Facebook is being heralded as the premiere online “social network.” But haven’t we always had social networks online? From the history of the internet, we’ve had user groups, bulletin board, forums, and email lists. Yes, we have been able to connect and collaborate through the internet, but Facebook has successfully made it accessible to millions of people. But how?
I think it has to do with abstraction and personalization. Traditionally, people had usernames and handles to identify themselves on the web. When you see “sk8er_dude”, you don’t immediately think, “That’s my friend from school, Timmy.” That online identity is closely tied to their online actions. Somehow, Facebook has made us comfortable with disclosing our full names online, and thus personalizing the way we communicate online.
When I pull up Facebook, I see the names of people I know and what they’re posting online. Sometimes when I see them around campus, I remember seeing something that they posted (pictures, a link, a status update, etc.), and it can be something for us to talk about. By removing the username abstraction, Facebook has enabled us to connect through the web on a more personal level and change the face of modern communication.