SixDegrees.com
Encyclopedia
SixDegrees.com was a social network service
website that lasted from 1997 to 2001 and was based on the Web of Contacts model of social networking. It was named after the six degrees of separation
concept and allowed users to list friends, family members and acquaintances both on the site and externally; external contacts were invited to join the site. Users could send messages and post bulletin board items to people in their first, second, and third degrees, and see their connection to any other user on the site. It was one of the first manifestations of social networking websites in the format now seen today. Six Degrees was followed by more successful social networking sites based on the "Social-circles network model
" such as Friendster
, MySpace
, LinkedIn
, XING
and Facebook
.
People who confirmed a relationship with an existing user but did not go on to register with the site continued to receive occasional email updates and solicitations.
MacroView (later renamed to SixDegrees), the company that developed the site, was founded by CEO Andrew Weinreich
and was based in New York City
. At its height, SixDegrees had around 100 employees, and the site had around 1,000,000 fully registered members. The site was bought by YouthStream Media Networks in 2000 for US$125 million.
SixDegrees.com has been "restarted", to say, but is only open to people who were previously members. New members are only permitted if they are invited. The site will become open to the public once "heavy rebuilding, restructuring, and overall maintenance" is completed by the site administrators, and owners.
Social network service
A social networking service is an online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social relations among people, who, for example, share interests and/or activities. A social network service consists of a representation of each user , his/her social...
website that lasted from 1997 to 2001 and was based on the Web of Contacts model of social networking. It was named after the six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation
Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, "a friend of a friend" statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer...
concept and allowed users to list friends, family members and acquaintances both on the site and externally; external contacts were invited to join the site. Users could send messages and post bulletin board items to people in their first, second, and third degrees, and see their connection to any other user on the site. It was one of the first manifestations of social networking websites in the format now seen today. Six Degrees was followed by more successful social networking sites based on the "Social-circles network model
Social-circles network model
The generative model of feedback networks , studied by White, Kejžar, Tsallis, Farmer, or social-circles network model, defines a class of random graphs generated by simple processes that are common to edge formation and feedback loops in social circles...
" such as Friendster
Friendster
Friendster is a social gaming site that is based in Malaysia, KL. The company now operates mainly from the three Asian countries namely in the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore....
, MySpace
MySpace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site. Founded in December 2002 and launched in May 2003, it is mainly used for professional networking. , LinkedIn reports more than 120 million registered users in more than 200 countries and territories. The site is available in English, French,...
Xing
Xing may refer to:* an abbreviation for crossing, primarily used in North America* Qiao Xing Universal Telephone Inc. * XING, a social network platform* Xing County, in Shanxi, China* Xing - A Korean boyband...
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
.
People who confirmed a relationship with an existing user but did not go on to register with the site continued to receive occasional email updates and solicitations.
MacroView (later renamed to SixDegrees), the company that developed the site, was founded by CEO Andrew Weinreich
Andrew Weinreich
Andrew Weinreich is an American businessman and Internet executive in New York City’s Silicon Alley. Weinreich is the founder of sixdegrees.com, Joltage, and I Stand For. He is currently the CEO of and the Chairman of .-Biography:...
and was based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. At its height, SixDegrees had around 100 employees, and the site had around 1,000,000 fully registered members. The site was bought by YouthStream Media Networks in 2000 for US$125 million.
SixDegrees.com has been "restarted", to say, but is only open to people who were previously members. New members are only permitted if they are invited. The site will become open to the public once "heavy rebuilding, restructuring, and overall maintenance" is completed by the site administrators, and owners.
External links
- SixDegrees.com (original domain)
- Doug Bedell "Meeting your new best friends: Six Degrees widens your contacts in exchange for sampling Web sites" The Dallas Morning News 27 October 1998