Are you one of those who are hooked to the computer or access net daily? Then, I am sure, you are aware of social media revolution that started few years back and now has changed the direction of web traffic to a great extent.
In the year 1946, when Konrad Zuse wrote the first algorithmic programming language in the modern day computer, one would have hardly imagined the way computers will change our lives. From the room size computer to the palmtops and that in mobile phones, computers have become a necessity of our modern day life, be it home or office.
15 years back, communication was more often face to face. We all remember that our previous generation used to contact friends and family members in other city through hand written mails and waited for days and weeks to get a reply. We too have used this in the initial phase of our lives. I am sure there would not be a need for my child to write a letter in her own handwriting, thanks to emails.
The first test- email was sent by an engineer Ray Tomlinson in the year 1971. After being used in defence for several years, emails replaced the hand written mails with the advent of internet. In the year 1995, Hotmail Corporation came into being to enable people around the world send mails to each other within seconds. Our generation has witnessed this change from mail to email. The words like ‘instant’ or ‘instantaneous’ became inseparable to our communication.
When I was leaving college, I remember asking friends their email address. If I did not wish to remember any of the ‘not so friendly’ classmates, I simply lost their email address. With emails and telephones, getting in touch with someone even in the other part of the world became immediate. Each one of us would have maintained a telephone diary of important numbers and list of email addresses. Telephone diary was lead to the path of extinction by mobile phones. Emails, however, are here to stay.
The latest change came few years back when social media came into picture. My Space was one of the earliest social networking sites. Then came Facebook and many other sites. We registered ourselves to know about friends and family. There were several advantages that a networking site offered. You can search and find out the people whom you used to know and lost touch. You could share photos and send messages.
You must have sat wondering what one of your schoolmates is doing now. When you search in Facebook and you can find the schoolmate’s profile. In his photo’s you can see him holding his pocket edition in his arms. You can send a message and get back the lost touch. This is the excitement which Facebook offers to its 400 million users.
While Facebook is leader in social networking, Twitter is the most known name in microblogging. You have the flexibility of expressing yourself with 140 characters limit. The privacy norms are far less stringent. Depending on your taste and choice, you can share your views on your government’s policy to increase employment or the latest trend in fashion. Twitter has given words to our inner sensitivity. We, now, no longer hesitate in ridiculing or appreciating anyone or anything in public. It is a good forum for our over-communicated society. You can raise your voice against terrorism or raise funds for the people affected by a natural calamity.
Social networking and microblogging are just a small part of this revolution. Social media revolution is all about sharing knowledge, feelings, thoughts and your imagination. Blogs, video-sharing, photo-sharing, social bookmarking, event management and web community building- all of these tools are playing important roles in this revolution.
If you are getting a feel that these sites are only for personal use and an entrepreneur like you should not be wasting your crucial time on these, I must say you are too stride. Businesses have changed their fortunes through these sites. Sounds interesting? Keep reading to know how.
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