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I usually roll my eyes when articles pop up which compare historical practices or inventions to modern-day ones. It's a bit of a stretch to point to something and say “that was the ancient Greek version of Twitter!” or “the medieval Facebook!”. I also think it can lead to misconceptions about history. So with that said, I point to another one of these “parallels” which has surfaced:
Now, researchers believe the concept can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries as part of the Italian Academies, where scholars created nicknames for themselves, developed emblems and mottos to form groups for information exchange...."Just as we create user names for our profiles on Facebook and Twitter and create circles of friends on Google plus, these scholars created nicknames, shared – and commented on – topical ideas, the news of the day, and exchanged poems, plays and music," said Professor Jane Everson, Principal-investigator in a press statement. "It may have taken a little longer for this to be shared without the Internet, but through the creation of yearbooks and volumes of letters and speeches, they shared the information of the day."
Social Networking Concept May Have Emerged During Renaissance, Researchers Say
I think it is hard to believe Zuckerburg was the first social network expert so maybe this isn't too far off.
The first guy that ever went to his neighbor and BS'd over the back fence was engaging in Social Networking. It is not like people started gossiping when Facebook was founded, with FB they just do it more publicly. This professor has sure come up with a good racket to generate research grants though huh?
