Friendster

1. What was the target audience for this social networking site?
The target audience of Friendster was people looking for potential dating partners. The premise was to connect friends of friends as a networking tool. Users ended up coming from three main groups, bloggers, art festival participants, and gay men.
2. How long was the site in existence?
Friendster was launched in 2003, and is still in existence, although is holds a small share of the online social networking market.
3. Why was it popular? What was its demise?
I was initially popular because it allowed one to develop a whole network of friends and friends. Its following deteriorated due to insufficient investment in the company's infrastructure during rapid growth (server problems, glitches) and failure to understand and respond to their market, making poor decisions around deleting profiles, changing rules, and alienating their followers. Friendster also failed to attract the teenage customer base.
4. Is/was there another competitor in the same market that was more popular?
MySpace and Facebook have taken over the market from Friendster.
5. Would you ever consider creating an account and using it? Explain your reason using a personal experience as an example.
I have a facebook account which I use on a daily basis, and a Myspace account which I created to monitor my son's activity on the web. I don't have enough time in the day to add another social networking site, nor the interest. I am fortunate that I do not have the need for social networking sites to meet needs such as employment of dating (happily married and employed, thank you!)