Although Facebook currently is the most popular social media website with approximately 1 billion users, it was not the first one. Most folks think the first social media website was MySpace. But from the research I have gathered, Bloomberg LP was the original one. Created by Mike Bloomberg, it was originally used as a 2-way messaging service to facilitate financial trades among his clients. Eventually Bloomberg LP spread to other Wall Street firms and it’s open directory allowed anyone on Wall Street to speak directly with others on Wall Street bypassing typical gatekeepers such as receptionists and such.
Next came CompuServe in the late 1980’s which as with Bloomberg had a limited community and catered to more the technical community. Although limited to evening hours when Golden United Life Insurance’s systems were silent, it allowed members to access news and interact through the use of discussion forums.
But it wasn’t until the early 1990’s, when AOL was created that the general public got involved in social media. Many remember the saying “You Got Mail”, well I do. AOL was actually my first experience with social media. AOL was unique in that it was easy for the novice computer user and allowed the user to have email and share pictures. But the chat rooms is where AOL truly offered live interactive experience as it allowed users to chat via the web live with anyone, from anywhere. I remember chatting with people all over the United States, and even search for people that I has lost contact with. Chat rooms were fun and entertaining, even facilitating a new type of language: LOL, ROFLMAO etc. Yes, way before it was called text talk. At that time, it was very advanced technology for the public and AOL was huge.
There were a few others even before MySpace started, but MySpace was more popular. Justin Timberlake as one of the founders of MySpace had a strong musical emphasis and was the most visited social networking site in the world surpassing Google in 2006 as the most visited website in the USA. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long after that MySpace was losing money as well as users to something new; Facebook.
Mark Zuckerberg: Founder of Facebook
By now, most have seen The Social Network and are familiar that Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook with his college roommates in 2004. Most people I know even have their own Facebook account. Even I do, although I didn’t know it at the time. My daughters thought after my divorce, that I needed to make friends and created my Facebook account. I only learned after a co-worker said she “Friended” me several times and wasn’t going to be my friend anymore, lol. At the time I thought it was childish, but now I use it to keep up to date on my grown children and see pictures and videos of my grandkids. And yes, it can be kind of addicting.
Today, Facebook has over approximately a billion users and even though has had it’s own struggles: lawsuits from Crimson members, Yahoo regarding patents, and the latest class action for loses due to the IPO of Facebook stock. The popularity and profitability of Facebook is still very strong today. But each day brings new competition Instagram, Snapchat, or the new launch of MySpace and new technology and privacy laws and issues which will continue to challenge the popularity of Facebook. Only the future knows whether Facebook will remain on top or will something better, easier, more private and fun to use come along? Only time will tell.
Happy Facebooking
Eva Prada
eveofmarketing 
I like your comments. I think Facebook is very interesting and the most popular way of communication today. It is one of the most favorite websites for everybody. Personally, I don’t like it. I prefer keep my life in private. Anyway, people love it and support it. I think something better is coming in the future. Something more innovative and private.
I like how you pointed out aol being your first use of social media. I feel that aol was the first for me as well, in fact, because of aim, I learned how to type becuase of how often I was talking to friends over aim. Facebook has taken over now for sure and has expanded my ability to communicate with family and friends. I frequently travel and facebook gives me a way to keep my friends and family apart of my daily life even though I am miles away.
The thing about Facebook is that it caters to a very important human need which is to connect with each other. Marc Zuckerberg and his team keep on coming up with some very clever ways to get us to spend more time on Facebook.I find that Facbook makes everything more convenient in human relationships, and I personally dont want to let go of that warming feeling of being connected.
I enjoyed reading all the information you posted about the history of social media communications. It’s incredible how this type of communication has been developed and now Facebook is who have the premier. I believe somebody will invent another social page with a better design with more friendly design and interaction. Technology and “its sons” always change.
I think that, without a doubt, there will be something that will come along and upstage Facebook. When was the last time you heard anyone talk about how cool Myspace still is? The awesome thing about the internet is that it is forever growing and new things come about every single day. It just takes a few smart people like Mark Zuckerberg and his roommates to get bored one day and come up with some ingenious new social website and Facebook will be a thing of the past.