Are called social media. In this article, we'll talk about them. Of course, it is difficult to list all social networks, due to their huge number. But we will consider those that are the most famous, popular and visited.

The main advantages that social networks provide are the opportunity to chat, make new acquaintances, learn new information, watch videos, listen to music. Moreover, everything new and interesting in such places spreads with lightning speed. Therefore, social networks are valued very highly, and many who discover the Internet for the first time tend to start their page in them.

1. Registration of a new participant is required (each new user has its own Account). To register on a social network, the user indicates some information about himself - often a regular e-mail is used for this, to which a letter with an activation code on the site comes. On some social networks, for better work with them, you sometimes need to specify a phone number. When registering, you often need to come up with your username and password.
2. Users indicate additional information about themselves on their page on the social network - about what they do, their contact details, hobbies. They publish their photos and videos on a social resource.
3. Social networks have a large attendance, due to the fact that users are interested in visiting them every day.

Social networks that are (exist) in Runet:

1. Vkontakte (https://vk.com) is the most visited social network in Russia and Ukraine. Helps to find fellow students, classmates. Vkontakte was created by Pavel Durov in 2006. At first, it was possible to register without any problems, then registration on this social resource was closed for everyone and it was possible to register at the invitation of their friends, relatives and just acquaintances, and now registration is open again. Register for health. Although the rules may change and registration may eventually become paid at all. These are guesses - in our world everything is possible.
2. Odnoklassniki (website - http://odnoklassniki.ru) - you can find classmates, friends from childhood and always stay in touch with them. To register, you need to enter your mobile phone number.
3. My world (https://my.mail.ru) - this social resource belongs to the same companies as the well-known Odnoklassniki. Features of "my world" is that by registering mail on the mail, you can automatically create a page for yourself in "My World", and there is also special application"Mail Agent" through which you can exchange messages.
4. My circle (http://moikrug.ru) - through it they look for professional personnel and. It appeared in Runet in 2005. Some graduates of Moscow State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology and the New Economic School worked on its creation. Initially, the My Circle network was created to search for classmates, classmates, acquaintances, but then its direction was changed. On March 27, 2007, Yandex bought this resource, and now My Circle is being developed under the tutelage of Yandex.
5. Companions (http://soratniki-online.ru) - you can express your opinion on various issues and look for associates who are close to you in spirit.
6. Rambler-planet (https://planeta.rambler.ru) is a social network from the company - Rambler. Here you can find a lot of audio and video materials.
7. Small World (http://mirtesen.ru) - this resource helps in finding contacts that were once lost.
8. Privet.ru (www.privet.ru) - communicate with other people according to your interests. There are videos, blogs, communities and more.
9. RuSpace (www.ruspace.ru/index.php) is an analogue of the American social network MySpace, but it only applies to an audience from Russia.
10. GameSport (http://gamesport.ru) is a gaming social network. Play your favorite games with other users.
11. Webby - web of professional acquaintances (http://www.webby.ru/) - you can establish your professional contacts with the help of this social network.
12. FiXX.RU (http://fixx.ru) - photoset. Share your photos.
13. ToDoo (http://toodoo.ru) - people share their opinions about sites they like or don't like. You can get acquainted with the authors of some sites.
14. Navidu (www.navidu.com) - chat for health, make new friends, exchange messages with friends and acquaintances, perform on certain interests. After registration, you will have access to many services.
15. Spaces.ru (http://spaces.ru) is a social network in a mobile environment. Communication takes place through a mobile phone.
16. First National (www.network.1national.ru) - it is possible that new opportunities will open up for you in communication, work, education, travel and shopping.

Popular social networks that exist (exist) abroad:

1. Facebook (www.facebook.com) is the most popular social network in the world at the moment. The number of users in July 2011 exceeded the mark of 750 million people, and in 2015 there were more than 1.55 billion. Facebook was founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckenberger. On the similarity of Facebook in Russia, the social network "Vkontakte" was created.
2. Twitter (https://twitter.com) is a kind of social network where each person shares his thoughts, what he does, where he has been. Here you can find people of interest. Many famous people tweet. For example, Dmitry Medvedev, Arnold Schwarzenegger and many others. You can follow them on Twitter and follow what they are up to and what thoughts they have. And also to share something with others. Twitter is based in the USA - California, San Francisco. Created by Jack Dorsey in 2006.
3. Classmates (www.classmates.com) - Founded in 1995. Users - 50 million. If you translate this social network into Russian, then it is called Odnoklassniki. It helps to look for those with whom you once had to study and work. You can post your photos, chat, discuss some issues.
4. Myspace (www.myspace.com) - Founded in 2003. You can chat online with your friends. Here you can create communities, blogs, upload music, videos, photos. Since 2008 it has been launched in Russian, but since 2009 it was decided to stop working with the Russian segment. Since 2009, the social network has been gradually fading away. So from 2009 to 2011, the number of users decreased by 50 million people, and now it is 30 million. The company's losses were announced in April 2011.
5. Linkedin (www.linkedin.com) was founded in 2003. The network is developing, and already now there are more than 100 million professionals in it. You can create your portfolio, look for clients and partners, expand your circle of contacts with business people and professionals.
6. Friedster (www.friendster.com) - Founded in 2002. Recently, interest in it has been waning. As of July 2010, it had 8.2 million users from different countries.
7. YouTube (www.youtube.com) - this is the place where users post their videos, watch other people's videos and leave comments and likes under them. Why not a social network? Although it is focused more on video.
8. Instagram (www.instagram.com). If on YouTube the main factor is video, then on Instagram it is photos. People share their photos, subscribe to each other, leave likes and comments. In the majority, this social network is loved by women (there are about 70 percent of them here).
9. Google+1 (https://plus.google.com/). A social network from Google for registration in which it is enough to have a mail on gmail.com. Represents the ability to communicate online using circles, topics, hangouts.

Far from all social networks are listed - there are actually many more of them, as in Runet, and even more so on the Internet in general. Social networks unite under their wing both all people who have different interests, and there are social networks according to interests - for example, by occupation, by hobbies (for example, photography). Although there are already a lot of social networks now, they will still appear in the future - after all, this is a profitable business.

Everyone knows only about 2-3 most popular social networks. But do not forget that there are many other thematic communities on the Internet in which people united by common interests or professional sphere are constantly active every day.

The most popular social networks in Russia: 2018

The social network is available in 90 languages ​​or more, is highly popular among the Russian-speaking audience, and is the largest in all of Europe. The headquarters is located in St. Petersburg. VKontakte allows you to send messages and images, share video and audio recordings, tags, create your own groups and communities, and relax with browser games. The social network strives to remain the fastest and most modern way to communicate on the Internet. It is the most popular social network in Russia (2018).



This domestic social network belongs to Mail.Ru Group and was established in March 2006. In terms of popularity this year, it ranks 3rd in Armenia, 4th in Azerbaijan and Russia, 5th in Kazakhstan, 7th in Ukraine, 27th in the world.

According to a December 2017 survey, 19% of the domestic audience use the Odnoklassniki website almost every day or every day.





A free social network that allows you to share photos and videos. It contains elements of a social network. Instagram allows you to take photos and videos, use filters, share them through your account or other social networks. At the moment, both from the point of view of the user, and in terms of promoting their services and products



A popular video hosting in the world that hosts a lot of videos. A unique social network in which everyone can find both and make it their main one.



This is the most famous social network in the world, which appeared on February 4, 2004. It was created by Mark Zuckerberg and his roommates while studying at Harvard University. The first name is Thefacebook, only university students had access to it. After that, access was given to students from Boston universities, then to students from all American universities with email address on .edu. Since the fall of 2006, anyone can register on Facebook.



The emphasis in this social network is on personalization and ease of use. Content is divided into several categories - video and audio, chat, link, quote, photo and text. People subscribe to blogs that are interesting to them, the entries of which appear in the news feed. They also tag the posts they liked using the corresponding button and reblog to their page to comment on them.

There is support for automatic export of messages to Facebook and Twitter, using the RSS protocol.

Social photo hosting, whose users upload images to their respective collections, share photos with other people. The added images are called "buttons" and the collections are called "boards".

Other most popular social networks in Russia

A popular portal where users create their own electronic diaries and communicate with each other. There are also counters for sites.

Russian-language social site, which is a collective blog. There are elements of a news site. Habrahabr is intended for publishing analytical articles and news. Topic - Internet, business, modern information Technology. A few years ago, a number of topics were separated into separate resources.

A popular platform where users create their blogs, communicate with people. Popular social networks in Russia include it in their list.

The largest music catalog that creates individual and general charts for each user.

Not the most popular social networks and portals

This social network is designed for users to communicate with each other. With its help, you can find friends by interests and similar entertainment, create an individual design of a personal page, start a diary, become a member of communities or create your own by interests, communicate on blogs, share videos, audio and images. About 300,000 users blog on Privet.ru.

This is a popular web service designed for blogging and communication with like-minded people.

Social service of Russian information channels, which was launched in the spring of 1998. Designed for organizing and maintaining electronic mailing lists.

Specialized social networks

A business social network that brings together entrepreneurs and specialists on certain grounds (geography, profession, industry). It appeared in the summer of 2008, and today it has about 7 million registered users. The social network is designed to discuss professional problems, search for partners and investors, self-educate and get new ideas. In the most large communities The networks involve more than 2 million people.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube top the rankings of social networks in the world, but users from Russia (and other post-Soviet countries such as Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine) often prefer regional replacements for these platforms.

And this difference in popularity can make a big difference for companies that use such sites for advertising, as it can completely change the marketing strategy (which is used in other parts of the world). In addition, social networks, whose rating in Russian-speaking countries differs from the global one, can provide great opportunities for international communication. Currently, eight social networks are the most popular.

"In contact with"

VK (formerly known as VKontakte) is now the most widespread social network in Russia, with over 46.6 million monthly visitors. Undoubtedly, this resource leads the rating of social networks in the post-Soviet space.

There are many interesting opinions about this site, but it can best be described as a combination between Facebook and a data sharing service. Like Facebook, each user has a profile and can search and friend other users to see their status updates, new photos and videos.

Along with these traditional features, users can also upload audio and video files of any kind and share these resources with other people. This used to be scrutinized as it crossed legal lines from time to time, however recent reports indicate that VK is now working with major record labels. This made it possible to launch a subscription service that allows you to legally share media files. That is why VKontakte has been leading the rating of social networks in Russia for several years.

"Classmates"

While VKontakte may be the most popular service among younger users (aged 18-35), OK (originally Odnoklassniki) is more commonly preferred among social networks. This service has more than 31.5 million monthly visitors, with a larger percentage (69%) being women. This platform, by the way, was the first in Russia and, one might say, gave rise to such a phenomenon as social networks. The rating of sites in this category will always remain incomplete without mentioning it.

Like VK, OK allows users to create profiles, search for friends, and share status updates and pictures. The main purpose of creating the platform is to communicate with classmates and friends with whom users could lose touch many years ago, so the search parameters are quite detailed.

In addition, the site has a feature that provides information about who visited your page (regardless of whether you are their friend). To view the profiles of other users, there is an anonymity feature that you must pay for (to enable "Stealth Mode").

"My world"

Perhaps the best universally recognized analogue of the Russian "My World" is Google+. Both of these services are an extension of the ISP Email(in the case of "My World" - mail.ru). My World has struggled to find its own unique niche on a broader level, but the network's popularity is not that great. At the same time, more than 16.6 million people use this service every month to share images, music and videos, as well as to play games and meet new friends, which is why it is included in the social network rankings. The My World web search strategy contains several options that are not available in other platforms.

Facebook

Social networks, whose rating is high all over the world, have not bypassed the post-Soviet space either. Although Facebook is not the most popular site in Russia, its popularity has definitely begun to grow - now it receives more than 21.6 million Russian-speaking visitors per month. This is not surprising since Facebook is constantly changing its platform to better suit user needs.

Analysts believe that one of the reasons why Facebook is becoming increasingly popular in Russia is business communication. According to some sources, more than 30% of business discussions in Russia take place on Facebook. Therefore, it will not be surprising if this platform eventually tops the rankings.

"Livejournal"

Livejournal is a blogging platform that has been around since 1999 but has not been used in most of the world since then. This trend is far from true in Russia, where over 15.1 million users visit LiveJournal every month. This figure is more than half of the total site traffic.

Twitter

Twitter is another classic social media site that does well in Russia. While it doesn't get as many unique monthly visitors as the other services on this list (around 7.7 million visitors per month), it boasts a following for every user. So while Twitter may not be a mainstay for most Russian social media users, those who choose to use it do so on a large scale.

Rutube and YouTube

Rutube is essentially Russia's answer to YouTube, a social media platform focused on video sharing for content of all types. Even though this service has not reached the same reach as YouTube, it has collected a lot of content from a wide variety of users.

Rutube hosts both licensed content and user uploads. The vast majority of downloads are in Russian. This high percentage of Russian content makes the platform an incredibly valuable resource for those trying to learn the language.

Instagram

The first social media platform on this list - Instagram - has become extremely popular in the last few years, and its popularity in Russia is no exception. Instagram is rapidly moving up the rankings, and today has 12.3 million users per month (of which 77% are young women).

This shift in popularity is largely due to the cross-posting between Instagram and other platforms where users can use great photo editing tools. This allows you to enhance and capture a photo and then post it to both Instagram and other popular social media sites.

While the core features of Instagram continue to be easy to access and use, there are several options for tools and third-party apps that most users aren't even aware of. It is expected that this platform will soon lead the popularity of social networks in most countries.

Concluding this review, it is worth noting that the success of such unique social networks as VK and OK in Russia and neighboring countries may surprise those who are used to Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, which have a complete monopoly in the world.

There are definitely a number of advantages to sites targeting a specific user base, whether it be geographically (as in these examples) or based on demographics (age of users).

Social networks with the largest number of users

• Created: October, 2010
• Founders: Kevin Systrom and Mike Krieger (later joined by others)
• Number of accounts: 200,000,000

Short description: It is said that some normal people use this application to share their photos and videos with friends. However, the protracted guys with an overestimated sense of their own importance were even more delighted with the new lure, which allowed them to share with the whole world the look of their lunch, dinner, carpet, toilet bowl and slippers.

9th place. Classmates

• Created: March, 2006
• Founders: Albert Popkov
• Number of accounts: 205,000,000

Brief description: Odnoklassniki is said to rank first among domestic social networks in terms of the number of downloaded pornography. Also, Odnoklassniki was remembered for paid registration from 2008 to 2010 (only a stripped-down demo version of the account could be opened for free). Average age of users: about 30 years old.

8th place. Tumblr

• Created: 2007
• Founders: David Karp
• Number of accounts: 210,000,000

Short description: social network for bloggers. You write a blog, post pictures and reveal your amazing inner world to others. Your friends do the same. To cheer each other up in this not a simple matter, you can like and comment on individual elements of revealing individuality.

7th place. Badoo

• Created: November, 2006
• Founders: Andrey Andreev
• Number of accounts: 220,000,000

Short description: perhaps the most popular international dating site, which includes all the elements of a social network.

6th place. LinkedIn

• Created: May, 2003
• Founders: Reid Hoffman
• Number of accounts: 225,000,000

Short description: business social business network. The site interface is available in 20 languages. About 200 representatives are registered in the network various countries. Users have the opportunity to leave a resume, find a job, publish lists of available vacancies, search for information about various enterprises, establish business contacts, share information about upcoming conferences, business meetings, visits, etc. In a word: boredom. And no Frenzy Farm.

5th place. In contact with

Short description: of course, this social network is no worse than others. But it is annoying only because of the significance it plays in the minds of schoolchildren and adolescents: in the most clinical cases, you can admire a real network addiction. Giza ... Tellingly, the creator of the eyelid, Pavel Durov, retired in the spring of 2013 and now has only a “historical” relationship to Vk.

4th place. Sina Weibo

Short description: It is easy to be a popular social network if your homeland is China. Sina Weibo has combined the functions of Facebook and Twitter, targeting a Chinese audience. The Chinese said "Ni hao!" and since then they have been living together. By the way, this is the only social network from our rating that does not have a Russian interface.

3rd place. Twitter

2nd place. Google Plus

Number of accounts: 540,000,000

Short description: the funny thing is that many of these social media opponents of yours have become involved in the Google+ cult. And it all started harmlessly: by arranging a tempting mailbox from google. Its temptation lies in the following: firstly, it ends with kosher all over the world.com, and secondly, as a nice bonus, each user receives virtual storage on Google Drive.

And so you use your mail, upload a couple of photos, put +1 on the publications of your friends and quietly laugh at the losers who have been sucked into social networks.

What is interesting: one of the main principles of its work, Google called privacy (already ridiculous). At the same time, the information that the user posts, sends / receives by mail, directly affects the result of search queries. Google says it's personalization George Orwell says big brother is watching you O.O

A couple of decades ago, the concept of a social network had a completely different meaning than it does now, and a wired telephone looked like a technical revolution against the background of paper letters, telegrams and postcards. Now everything is different. Today, the difference between modern forty-year-old parents and sixty-year-old grandparents on the one hand, and their children and grandchildren on the other, is greater than between early Europeans and their ancestors three centuries later. Literally every year brings technical innovations that make humanity change and go through life even faster. The wide and constant growth of their influence is evidence of this.

Modern social networks

Not so long ago, mankind got acquainted with social networks on the Internet. Technically, this is an interactive website that allows it to be used by a large number of users. Such a site exists to create, reproduce and combine social interactions on the World Wide Web. Users include both individuals and communities connected by common hobbies, representatives of small and medium-sized businesses, large organizations. These groups also include thematic forums, especially specialized ones, which have been developing rapidly in recent years.

Usually, the site space makes it possible to indicate data about yourself (year of birth, general and higher educational institutions, favorite activities, etc.), by which the author's account can be found by other participants. Social networks are divided into open and closed. One of the typical features of such services is the system of "friends" and "groups".

Massive development of new Internet directions began in the mid-90s, when popular social projects appeared, first abroad, and then in Russia. But the beginning of the 21st century is considered to be the official beginning of this rise, when several social services that are popular today appeared at once.

Now the latest social networks are very popular among modern users. The only problem is how to find a platform according to your interests, to choose a really interesting place for virtual communication. Sometimes the Internet makes it possible to replace a live dialogue with an electronic one.

microblogging service

Twitter is a new generation social network that quickly became famous. It is a slightly unusual "social network", which makes it possible to send short text notifications and photographs. All data on the user's page is open for viewing by others.

1. The speed of information exchange between subscribers is much faster than in other social networks.
2. All published data is available to users who have their own Twitter account.
3. You can write a so-called “tweet” in just one click. Such speed is welcomed by users. It doesn't take long to type posts.
4. Being a member of this network is fashionable these days. Therefore, many work with it, even when there is no real need.

To work with a social network, the user must first go through the registration process. It's happening fast. All you have to do is enter your phone number, email address, desired nickname and password. Then you can start posting. It is allowed to supplement the text with pictures and photos, videos and polls, links, hashtags and so on.

Icebergs - social network type organizer

Icebergs is a popular social network created in recent years. The site was developed by A. Prett. He chose the simplest way - he just put together the possibilities of the Internet, which are used by many people today. Thus, a new social network called Icebergs was born.

Here you can read books, post, play, create groups, chat or just watch videos and type messages. In fact, Icebergs is a huge organizer of all images, notes, texts and other user materials. But the author went further than one could imagine - he brought everything together, combining it with the interface of a social network.

Bookish - a community for book lovers and writers

Other newer social networks, such as Bookish.com, can become very useful and necessary. The site is focused specifically on working with books. Here you can not only exchange opinions about different works or communicate with other book lovers, but also read and purchase goods. There is also a news feed where interviews with writers and publishers are published. Therefore, for a writer or poet, such a social network will also be interesting from a professional point of view. In it, the authors will be able to work on the promotion of their works.

In addition, Bookish will introduce you to new authors and works from many genres. True, today there are not so many registered users on this service. But the number of active pages is growing rapidly. There are especially many creative people in the social network.

Hey - analogue of Facebook

Hey.Im has become another social network of modern times. The network is designed to search for like-minded people by interests. In Russia, the service is not yet very popular, Hey.Im often replaces Facebook. The latter makes it possible to find a friend at his address, as well as look at his profile, which shows interests, favorite films, music, and so on.

Experts say that Hey.Im will still become popular. The service is focused on finding friends and communication. The design is minimalist, many features that are usually found in social networks are missing here.

Ask fm - question and answer service

The social network ASK.fm is not quite a standard social network. This is a Q&A network that started seven years ago. The site was developed in Latvia. After registration, the participant uploads his profile. You can use either your real name or a pseudonym. In the social network, you can ask questions to other users and answer those that were asked to you. ASK.fm is connected to other social networks that have contributed to the rapid spread of this site.

The service has become a very well-known newest social network in our country and in a number of other states. The number of users has reached several tens of millions of people in a relatively short period of time. The popularity of the site is due to its focus, ease of management and the ability to easily find the information you need.

Family leaf - communication service for parents

The newest social network is aimed at users who are looking for an opportunity to get information and talk about family values ​​or parenting. In principle, we can consider the site specialized, pedagogical orientation. In this regard, the family leaf occupies an important direction, always of interest. Therefore, the growth of the popularity of the social network in the near future is inevitable.

In Russia, this newest social network is not yet very well known, there are very few Russian-language pages, those who are interested can be sent for registration only to English-language counterparts. Although positive changes in the development of the social network are obvious. It can be seen that these topics are not alien to Russians. Many parents are interested in learning about methods of raising children and teenagers abroad. They will be happy to share their experiences.

Pinterest image sharing social network

Not all social networks are focused only on personal pages. For example, Pinterest is a social network with specialized content. Pinterest (in the Russian version "Pinterest") is a site often positioned as a social network where users can post photos. The resource is designed in the form of a "cork board", on which it is possible to create sets of images, divide them by topic. Users can explore the boards of other users, as well as work with a virtual button to post pictures. You can like boards or individual pictures posted by other users.

Creators working on this newest social network, Pinterest, have big functional features site. The interface allows you to publish photos, save them, sort, manage video files. The main tool is pointed buttons (pins), with which images can be attached to electronic board. The latter are usually subdivided into different themes.

Fancy - social network for collectors

Another newest social network is Fancy. Her additional function- a forum for collectors. Here you can chat with friends, post images of your collections, and also purchase something. You can simply search for information of interest with a simple search system and a large number of filters. Fancy is a business website, a blog, a social network, and a photo album. But at present, outside the United States, this network is not popular.

Other modern social networks

The latest social networks are quite diverse and are not limited to those discussed above. More and more interesting resources are constantly emerging. For example, Thumb. This social network has important feature. The main purpose of the service is to transmit reactions to the decisions of your friends. Therefore, Thumb is such a tool that can help discuss with other users the solution to some problems.

This network function is liked by users both in Western countries and in our country. Thumb is perfect solution for people who like to comment and rate various events.

Popular social networks in Russia

In our country, services are a little behind, but some development is also visible. For example, in addition to those already noted above, a new social network FactCloud has appeared. In fact, this is a domestic analogue of the foreign Thumb. On the site, you can communicate, as well as support friends, make decisions with them and find out the results of their actions.

Social Internet sites appear very quickly and in large numbers, providing the individual's need for communication and socialization. The creators of web resources do not want to repeat themselves, and this does not make sense - no one wants to switch to analogue services, users will remain loyal to familiar social networks. Therefore, developers are constantly looking for something new: new features, new features and new design. And not just new, but radically different. This is the only way to get users interested.

Undoubtedly, we should not forget about the list of social networks that have been popular for a long time. These are familiar to everyone Odnoklassniki, Vkontakte, Facebook. Numerous groups of users regularly communicate here. Of course, these sites do not have as many features that exist in the latest social networks, but, nevertheless, contact using these services is simple and convenient.