7 Facts You Didn’t Know About Twitter & Facebook

There’s no denying that Facebook and Twitter have become a significant part of our daily lives. From reading the morning news featured in our timelines to posting about exciting life events, social media has become something that we can’t live without. However, do you know everything there is to know about these social channels that we hold so near and dear? Take a look at these fun facts, and maybe you’ll even be able to score some points at your next trivia night.

Twitter

No. 1: It’s Nice to Meet You, Larry!

The little blue bird is nearly unmistakable. But do you know that he has a name? That’s right. Meet Larry. Larry was introduced to the world by one of Twitter’s product manager’s, Ryan Sarver, on February 27, 2012. It is believed that the famous icon is named after the former Boston Celtic’s player, Larry Bird. Bonus fact: The designer of the Twitter logo, Douglas Bowman, has stated that Larry’s look is based off of a Mountain Bluebird.

No. 2: Was Twitter Always Called Twitter?

When Twitter first started, it was almost named Twitch. That means it would have had the same name as the popular video platform and community for gamers. They also considered naming the app Jitter. Before deciding on the final name, a team member at the company discovered that "twitter" means a short, inconsequential burst of information, like chirps from birds. This definition promotes exactly what the platform was built to do, so it was a no-brainer.

No. 3: Short and Sweet Makes a Tweet

Have you ever wondered why Twitter’s tweets only allow for 140 characters? It never seemed to be enough when the platform first started, and harbored a hefty amount of complaints before Twitter became a bit more lenient just this year. When Twitter started in 2006, the only form of texting available was short messaging service, or SMS. This only allowed you to send up to 140 characters per text, or in Twitter’s case, tweet.

Facebook

No. 4: Mark Zuckerberg and His Social Channels

While Facebook is Mark Zuckerberg’s most famous and successful social platform, it certainly wasn’t his first. The gifted Facebook guru developed a number of social channels before Facebook. These included Coursematch, a network that allowed Harvard students to view people who were earning the same degree as them, and Facemash, where they could rate people’s attractiveness. Zuckerberg’s story goes to show that if you strike out the first time around, you should definitely try, try again.

No. 5: So Why Is It Blue?

Out of all the colors of "Roy G. Biv," why is the Facebook logo the now-iconic blue hue? Was it to promote peacefulness and serenity? Well, a 2010 New Yorker profile on Mark Zuckerberg revealed that he has red-green color blindness. So, Facebook is blue because it’s a color that he could see!

No. 6: The First Face of Facebook

On the original homepage of the world’s most popular social network was a pixelated, blue-and-white male face that appeared at the top right hand corner of the page. Many people debated about whose face this was and how they landed on Facebook’s site. While this logo was removed in 2007, author David Kirkpatrick revealed that the first face of Facebook belonged to a young Al Pacino.

No. 7: Awesome It!

Long before Facebook’s famous thumbs up sign, known as the “like” button, there was the “awesome” button. How would you feel if you read a post that said, “If you agree, awesome it!”? Slightly odd, right? This is why Facebook got rid of “awesome” and replaced it with a more practical “like” instead. The transformation and advancements of technology and social media are undeniable. This makes looking back at the history of and small changes to social channels so interesting! Did any of these facts surprise you? Let us know your favorite Facebook or Twitter fun fact by tweeting us @meetsoci!