1/ It's 1995. Netscape is the dominant browser. Your laptop costs $6,000. The World Wide Web has 16M users.
And GeoCities is the 3rd-most-popular website in the world.
"Community" is again becoming the defining word of the internet. In many ways, community began with Geocities.
And GeoCities is the 3rd-most-popular website in the world.
"Community" is again becoming the defining word of the internet. In many ways, community began with Geocities.
2/ GeoCities helped people discover the internet & find like-minded people online with "Neighborhoods"
GeoCities had 28 neighborhoods built around interests, like Area51 for sci-fi & fantasy and Hot Springs for health & wellness.
Early web users found community & belonging.
GeoCities had 28 neighborhoods built around interests, like Area51 for sci-fi & fantasy and Hot Springs for health & wellness.
Early web users found community & belonging.
3/ In 1995, Bill Gates said: "The internet is becoming the town square for the global village of tomorrow."
Before Google & search, GeoCities helped people understand online community through the familiar paradigms of neighborhoods and, within neighborhoods, blocks.
Before Google & search, GeoCities helped people understand online community through the familiar paradigms of neighborhoods and, within neighborhoods, blocks.
4/ One early GeoCities user remembers:
"The idea that in the beginning, cyberspace is an empty space that has to be populated, was I think easily linked to this idea of America being an ‘empty’ continent. GeoCities provided web space with a story, with a narrative." (@business)
"The idea that in the beginning, cyberspace is an empty space that has to be populated, was I think easily linked to this idea of America being an ‘empty’ continent. GeoCities provided web space with a story, with a narrative." (@business)
5/ GeoCities shut down ~10 years after Yahoo bought it for $3.7B in 1999
But its ethos of belonging & concept of online communities can be seen in today's 7M Discord servers or 1M+ subreddits
The internet is niche & as more people come online, niches grow big & new niches form.
But its ethos of belonging & concept of online communities can be seen in today's 7M Discord servers or 1M+ subreddits
The internet is niche & as more people come online, niches grow big & new niches form.
6/ The legacy of GeoCities is helping people transition from real-world communities to online communities with the familiar metaphor of neighborhoods.
In a time when online "community" is again a buzzword, it's interesting to look back on where it started.
In a time when online "community" is again a buzzword, it's interesting to look back on where it started.
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
