Danah Boyd has asked for feedback on an article she is writing with Nicole Ellison on the ‘History of Social Network Sites’. Here is an excerpt:

The first recognizable social network site launched in 1997.   SixDegrees.com allowed users to come to the site, create profiles and list their Friends.   The site promoted the ways that users could connect with and send messages to Friends based on degree (SixDegrees.com, 1999). While SixDegrees attracted millions, it was before its time (Weinreich, 2007).  While people were already flocking to the Internet, most did not have extended networks of friends who were online. Some participants also complained that the site provided very little incentive to return following the articulation of one’s network; meeting strangers was not in vogue.   SixDegrees closed its doors in 2000.

Read the work in progress and give feedback