NGM Blog Central - World Wide Friends - National Geographic Magazine

The first social-network website, known as SixDegrees, launched 13 years ago. Its members could find and send messages to pals—and then communicate with each other’s friends and family—online. The site went off-line in 2000, but the trend of social networking has surged. More and more people are joining sites that let them set up profiles and share photos and updates about anything from their lunch to their daydreams.

U.S.-based giants Facebook and Windows Live are popular just about everywhere. But why is Google’s Orkut site number one in both Brazil and India, countries miles apart literally and culturally? Researcher Michael Thelwall credits that site’s simplicity, which gives it an advantage in places with slow Internet access. In many countries nuances of language and culture make homegrown networks such as China’s Baidu Space and Russia’s VKontakte stronger than imports. Japan’s top site, Mixi, lists blood types as part of its member profiles, catering to the local belief that knowing that tidbit can predict compatibility. And in South Korea, Cyworld users create avatars, or alter egos, that express emotions and repair friendships on behalf of their real-life counterparts. —Shelley Sperry

Graphic: Oliver Uberti, NG staff; Hiram Henriquez. Source: Comscore, Inc.

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Filed Under: Technology, Wide Angle

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