Friends Reunited relaunched
Hopes users will say thanks for the memories.
Friends Reunited - one of the internet's first social networks - is making a comeback. A revamped site has been launched, offering a new "memories" service.
Friends Reunited was the first social network to succeed in the UK. Originally launched in 2000, the site was designed to help old school friends get back in touch with each other.
At its peak, Friends Reunited boasted more than 15 million members, but as new, more advanced, social networks like Facebook and Myspace appeared, it started haemorrhaging users, and sank into relative obscurity.
But now Friends Reunited is back, albeit in a very different form. The new site is a "digital scrapbook" that lets users display their own images alongside their favourite moments in history.
The site has deals with image libraries, including the Press Association and the British Library, so users can attach old material, such as old newspaper clippings, to their own timeline, giving their pictures greater context. They can also share these "memories" on Facebook.
The site is currently free to use, and supported by advertising. According to Brightsolid - the company behind the site - it may start investigating ways to increase revenue in the future, such as charging brands to supply nostalgic material for users to add to their "memories".
