Friendster

Guide Note

Friendster is a social networking web site and service much like MySpace or Facebook. Formerly the most popular social networking site on the internet, it was overtaken years ago by both MySpace and Facebook, which have over 100 million users apiece. Friendster remains popular in countries in Asia, as the majority of its user base is from Asian countries. As the name implies, Friendster allows users to create profiles of themselves that can be seen by friends or anyone depending on the user's selected settings. Users can also communicate with friends by sending them messages or leaving comments on their profile pages.

Fast Facts

1. Founded in 2002
2. Based in San Francisco, California
3. Number of users: Over 65 million
4. Registration: Free
5. Supported by Google AdSense

To say that Friendster completely failed may be an overstatement, but it is difficult to understand how it gained and lost its lead in the social networking market. Though there are many theories including bad management at the top levels, stiff competition, and market fluctuations, one likely explanation is the services it didn't offer that other sites did. Music, instant messaging, and a highly open sign-up process are just a few of the features the site lacked, features included by other sites that users find useful and exciting.