Web Masters

Jonathan Abrams tells the story of how he built Friendster, the world's first social networking website.

Show Notes

Before Facebook became synonymous with “social media,” and even before MySpace was the coolest website on the planet, there was another startup that most people credit with inventing social networking as we know it. That website was called Friendster.

Even if you never personally used Friendster, you've probably heard of it. It was the site that paved the way for all the social networks billions of people use and love every day. It was the first place where people uploaded photos of themselves and connected with their real-life friends.

Yes, that type of website doesn't sound unique today, but, in 2002, it was revolutionary, and people loved it. But it wasn't immediately obvious that would be the case. In fact, when the founder of Friendster, Jonathan Abrams, first had the idea, he thought it sounded wacky. And when he told people about his idea, they thought it sounded dumb.

But Jonathan launched it anyway, and, as they say, the rest is history. Friendster ushered in a completely new paradigm for how people thought about and used the Internet that remains the core of the Web today.

For a complete transcript of the episode, click here.

What is Web Masters?

Web Masters is an original podcast that explores the history of the Internet through the stories of some of its most important innovators. In each episode, host Aaron Dinin, a serial entrepreneur and digital media scholar, talks with Internet entrepreneurs who created important websites, tools, services, and features. Some are hugely popular, some you’ve never heard of, and all of them have impacted everything you do online. You’ll get a behind-the-scenes look at how the Internet has enabled -- and continues to create -- some of the greatest business opportunities in history from the people who have proven they know how to build successful Internet businesses.