Netlog (formerly known as Facebox and Bingbox) was a Belgian
social networking service
A social networking service or SNS (sometimes called a social networking site) is an online platform which people use to build social networks or social relationships with other people who share similar personal or career content, interests, ac ...
targeted at the global youth demographic. On Netlog, members could create their own web page, meet new people, chat, play games, share videos and post blogs.
The site was founded and launched in 1999 under the name ASL.TO in
Ghent
Ghent ( nl, Gent ; french: Gand ; traditional English: Gaunt) is a city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the East Flanders province, and the third largest i ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
, by
Lorenz Bogaert and Toon Coppens. In 2002 the name of the website was changed into Redbox, a website targeted to the Belgian youth. Starting from 2005, it was available in other countries in and outside Europe. About one year later, the website was renamed ‘Netlog’. By 2007, Netlog had attracted 28 million members and kept on growing the years after. At its height, the site claimed to have over 94 million registered users across 20+ languages.
In January 2011, Netlog announced that the site would become part of Massive Media, a global media group, focusing mainly on social media, and allowing product portfolio to expand into new markets. They also own
Twoo.com
Twoo or Twoo.com was a social discovery platform launched in 2011 by Massive Media. Users create profiles, upload pictures and chat with other users. The website and app is available in 38 languages and counted 181 million users in 200 countries i ...
, a free social discovery platform launched in 2011, and Stepout, an application for meeting new people nearby (relaunched in late 2013). As of 2015, the homepage shows a sign it has been merged with Twoo. In July 2018 Netlog notified users that its security had been compromised in 2012 and logins and passwords of users were obtained by external agents. As of September 2018, Netlog's homepage informs that the website is no longer in service since 2015.
Feedback
After joining the site, users could invite friends by e-mail or Facebook to join the network. In 2011, some users complained about the fact that this process was not clear enough. In the meantime, Netlog changed the flow on the website, making it more clear, and the number of complaints dropped.
Localization
Netlog had a localization technology ensuring that all content is geotargeted and personalized to each member's profile. This enabled a member to have localized searches and overviews on the community, displaying only those member profiles of his or her own age range and region.
Breach of 2012
In July 2018 Netlog sent out an email informing users registered before December 2012 that there was a security breach of their user database.
See also
*
Social software
Social software, also known as social apps or social platform, include communications and interactive tools that are often based on the Internet. Communication tools typically handle the capturing, storing and presentation of communication, usua ...
References
External links
Twoo Homepage (English)
*Mashable
Mashable is a digital media platform, news website and entertainment company founded by Pete Cashmore in 2005.
History
Mashable was founded by Pete Cashmore while living in Aberdeen, Scotland, in July 2005. Early iterations of the site were ...
'
Social Networking Awards 2006Facebox - Insane growth?Red Herring Top 100 Europe Awards (winner), April, 2007
{{Social network
Internet properties established in 2000
Companies based in East Flanders
Defunct social networking services
Belgian social networking websites