Breaking News! If you consider a social network that is 100 years breaking news. I saw this commercial recently about Coleman Company stating they had created the first social network. For those of you who do not know who they are, the company makes camping gear, such as Coleman tents, Coleman Lamps, Coleman Grills.
So, how do they figure they started the first social network? They feel that when people started camping using their gear that it was an early social network. We are not talking about flashy graphics and an web interface network. Instead, we are talking about the old fashioned sit down and talk with people type of social network. It just goes to prove that social networking has more to do with people bonding and forming relationships than fancy gadgets and technological know how.
Question: Now that we know that social networking has been around for 100 years, I just want to know when was your first experience with social networking?
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Thanks!
In 1995, when America Online (AOL) was huge and city divisions including Chicago Online were big, I became part of a large community of people who regularly cyber-visited “chat rooms”. There, I and others like me – in that respect, anyway – got acquainted: some of us authentically, others fantastically. Soon, an entrepreneur had the great idea to invite the on-line chat friends to meet in person, in a safe, public place where they could mix and mingle (it wasn’t called “networking”, back then!), a few for business, but most for friendships and dating. Flash forward to today, I’ve taken that same concept combined with the social media training forums – including Chicago Underground Social Media Society – and business networking sessions to form Friends from the Underground, a Meetup group focused on personal growth & business development geared to entrepreneurs utilizing social media.
BTW, Andy, I used to love camping as a child, traveling all over the country with my younger sister and our grandparents. This Coleman story brings back many good memories of meeting many people during my summer vacations! Thanks for posting this!
Lisa,
That is great that you were so active in earlier social networks and what you have transformed social networks into today. The early social networks were a hodgepodge of connections for people around the country to connect.
I love camping. My wife and I go at least once a year. I enjoy sitting around the campfire with her.
Andy