Usually I don’t like to comment on the obvious; however after reading Uses and Gratifications I have to say what interested me most was that Facebook started out as an exclusive SNS. I didn’t realize that Facebook was originally for Harvard attendees and alumni. Apparently I don’t pay much attention to SNS information or watched The Social Network movie, so I’m a bit out of the dark. I thought this was interesting to reflect on because this is how social networks operate. They gain users and grow their sites through its popularity. I can remember when Friendster first gained a lot of popularity with late teen and early twenty year old individuals. Everyone that used Friendster was able to showcase their looks and personality. The next SNS to take over was MySpace. They too had the same benefits, only with more options for it’s frequenters. These two social networking sites started out to appeal to the new social fad and carried over for a few years. Now there is Facebook seeming to make a significant mark, beginning as a college SNS. These sites each appealed to it’s users in different ways, yet all succeeded for a significant time.
I enjoyed reading your post. I remember in high school, having a Myspace was such a big deal. It was so important to have a good profile with posts, pictures, and the quizzes you took. The only thing I remember about the quizzes is that I was a Neapolitan flavored ice cream :)
ReplyDeleteI did not realize that Myspace gained popularity by word of mouth. I think that is pretty impressive. I also think it is kind of cool that Colbie Caillat was discovered on Myspace.
I think SNS are a great thing. They are a convenient place to give and receive information with friends. In the article, one of the participants said they liked SNS because they only had to explain things once. I think that makes perfect sense. It is much easier than making dozens of phone calls.
I liked your post. It feels like so long ago when I first created a myspace page, and I no longer use it at all. It has been so interesting seeing SNS evolve from particular ones like you mentioned such as Friendster into SNS like Facebook. It has me wondering what will be next for the SNS world. I feel like we evolve with these sites as well because when I used to have a myspace I thought it was really cool and neat, and now that I am older I would never be able to enjoy myspace the way I did in the past. I am rarely on my Facebook anymore, but I do see how it is a good networking medium for many people.
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