Killer applications that made a social-media revolution

Killer Application Definition

So whats the killer application. Answer.com defines, with reference to Computer Desktop Encyclopedia, as follows:

A software application that is exceptionally useful or exciting. Killer apps are innovative and often represent the first of a new breed, and they are extremely successful.

So what are those application that were exceptionally useful and innovative. I have compiled few applications and how they tend to set the goals for social media revolution.

The VisiCalc Spreadsheet:

VisiCalc was the first spreadsheet program available for personal computers. It is often considered the application that turned the microcomputer from a hobby for computer enthusiasts into a serious business tool. VisiCalc sold over 700,000 copies in six years. (Reference: Wikipedia). This tool was launched in 1970s by Dan Bricklin, and was use in Apple 2.

The Mosaic Web-browser:

In 1990s Mosaic Web-browser was released for the internet. Marc Andreessen and his team invented Mosaic, the first popular Web browser, which greatly helped spread use and knowledge of the web across the world.

In 1992, Joseph Hardin and Dave Thompson worked at the NCSA(National Center for Supercomputer Applications), a research institute at the University of Illinois. When they heard about Tim Berner Lee's work, they downloaded the ViolaWWW browser, and then demonstrated the web to NCSA's Software Design Group by connecting to the web server at CERN over the Internet. The group was duly impressed.

Aldus Pagemaker and Adobe Postscript:

These gave the graphic design and Desktop Publishing niche to the Apple Macintosh in the late 1980s.

WAP(Wireless Application Protocol):

It is a protocol that allows browsing on mobiles. Great technology. The applications that are supported are 

• Email by mobile phone
• Tracking of stock-market prices
• Sports results
• News headlines
• Music downloads

Google Search:

Google is a multinational public cloud computing and internet search technologies corporation. One can search on google almost anything and google points to relevant information site. It was started in 1996 as a research project by Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they were both Ph.D students at Stanford University in California. 

Youtube Video Sharing: 

Youtube added the spice to start the social media explosion, that was about to start by facebook. On it you can add your own created videos and sharing with almost anyone. Three former paypal employees created it and soled to google. The founders were Chad Herley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. 

Facebook:

Facebook is a social networking site. Users can add friends and send them messages, and update their personal profiles to notify friends about themselves. Additionally, users can join networks organized by workplace, school, or college. The website's name stems from the colloquial name of books given to students at the start of the academic year by university administrations in the US with the intention of helping students to get to know each other better. Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg.

Chatroulette (chatrt.com):

Chatroulette is a website that pairs random strangers from around the world together for webcam-based conversations. Visitors to the website randomly begin an online chat (video, audio and text) with another visitor. At any point, either user may leave the current chat by initiating another random connection. It is an explosive technology that is only for fun and its evolving, so lets see where it will go. It was founded by Andrey Ternovskiy, a 17-year-old high school student in Moscow.

Sharing-Links/widgets:

These widgets are the most powerful attachment point on social media paradigm. Anyone who likes some article, video or any resource over the internet can sharing on any social platform using these links/widgets. Example of this kind of widget is Share-this (sharethis.com).

 

Courtesy of: http://www.dirjournal.com

There are many applications and resources that I missed. Those truly played great role in social media explosion. The examples being wikipedia and CMS (content management system) systems etc. This social media revolution engages ourselves most of our life and it has completely change the outlook of life. It is the boundary between the traditional and contemporary too.

IPads and IPhones and Google's latest technologies like maps will be covered at a later date.

For now enjoy the following video.

Please feel free to comment and add what other killer apps come to your mind. Plus you can checkout the same article at Hubpages.

Thanks and Cheers