Open View

Social networking services have a long history. I classify the evolution of social networking sites as the following generations. Each generation is demarcated by the use of the social networking service.

First Generation
One of the reasons why internet was created was to share information between two people or computers located far away. This technically means its a social networking service. The earliest networks like Usenet, ARPANET etc are forms of social networking services. These were created to share data which was to be processed and also other human readable information was pretty much straight. Also the number of members was limited.

Second Generation
It was during this generation that the meaning of social networking took a paradigm shift so powerful that it is where it is today. The idea that services could be offered on the internet where like minded people meet is born in this generation. Bulletin boards, chat rooms and blogs were created. So many possibilities and dimensions were unlocked. This set the stage for the next generation where we are today mostly.

Third Generation
This is an extension of the previous generation and not a paradigm shift by itself. It just carries forward and gives a better shape to the idea which had its genesis in the previous period. Though we still use the services of second generation, most of our fun lies in the services of this generation. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Orkut, Twitter etc belong to this period. Meeting of like minded people was facilitated more by providing users with the facility to share photos, interests, hobbies, let people know what they are doing by status updates etc. However in this generation the usage was not only restricted to meeting people online and making new friends but also to develop ones professional career. This was the birth of many social networking services for professionals. Also, many celebrities used these services to have more direct contact with their fans and also for publicity. Twitter is one such example. It is clean, simple, secure and no nonsense. Hence many celebs chose to make their presence on Twitter. Here are some of the celebs on twitter

Shashi Tharoor - @ShashiTharoor
Shahid Kapoor - @shahidkapoor
Barack Obama - @BarackObama
Siddharth - @Actor_Siddharth
Deepika Padukone - @DeepikaCalling
Chetan Bhagat - @chetan_bhagat
Karan Johar - @kjohar25
Priyanka Chopra - @priyankachopra
Britney Spears - @britneyspears
Madhavan - @ActorMadhavan
Shah Rukh Khan - @iamsrk

Twitter of all is making waves because of the presence of so many celebs. Not only actors and sports personalities but also from the world of politics. This has stirred up many criticisms but the bottom line is this generation is like no other! Lets wait and watch what the future has in store for us in the fourth generation of social networking services.