Computing & Technology

Articles Index

The History of Facebook: How Facebook Became an Internet Behemoth in 8 Years

Facebook has woven itself in and around almost every aspect of the Internet. If you have a business, you better be on Facebook. And if you want to sign up for a particular website, like Chill.com for example, you better have a Facebook account, or else you can’t do it.

The Evolution of the Web in 1000 Words

It’s 2012. You check your Facebook newsfeed almost daily, spend about an hour a day at work answering email and you’re always connected wherever you go--thanks to the power of your nifty iPhone. Many of us can’t recall being consciously aware that the Internet existed prior to the 90s, but believe it or not, the history of the web actually dates back as far as the 50s and 60s. So here it is: a very brief history and evolution of the Internet and its major milestones, in about a thousand words.

Forever Alone Meme from Rage Comics

It’s no question that Rage comics and Forever Alone memes are sweeping the web by storm and winning the hearts of awkward teens, procrastinators and people who just love to laugh. Social media networks have seen their fair share of Rage comics featuring the popular Me Gusta meme, the Y U NO meme, the F U meme and of course the Forever Alone meme. Here, we’ll explore why the Forever Alone guy is so popular, how he’s used, and what his expression really means.

Me Gusta Meme from Rage Comics

You’ve probably come across that funny looking “Me Gusta” meme at least a few times if you’re active on social media sites that heavily rely on photo sharing, like Reddit or Tumblr. The Me Gusta meme has become a pretty popular drawing that has helped define Internet culture as we know it today, and it’s recognized as one of the web’s most popular memes.

Socially Awkward Penguin Meme

What would a proper social networking site be without the socially awkward penguin meme shared and posted all over it? As an image that has experienced explosive popularity in viral sharing in 2011, we’ll look at where this meme came from and some of its best characteristics that has really made it one of the most successful memes of the Internet age.

Okay Guy Meme from Rage Comics

Rage comic creators love to use the “Okay” meme in their comics, otherwise known as “Okay Guy.” Similar to other rage faces like the Me Gusta meme or the Forever Alone Guy, the Okay Guy can often be spotted in popular places all around the web and on photo sharing social networks like Tumblr, Reddit, Pinterest, Twitter and more. If you’ve got a thing for rage comics and Internet memes, you might be interested in knowing where the funny little Okay Guy came from and how he’s used on the web.

How News Breaks On Twitter

Back in 2006, Twitter sounded like a joke to most people. Not many people had recognized the huge communication potential that came along with the idea of posting nothing but a 140 character-long text message online. Just six years later, Twitter has managed to attract over 140 million active users that generate over 340 million tweets per day and over 1.6 daily search queries. The microblogging site that nobody cared about in 2006 now claims to be worth $8 billion. It’s grown so much that it’s basically become an integral medium for breaking news.

Tips & Tricks: Facebook Timeline for Business Pages

Facebook business pages have seen quite a few significant changes since they were first introduced, and even though page owners haven’t been eager to take the extra time to learn about all the new features and changes, it’s kind of something that just has to be dealt with no matter what. Timeline is arguably the biggest change yet has come to Facebook pages, and it’s something that all users will have to switch to eventually. If you’re not already familiar with Timeline for personal profiles, check out our previous article on how to use Facebook Timeline to find out more about basic posting features before you move on to tackling Timeline for business pages.

What Is Highlight? Add It to Your List of Mobile Location-Based Services

It’s no secret that location-based services are seeing massive growth in use by mobile users and social media enthusiasts from around the world. Popular location apps like Foursquare, Yelp and the now defunct Gowalla have offered us the opportunity to share our locations with our friends and really make it fun to travel. The brand new iOS app Highlight has taken location-based interaction to a whole new level and has really gotten some good attention from the tech industry.

How to Get Twitter Verified

When you sign up for Twitter, your account is not verified by default. To get a verified account, there are a few extra steps involved, and it can be a little tricky. In addition to showing you what some users to to try and get Twitter verified, we’ll explore what a verified account actually is and what types of accounts should be verified.

How to Make a Free Website from Scratch

If you’ve given some thought to setting up your very own website, you’re not alone. Whether you’re looking to set up a company site, an online photography portfolio or even just a personal blog--almost anyone can learn how to make a free site using basic Internet skills.

The Internet Slang Dictionary: Online Acronyms, Phrases and Idioms

The rise of web-based technologies, online chatting, mobile texting, email and instant messaging have all helped shape the way we communicate. Short-form words, acronyms, phrases and memes have almost helped contribute to the development of a whole new language that defines Internet culture. Today, this so-called “Internet language” is as popular as ever and virtually second nature in use amongst Internet users.

Vimeo vs. YouTube: Which Video Sharing Site Is Better?

The web would not be the same without the video content we share these days. Although there are a number of different sites and services that allow you to watch TV, stream movies or upload your own content online, it seems that two major sites tend to receive most of the attention on the web. Those sites are YouTube and Vimeo.

Using the NSFW Reddit Section

Reddit is a popular social networking website that has something that no other social network really has--a channel that is entirely dedicated to NSFW content. The NSFW section on Reddit, commonly known as “Reddit Gone Wild” helps generate quite a significant amount of traffic for the social network and has become a go-to place for individuals who want to express themselves. Here are some things you should know before you decide to visit and/or participate on the NSFW section of Reddit.

Where to Find Tumblr Themes for Free

Tumblr is one of the most popular blogging platforms right now, and people all over the web are scrambling to find good free Tumblr themes that look nice and professional. If you’re really dedicated to growing a popular Tumblr blog or already have a loyal readership, then you might consider hiring a web designer to customize a theme for you. However, if you don’t want to fork over the dough it costs to hire a real designer, you can always go hunting for free high quality Tumblr themes. You just need to know where to look.

How to Make Money on YouTube with the YouTube Partner Program

Chances are you’ve probably come across a few of those big YouTubers that practically dominate the site and have wondered how to make money on YouTube for yourself. People like Ray William Johnson, Michael Buckley, Philip DeFranco, Ryan Higa and so many others actually make a good part of their living off of their YouTube videos. If you want to follow in their footsteps, consider these tips you can use to work toward a YouTube Partnership and maximize your earnings.

Top Mobile Browsers for Better Web Browsing

Most smartphones and tablet computers come with built-in mobile browsers for the web, but many people don’t have a clue that their mobile browsing experience could be greatly improved if they only knew about some of the better performing and highest rated mobile web browsers. It can be tough to access the web from a mobile device, so to make your web browsing experience better than ever before, consider experimenting with some of the following top mobile browsers.

Gowalla vs. Foursquare as Location-Based Services

Location-based services are great tools for exploring new places and seeing what places your friends are visiting. Now that mobile devices and mobile web browsing have become so incredibly popular, more people are discovering the value in “checking in” to different places from their smartphones.

Social Media Trend Predictions For 2012

At the end of each and every year, we tend to look back and try to identify the most significant events that recently emerged so we can predict trends that will continue to grow well into the New Year and reshape social media. 2011 was a big year for social media and web technology. We saw things Rebecca Black getting more views on her “Friday” video at a faster pace compared to Justin Bieber, we started seeing a huge shift in Internet services moving to the cloud, and we even witnessed the launch of the now very popular Google+ social network.

What Is Google Plus? How to Sign Up For a Google Plus Account

With all these new social networks popping up here and there on the web, it’s not easy keeping track of them all, let alone figuring out which ones are worth joining. If you remember the not-so-successful Google Buzz social news network and the completely failed Google Wave launch, you may be wondering whether or not Google Plus is worth your time and energy. When there are already such established social networks like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, it can be frustrating to learn that an up and coming social network is destined to be a bust.

What Is Instagram?

If you’re involved on social networks like Facebook or Twitter, you may have come across a photo or two that looks like it had a very elegant vintage filter applied to it. In fact, you may have come across more than just one or two considering the fact that Instagram is one of the most popular mobile photo apps to download. If you own an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch, Instagram could be a great tool to help uncover your inner photography skills.