Yahoo Groups was launched in January 2001, during the height of the dotcom boom.
Yahoo Groups, the once-popular platform, will be migrating from its present address after nearly two decades of connecting people with mutual interests. The Verizon-owned tech company will take down all content from the website by the end of the year.
"Yahoo has made the decision to no longer allow users to upload content to the Yahoo Groups site," said the notice mailed to users. It added that from October 28, new uploads will be disabled on the website, and that all older posts will be permanently removed by December 14. “You'll have until that date to save anything you've uploaded," the note said.
The mail links back to a Yahoo webpage that lists out instructions for downloading data from groups one is a part of. However, the process is cumbersome and requires users to click on each file or photo individually to download. Users can also request a download of all their data stored on Yahoo servers. "It can take up to 30 days for the request to finish processing and the download to become available," the notice said.
However, the Yahoo Groups website will not be completely taken down by the December 14 deadline. All public groups will have their privacy settings altered to either private or restricted. Communicating with groups will still be possible via search and email for private groups, with admins holding access rights. Features like photos, folders, polls, calendar, email updates, and message history will be scrapped.
Google+, Orkut, hi5: Social Networks That Failed To Make It Big
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Google, on Wednesday, bid farewell to its social network Google+. Announced in 2011, it failed to make an impact and couldn't take on Facebook and Twitter.
Google+ was Google's fourth foray in social networks after Google Buzz, Google Friend Connect and Orkut. It replaced Google Buzz in 2011 to take on platforms like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Tumblr.
However, its user-engagement was not enough to keep the platform going, and rather it became a security liability for the tech giant. Google disclosed two data leak episodes that could have exposed its users' information to hackers. The second instance prompted Google to accelerate the process of shutting down the network, which was previously scheduled to go offline in August.
However, Google+ isn't the only platform to come to an end. Here's a round-up of other social media platforms that could not survive for long.
Google, on Wednesday, bid farewell to its social network Google+. Announced in 2011, it failed to make an impact and couldn't take on Facebook and Twitter. Google+ was Google's fourth foray in social..
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In 2004, Google's social networking website Orkut helped users meet new and old friends and maintain existing relationships. Launched only two weeks before Facebook, Orkut gained immense popularity in its initial years.
However, the good times didn't last long and with the rise in number of fake accounts, duplicate profiles, and hate groups, Orkut lost its user base.
Another important cause of its demise was the strong competition from Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook.
In 2014, Google announced that it would shut down Orkut.
In 2004, Google's social networking website Orkut helped users meet new and old friends and maintain existing relationships. Launched only two weeks before Facebook, Orkut gained immense popularity i..
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Google Friend Connect, a free social networking platform, was launched in 2008. Continuing the battle for being the ruling social media network, Friend Connect allowed users to build profiles, share information through texts, pictures and videos, via third-party sites.
The currently suspended app was removed for all non-blogger platforms in 2012, and for all non-blogging sites in 2016.
Google Friend Connect, a free social networking platform, was launched in 2008. Continuing the battle for being the ruling social media network, Friend Connect allowed users to build profiles, share ..
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In February 2010, Google introduced Buzz, a social networking and micro-blogging platform. Deemed one of most high-profile missteps by the tech giant, Buzz allowed users to share photos, videos, statuses and comments in the form of conversations visible in users' inbox.
However it wasn't a long run for the platform that was discontinued in 2015, two years after being involved in a privacy controversy.
In February 2010, Google introduced Buzz, a social networking and micro-blogging platform. Deemed one of most high-profile missteps by the tech giant, Buzz allowed users to share photos, videos, stat..
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In 2016, Google Allo, an instant messaging app for Android and iOS was announced. Using phone numbers as identifiers, the app allowed users to exchange messages, voice notes, files and images. It also included a virtual assistant that generated automatic reply suggestions.
Initially, the app gained popularity because of its AI-powered features. However, in 2017, a bug in the assistant caused the voice assistant to share conversation results from a user's search. Later in 2018, Google announced that it would end support for Allo this year.
In 2016, Google Allo, an instant messaging app for Android and iOS was announced. Using phone numbers as identifiers, the app allowed users to exchange messages, voice notes, files and images. It als..
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2004 also saw the launch of social networking site hi5. The platform soon became highly popular, and by 2007 it was touted as the second largest network after MySpace.
After becoming the third most-popular platform after Facebook and MySpace, hi5 was purchased by Tagged, now known as If(we). Later, in 2017, the two were jointly purchased by MeetMe.
2004 also saw the launch of social networking site hi5. The platform soon became highly popular, and by 2007 it was touted as the second largest network after MySpace. After becoming the third most-p..
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A social networking website, Myspace suggested friends, blogs, images, videos, music and groups on the basis of user inputs. First launched in 2003, it became the world's largest social media platform in just two years and retained the position till 2009.
However, the company's administrative and strategic blunders led to the company being sold out to Justin Timberlake and Specific Media Group in 2011.
A social networking website, Myspace suggested friends, blogs, images, videos, music and groups on the basis of user inputs. First launched in 2003, it became the world's largest social media platfor..
In its heyday, in 2010, Yahoo Groups had 115 million active users. But with users migrating to rival platforms, the website has fallen into desuetude. The Yahoo home page links to Groups’ official blog, which has not been updated in five years. Individual groups pages have been updated to include a verbal warning relating to the imminent shutdown.
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Yahoo Groups was launched in January 2001, during the height of the dotcom boom. Its objective was to help people "build relationships, stay in touch, share ideas, and discuss interests through the convenience of popular e-mail and Web-based tools." In 2010, there were 115 million people who were a part of 10 million groups. At the height of its powers, Yahoo exerted enough clout to establish contacts with over 100 carriers and getting handset manufacturers to preinstall Yahoo apps on their devices.
Facebook was fast gaining on Yahoo, but the latter tried to prevent attrition of users by promoting unique features. Yahoo Groups let users create smaller subgroups, thereby letting like-minded users send secure messages to each other, but hiding them from the larger group. But despite its best efforts, Yahoo lost its following to upstart social networks like Orkut and Facebook.
Verizon acquired Yahoo for USD 4.48 billion in 2017, incorporating a subsidiary called “Oath”, which was subsequently renamed as Verizon Media.
