Rowjielogy 2k10

I remember the days when our only means of communicating is through snail mail, or through landline phones, that’s why mobile phones really became a hit until it became a “necessity”.

It is actually wonderful that communication became easy because of SMS. Internet back then was not yet that popular during those days. We had our first internet connection at home back when I was in college. People would often communicate back then through chat rooms, Yahoo Messenger, and forums. Yahoo Groups became really popular back then. It became a venue for friends, classmates, and people who have the same interests as yours.

The first social networking site I joined in is Ringo. Ringo is actually similar to Friendster. It was actually on it’s way to popularity when Friendster grabbed the attention of the majority. Friendster became a hit in the Philippines because it is a venue of sharing photos and meeting new and old friends. And one of the features of Friendster why it is loved by many Filipinos is the “testimonial” feature. Who would not love reading positive thoughts about themselves?

Personal website became the venue also for people who like to showcase their artistry, or those who like to express themselves. Web blogs were then introduced which are much easier to maintain. Blogger, WordPress, Live Journal, etc. became popular web blogs platforms.

Multiply became famous because blog, photo albums, etc. were all integrated to one site. But it’s popularity in the Philippines did not surpass Friendster’s. Several hosting sites for images and videos also became a hit… like Flickr (for images), and You Tube (for videos). Side blogs or micro blogs like Twitter and Plurk became popular then.

In my opinion, Facebook is now stealing the crown from Friendster here in the Philippines. Facebook’s interface and features seems to be more likeable by more people. The only downside I see in Facebook is the “testimonial” feature. But in general, I find Facebook better than Friendster.

What’s nice about these sites, is that they are able to communicate with each other… you can link all these sites if you want to. A good example is HelloTXT, where you can updateyour status in different websites with just one click.

It’s nice to think that communication and espression of one’s self today is already easy. Let us thank all the
“technologies” that made it easier but I still believe that “physical presence” is still the best.