I Invented Social Networking!

15th February, 2010 - Posted by Jason Cercone - 2 Comments

That’s a pretty bold statement, isn’t it?

Well, as ludicrous as it sounds, it’s true…sort of. But the purpose here is not to make an ill-advised claim towards the creation of popular social networking sites that millions of people frequent on a daily basis. It’s to prove the power of forward thinking and encourage you to always keep your eyes focused on the big picture.

Allow me to explain.

It was the year 2001 and I was a college student at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. This smaller branch campus of Pitt-Oakland was the backdrop for four years of memories, friends, parties, and the occasional class here and there.

In those days, Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter were non-existent. Even cell phones were a rare commodity. Within the span of a year, I literally went from a guy who questioned the need for a cell phone, dead set on the belief I didn’t want anyone being able to find me whenever they wanted, to owning one, using it all the time, becoming reliant on text messaging, then becoming a salesman at one of the local cell phone outfits shortly after graduation. Talk about selling out to the mainstream!

Communication mediums for me were a home phone, e-mail (Hotmail, more specifically…I am unsure whether Gmail existed then and had no idea what a “spam filter” was), AOL Instant Messenger, and the ever-popular site that screamed ‘UH-OH’ when you got a new message, ICQ.

The problem with all these was if you weren’t at home and/or in front of a computer, no one could reach you. If there was a party or an event or you just wanted to get together with a friend for lunch at the “Pitt Stop” and they didn’t have a cell phone or they were in the lab dissecting a rabbit’s heart in preparation for the real world, how would they ever know what was going on?

So I came up with the idea of building a website (and an elementary one at that) that could connect people to the various social events that were going on around campus. More specifically, what I was doing. It was like a social calendar for the party scene.

The site had all my contact information and was jam-packed with what I felt was relevant information. I had photos of good times with good friends. I added my own commentary (hello…BLOG?!). At the time, I had a message board where I could post updates and others could as well to keep everyone informed.

Does this sound anything like a social network to you?

To back up my claim, I checked to see if the site was still up. And, to my surprise…YES IT IS! I remember canceling the message board, so that’s no longer there. But a lesser-used Quote Archive is still in place (for those of you feeling nostalgic and interested in seeing just how much the Internet has evolved).

Before I reveal the link to the site, I feel I must write the following DISCLAIMER: At the risk of 100% self-incrimination, please keep in mind this is a site I haven’t touched in nine years. It’s merely an account of a college kid who loved life and loved connecting with people even more. The content is very dated and speaks volumes to the amount of “fun” I had in college. I did receive good grades and earned a Bachelors degree in Communications and Writing, despite any evidence this site lends to the contrary

If you’re in search of proof about the staying power the material you put online has, this is it.

So without further adieu, here is the “social networking site” I created that connected me and my friends B.F.B. (Before FaceBook): http://bit.ly/c88fDJ

Crazy, isn’t it? I apologize if you were inundated with pop-up ads.

I looked it up and it appears the first recognizable social network popped up in 1997 (SixDegrees.com), thus pouring cold water all over my claim. In my own defense, I had never heard of SixDegrees.com until I searched for the first recognizable social network this morning. So maybe my claim still has legs.

So…what prevented me from looking at that idea and saying, “You know, I bet everyone else on campus would like their own easy-to-manage website where they can post their own updates and pictures and talk about the intricacies that make up their lives! Hell, everyone the world might want this!!”

What stopped me from carrying this idea out and rubbing elbows with the Tom Andersons and Mark Zuckerbergs of the world?

It was lack of “forward thinking.”

In a million years, I never thought anyone else would want a site like mine. I was perfectly content in my belief I had expanded on what AOL IM and ICQ had already given us…and that was OK.

But shame on me for not thinking about the bigger picture and the needs and desires of others.

In life, in business, in marketing, in networking, in all facets of your life, you may come up with an idea that seems so far-fetched and useless that you immediately file it away under the “never going to happen” file of your brain. But you never, EVER, know what the rest of the world is going to embrace.

Remember when people asked “What’s a text message?” I don’t either because it’s become so mainstream, it’s second nature.

The point is this: Don’t dwell on the past, don’t JUST think in the present, always think ahead. Think forward. Don’t be afraid to throw ideas out there and see what’s accepted. If you come up with an idea, don’t say, “This isn’t practical.” Say, “How would the world fall in love with this idea?”

And whether your idea takes off or doesn’t, you’ve practiced positive thought. And that can go a long way in EVERY avenue of your life.

Who knows…if I would’ve thought forward back in the day, you may have read this on “JasonBook.”

2 Comments

Aayush

February 15th, 2010 at 10:01 am    

well written, though I think a lot of people had networks like that, fortunately for Zuckerberg, no one thought forward and stuck to keeping it to themselves.

Jason

February 15th, 2010 at 2:01 pm    

I’m sure they did. Who knows how things would look today had everyone taken ICQ and injected steroids like Zuckerberg did.

Thanks for adding some insight, it’s greatly appreciated!

Leave a reply

Name *

Mail *

Website

Submit Comment