SixDegrees.com was a social network service web site that initially lasted from 1997[1] to 2000[2][3] and was based on the Web of Contacts model of social networking. It was named after the concept of six degrees of separation[4] and allowed users to list friends, family members and acquaintances whether registered on the site or not. External contacts were invited to join. People who confirmed a relationship with an existing user but did not go on to register with the site continued to receive occasional email updates and solicitations. Users could send messages and post bulletin board items to people in their first, second, and third degrees, and see their connection to any other user on the site.
 | |
Type of site | Social network service |
|---|---|
| Owner |
|
| Created by | Andrew Weinreich |
| URL | sixdegrees |
| Registration | Required |
| Launched | 1997 |
| Current status | Defunct |
SixDegrees was one of the first social networking sites that later became highly popular. It was followed by more successful sites based on the "social-circles network model" such as Friendster, MySpace, LinkedIn, XING, and Facebook.
MacroView (later renamed to SixDegrees Inc.), the company that developed the site, was founded by CEO Andrew Weinreich in May 1996[5] and was based in New York City. At its height, SixDegrees had around 100 employees, and the site had around 3,500,000 fully registered members.[6] The site was bought by YouthStream Media Networks in December 1999 for $125 million.[7][8] SixDegrees shut down one year later on December 30, 2000,[3] then brought back up a few years later.[2]
References
edit- ^ boyd, danah m; Ellison, Nicole B. (2007). "Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship". Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication. 13 (1): 210–230. doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2007.00393.x. S2CID 52810295.
- ^ a b Barker, Melissa (2012). "10". Social Media Marketing: A Strategic Approach (1st ed.). Cengage Learning.
- ^ a b "sixdegrees sitedown message". 2001-03-02. Archived from the original on 2001-03-02. Retrieved 2021-08-12.
- ^ "TECHNOLOGY & MEDIA: PATENTS; Idea for Online Networking Brings Two Entrepreneurs Together - New York Times". The New York Times. 2010-11-02. Archived from the original on 2010-11-02. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- ^ "Then and now: a history of social networking sites". 2014-02-04. Archived from the original on 2018-07-23. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
- ^ Kirkpatrick, David (2010). The Facebook Effect: The Inside Story of the Company That Is Connecting the World. Simon & Schuster. ISBN 978-1439102121.
- ^ Angwin, Julia (2009). Stealing MySpace: The Battle to Control the Most Popular Website in America. Random House. p. 52.
- ^ Jones, Dow (16 December 1999). "COMPANY NEWS; YOUTHSTREAM TO ACQUIRE SIXDEGREES FOR $125 MILLION". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2018-07-22. Retrieved 2018-07-22.
Further reading
edit- Bedell, Doug. "Meeting your new best friends: Six Degrees widens your contacts in exchange for sampling Web sites". The Dallas Morning News, October 27, 1998.