Twitter. Facebook. Tumblr. These social media giants have become integral parts in contributing to our daily lives. But how often do we stop and reflect on the history of our digital habits? Before Facebook and even before MySpace, there was GeoCities.
Founded by David Bohnett in 1994, GeoCities provided the public with free webpages to share their interests and passions with like-minded individuals. Some would considered it the first blogging site, others the first social network.
As the Internet’s use and popularity continued to increase during the 90s, so did the users of GeoCities. In less than five years, the pioneering social media platform had become the 3rd most visited site on the World Wide Web, and in 1998, turned IPO. Within a year, the company was acquired by Yahoo! for $3.5 billion.
It was David Bohnett who we can thank for the massive ripple that allowed for sites like WordPress to exist. To recognize his accomplishments and celebrate the path he paved for us as digital journalists, MiLLENNiAL is honored to debut David Bohnett as the first Mentor in the 2015 Mentor Series. …