NEWS14 Ways Facebook Has Changed Since 2004
Happy birthday, Facebook! The social-media site to end all social-media sites turns 10 years old today. It's been a whole decade since every friend, photo, and update of your life was rolled into one little website. To celebrate the milestone, look back at some of Facebook's most jarring changes and throwback features.
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1. Adding photos and photo albums. It used to be that after every single event in your life, the responsible person would upload the night into an album, e.g. "Sorority Formal '07!!" Now it seems mostly reserved for momentous occasions like "My Trip to South Africa" or "My Best Friend's Wedding."
2. Letting high schoolers sign up. Facebook was a way for college students to find each and connect.. but only for about two years. Soon, high schools were added, then anyone with an email address could join. Now there are almost 2 billion users.
3. Getting rid of groups. When did groups become less of a thing? You used to define yourself by the collection of groups at the bottom of your profile, with stunners like "Biology Majors" or "Former High School Basketball Players."
4. Eliminating "courses." You used to be able to add your courses to your profile, so the live links could help you find other people in your classes. Great way to find a study (or hook-up) buddy, but Facebook got rid of the feature in 2008.
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5. Creating newsfeed. Preceding Twitter, Facebook created a central feed so you could see every profile change made by every single friend. This was the crucial step when Facebook became really creepy and completely in your life.
6. Creating status updates. Directly competing with Twitter, status updates let you post any dang thought you felt like sharing. Thanks a lot, Zuckerberg.
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7. Allowing you to 'like' things. Now you can be even more obsessed with what people think about you!
8. Creating bumper stickers. Remember those? The cutesy phrases and designs were memes before we knew what memes were, but they lets moms feel right at home on Facebook.
9. Poking. Poking has existed for a long time, but the social appropriateness is a little hazy these days.
10. Initiating "timeline," which allows all of your info, photos, and updates to scroll down, and down, and down, into infinity. You used to only be allowed 10 wall posts at a time! How quaint.
11. Adding games. Those requests for FarmVille now haunt your dreams.
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12. Giving companies and brands their own pages. You like OK! on Facebook, don't you? Don't you?! Do it here, now.
13. Revamping profiles layouts with the cover photo. Oooh, how artsy.
14. Sneaking in the "other" tab on your messages. This allows strangers to message you, and many people go their whole lives without noticing it. Go check it right now! There might be something fun waiting.
What were the most major changes to Facebook, in your opinion? Are there any features you hate? When did you join? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @OKMagazine.
