Year by Year
Reviews of specific years in internet history.
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What the Internet Was Like in 2012
Internet culture pivoted to images and videos over 2012, with the growing popularity of image sharing apps like Instagram and Pinterest, video creators on YouTube, and pictures on Reddit.
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What the Internet Was Like in 2011
The internet in 2011 saw power plays in social networking, mobile apps, cloud computing, and streaming. Facebook was challenged by Google+, while new powers like Netflix and Spotify emerged.
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What the Internet Was Like in 2010
2010 was the year of mobile apps — Instagram's launch, the rise of Foursquare, the release of the iPad, and the rapid growth of Facebook and Twitter via apps. The internet also impacted political uprisings.
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What the Internet Was Like in 2009
The social web went mainstream in 2009, with everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Ashton Kutcher on Twitter — including via iPhone or Android apps. But Web 2.0 capitalism was also ramping up.
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What the Internet Was Like in 2008
The launch of app stores by Apple and Google shook up the web ecosystem in 2008. Now there were potential gatekeepers. Although Google also launched its Chrome browser, so it covered all bases.
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What the Internet Was Like in 2007
The iPhone and Android both launched in 2007. But it was still a desktop web, with social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr keeping people glued to their computer screens.
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What the Internet Was Like in 2006
In 2006, social networks like Facebook and YouTube ramped up, Twitter was born, Amazon invented cloud computing, web geeks obsessed over RSS, and User Generated Content was king.
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What the Internet Was Like in 2005
2005 was the year Web 2.0 business began to boom, with the acquisitions of Flickr and MySpace, the launch of YouTube and Reddit, and new innovations in RSS and web development.
