The History and Future of Social Networking Research Paper

The History and Future of Social Networking - Research Paper Example Apart from this, they may make use of the additional services offered online, such as joining of groups or communities. Social networks are mostly established over the World Wide Web and give the users an opportunity to interact with each other, via messaging, email and sharing of pictures or videos. Often in scenarios, online community service may also fall under the aforementioned banner, as they tend to be group-centered. Social networking sites may give birth to new innovations and ideas amongst people. Body There are numerous types of social networking sites or services; however the most common types are those which allow the users to connect with friends maintain categories and introduce recommendations. Most of the social networking sites are based in America and include the likes of Facebook, Google Plus. Linked In and Twitter are used globally by billions of people, across the globe (Meyerson, 2010, p.141). It must be noted that the authorities have carried out several effor ts at homogenizing the social networking service. These steps were taken in order to reduce duplication on the social networking sites. In the year 2011, the results of a survey showed that more than forty seven percent of the Americans were avid users of social networking sites and services. ... The conception of social networking services was done through the Bulletin Board System. The Bulletin Board System was a software that permitted the users to connect to the system, making use of the respective program, making communication effective. However, the Bulletin Board System proved rather ineffective in the longer run, as connections could not be established through longer distances and it was expensive in cost. Before the Internet could come into limelight as the sole medium for social networking services, there were other avenues that opened along the way too. CompuServe was one of such initiatives, introduced in the 1970s and later made public during the 1980s decade. This service permitted its members to have access to news and events across the world. They also enjoyed the liberty of sharing files and pictures with each other, sending instant messages via email and joining the discussion forums of CompuServe. â€Å"But if there is a true precursor to today’s so cial networking sites, it was likely spawned under the AOL umbrella. In many ways, and for many people, AOL was the Internet before the Internet, and its member-created communities, complete with searchable â€Å"Member Profiles,† in which users would list pertinent details about themselves, were arguably the service’s most fascinating, forward-thinking feature† (Goble, 2012). The year 1995, gave birth to the revolution in the Internet industry with the evolution of websites, such as Yahoo, Amazon and MSN, which were to set the foundations of the current social networking strata in the world. The social networking services have observed an emerging trend in the recent past. These social bookmarking websites are increasing in numbers day after day, every day a new website is launched