Goofology.com (2004)

Goofology is an early pioneering social media website which was created back in 2004. Before Reddit was invented and the same year that Facebook was writing its first line of code, I was creating a social media website of my own. During the days of dial-up internet, it was much easier to browse the internet at work than at home. Consumers spent a lot of time "goofing" off at work by browsing the internet. This is what inspired me to name my website after the "study of goofing" or Goofology.

Goofology was a website that has lots of similarities to the modern version of Reddit. Users could sign up for an account on the website. Then they could submit a link to a website that they liked, along with a description of the website. Then other users would upvote or downvote the website based on if they liked it or not. Users would receive GP (like Reddit Karma) based on an algorithm on the websites they submit and the number of upvotes they send and receive.

Long before anyone ever heard of social media addiction, I had future plans for the website that included using "gamification" to make the website even more addictive. Users could build up their points and then cash them in for prizes, such as video games, electronics, or other cool stuff. Considering the time period that I created this website, I am quite proud of what I accomplished. Too bad it did not take off the way Facebook and Reddit did many years later, or else I might have a different story to tell.