Web Design Depot has a wonderful condensed history of social media that I often refer people to. Cameron Chapman did a great job on it back in the later part of 2009 and it’s still quite solid halfway through 2010 (incredible on the Internet).

Social media has become an integral part of modern society.

There are general social networks with user bases larger than the population of most countries.

There are niche sites for virtually every special interest out there.

There are sites to share photos, videos, status updates, sites for meeting new people and sites to connect with old friends.

It seems there are social solutions to just about every need.

In this article, we’ll review the history and evolution of social media from its humble beginnings to the present day.

From the days of Usenet and BBSs (days I mostly spent in the primitive confines of an LSU dorm room) to the present immediate gratification of Twitter and Facebook he presents a condensed yet easy to read view of social media.  It is fantastic for gaining perspective on the explosive growth we’ve seen in it over the past several years.

I think anyone who spends time on the Internet, or has an interest in human communication patterns, should give this a read. So what are you waiting for, go read The History and Evolution of Social Media.

George “Loki” Williams is the owner of SocialGumbo, LLC

Image: Oversocialized / CC 2.0