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You realize people (including me) were socializing on the internet before any of these big companies existed, right?


There was this open protocol (that still exists!) called IRC. Also: Usenet and email.


Facebook has 3 billion users. IRC and Usenet basically round to zero by comparison.

Email is the real answer here, but the reason it is better is the same reason Facebook et al took over.


Most people weren’t, until the big companies came around and commoditized it.


We also still do it!




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