Internet technology has been the driving force of social change throughout the 21st Century. At the center of this transformation has been the way it has sped up our networks of communication and socialization. In doing so, internet technology has impacted culture: in some cases intensifying tradition; in other cases spurring the growth of subcultures, thereby diluting tradition; and in other cases, spawning the global homogenization of culture, reconfiguring tradition altogether. Technologies ability to bring about change, though, is not new. The industrial revolution brought about social, economic, and political transformations on an unprecedented scale; similarly, today, we are in the midst of unpredictable changes that have already begun to impact every facet of our daily lives. Just as the steam locomotive appeared grandiose to cinema audiences during the industrial revolution, AOL, it’s initial dial-up sound and all, appeared to be a beckoning-call into an age of digital communication. With that said, this blog is born out of my own glorious memories of social communication via AOL chartrooms, but also my all-women’s-educated curiosity of why and how men and women use the internet differently. I’m interested in macro-issues dealing with technological innovation; specifically, how group thought has shaped the way internet companies have scaled and stayed sustainable, and what hurdles they will have to overcome to continue doing so.