolley at the Computer-based Education Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, as a conferencing and bulletin board forum system for communicating with the user community. In 1976, Notes expanded to enable any user to create a “notesfile” on any subject. PLATO Notes would serve as the inspiration for Lotus Notes, developed by former PLATO users Ray Ozzie, Len Kawell and Tim Halvorsen.

Launch: Bolt.com

Bolt.com was started as the first social networking and video website.

1996

1997

Launch, Milestone: SixDegrees.com

Social Networking website SixDegrees.com is created.

For more information on SixDegrees, please click here.

Launch: AOL

AOL instant messenger is released

1997

1999

Launch: Yahoo! Messenger

Yahoo! Messenger, another popular instant messaging service launches.

Launch: LiveJournal

LiveJournal, an early blogging platform and social network launches.

1999

2003

Launch: LinkedIn

Business-oriented social networking service LinkedIn launches.

For more information on LinkedIn, please click here.

Launch: Myspace

Myspace, one of the most popular social networking sites ever, launches.

For more information on Myspace please click here.

2003

2004

Launch, Milestone: Facebook

Facebook, the most popular social networking service to-date, launches. It now features a voice and video calling service as well as widely used instant messaging service.

For more information on Facebook please click here

Launch: Flickr

Flickr, 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).

2004

2005

Launch: Bebo

Bebo, a social networking website launches.

Launch: Reddit

Reddit, an American social news aggregation, web content rating, and discussing website, launches

2005

2006

Launch: Twitter

Twitter, one of the most popular social media networking sites worldwide, launches. This website was very popular in Brazil and India

For more information on Twitter, please click here.

Launch: Instagram

Instagram, a photo/video sharing and social media service, launches. This social media application was then bought by Facebook in 2012.

2010

2011

Launch: Snapchat

Snapchat, a photo/video sharing and social media service, launches.

Launch: Tinder

Tinder, a widely popular dating-oriented social networking service launches

2012

2016

Launch: TikTok

TikTok, a short video sharing and social media service, launches.

For more information on TikTok, please click here.

Launch: Parler

Parler, described as an “unbiased” alternative to the major social media platforms, was founded in 2018. A significant portion of the Parler user base are Donald Trump supporters.

For more information on Parler please click here.

2018

References / Notes

Google Doc Link with Original Timeline + References + Meeting Minutes

PLATO Talkomatic Image – Donnelly, BD, 2020, “PLATO COMPUTER SYSTEM 1973”, https://machineslither.com/

PLATO TERM-Talk Image – “PLATO People: TERM-Talk and Instant Messaging” ,www.platopeople.com

PLATO Notes Image – “PLATO Notes Screenshot – CHM Revolution”, www.computerhistory.org

Bolt.com image – “Bolt.com, Universal Settle for $10M”, www.mashable.com

SixDegrees.com Image – Donnelly, BD, 2020, “SixDegrees 1997”, https://machineslither.com/

AOL Instant Messaging Image – “AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) 8.0.0.6 Download”, www.techspot.com

Yahoo! Messenger Image – “Yahoo! Messenger Online”, www.medium.com

LiveJournal Image – “LiveJournal.com nostalgia”, www.reddit.com

LinkedIn Image – Donnelly, BD, 2020, “LinkedIn 2003”, https://machineslither.com/

Myspace 2003 Image – Donnelly, BD, 2020, “Myspace 2003”, https://machineslither.com/

Facebook 2004 Image – Donnelly, BD, 2020, “Facebook 2004”, https://machineslither.com/

Flickr Image – “What is Flickr?”, www.cbronline.com

Bebo Image – “Looking Back On Bebo: Successes, Failures, and every…”, absolute.digital

Reddit Image – “Reddit (@reddit) ¦ Twitter”, twitter.com

Instagram Image – “Designing a New Look for Instagram”, medium.com

Snapchat Image – “Snapchat (@Snapchat) ¦ Twitter”, twitter.com

Tinder Image – “Tinder – Dating, Make Friends and Meet New People”, tinder.com

Twitter Image – Donnelly, BD, 2020, “Twitter 2006”, https://machineslither.com/

Tik Tok 2016 Image – Donnelly, BD, 2020, “Tik Tok 2016”, https://machineslither.com/

Parler 2018 Image – Donnelly, BD, 2020, “Parler 2018”, https://machineslither.com/

Team Digital Artefact – Timeline of Social Media Platforms