Friendster

Friendster was a social networking website launched in 2003. It was one of the first platforms to popularize the concept of social networking online, allowing users to connect with friends and discover new people. Users could create profiles, share personal information, upload photos, and send messages to their connections. The site also featured a "Top 8" friends list, a prominent feature that became a defining characteristic of the platform.

At its peak, Friendster garnered millions of users and was a dominant force in the nascent social media landscape. However, it faced increasing competition from newer platforms like MySpace and later Facebook, which offered more advanced features and a more engaging user experience. Technical issues, a slow pace of innovation, and a shift in user preferences contributed to Friendster's decline in the Western market.

In 2011, Friendster was relaunched as a social gaming platform, primarily targeting users in Southeast Asia. This rebranding aimed to leverage its existing user base and the growing popularity of online gaming. While it found some success in its new iteration, it ultimately did not regain its former prominence. Friendster officially shut down its social networking and gaming services in 2015, marking the end of an era for a platform that played a significant role in the early development of social media.