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{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2017}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
|name = Chris Messina
| name = Chris Messina
|image = Chris_Messina_-_2016.jpg
| image = Chris_Messina_-_2016.jpg
|caption = Chris Messina in March 2016
| caption = Chris Messina in March 2016
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|1|7}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1981|1|7}}
|birth_place = [[Bedford, New Hampshire]]
| birth_place = [[Bedford, New Hampshire]]
|birth_name = Christopher Reaves Messina
| birth_name = Christopher Reaves Messina
|alma_mater = [[Carnegie Mellon University]]
| alma_mater = [[Carnegie Mellon University]]
| known_for = Inventing the Hashtag
|website = http://chrismessina.me/
| website = http://chrismessina.me/
|nationality=[[United States|American]]
| nationality = [[United States|American]]
|residence = [[San Francisco]]<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Buy-Twitter-and-dump-Trump-Today-in-hashtag-11953771.php | title=Buy Twitter and dump Trump? Today in hashtag history | work=SFGate | date=August 23, 2017 | accessdate=September 18, 2017}}</ref>
| residence = [[San Francisco]]<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Buy-Twitter-and-dump-Trump-Today-in-hashtag-11953771.php | title=Buy Twitter and dump Trump? Today in hashtag history | work=SFGate | date=August 23, 2017 | accessdate=September 18, 2017}}</ref>
}}
}}


'''Christopher Reaves Messina''' (born January 7, 1981) is an American [[technology evangelist]] who is an advocate for [[Open-source model|open source]] and [[open standards]]. Messina is best known for proposing the use of the [[hashtag|hash character (#)]] on [[Twitter]] as a way of grouping messages.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/fashion/hashtags-a-new-way-for-tweets-cultural-studies.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all | title=Twitter's Secret Handshake | work=The New York Times | date=June 10, 2011 | accessdate=July 26, 2011 | author=Parker, Ashley}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30340622 | title=BBC News – Hashtag inventor: It was an 'accidental trip over a simple idea': | work=BBC | date=December 5, 2014 | accessdate=2014-12-05 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-messina-talks-about-inventing-the-hashtag-on-twitter-2013-11|title=The Inventor of the Twitter Hashtag Explains Why He Didn't Patent It|website=Business Insider|access-date=2016-03-19}}</ref> Inspired by the use of the hashtag in [[Internet Relay Chat|Internet Relay Chat (IRC)]], Messina's original [[Twitter#tweets|tweet]] appeared as follows:{{quote|How do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?|Chris Messina, ("factoryjoe"), August 23, 2007<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/chrismessina/status/223115412|title=Chris Messina ✌︎ on Twitter|website=Twitter|access-date=2016-03-19}}</ref>}}
'''Christopher Reaves Messina''' (born January 7, 1981) is the inventor of the [[hashtag]] as it is currently used on [[social media]] platforms.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/fashion/hashtags-a-new-way-for-tweets-cultural-studies.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all|title=Twitter's Secret Handshake|author=Parker, Ashley|date=June 10, 2011|work=The New York Times|accessdate=July 26, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-30340622|title=BBC News – Hashtag inventor: It was an 'accidental trip over a simple idea':|date=December 5, 2014|work=BBC|accessdate=2014-12-05}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/chris-messina-talks-about-inventing-the-hashtag-on-twitter-2013-11|title=The Inventor of the Twitter Hashtag Explains Why He Didn't Patent It|website=Business Insider|access-date=2016-03-19}}</ref> In a 2007 tweet<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://twitter.com/chrismessina/status/223115412|title=🅲🅷🆁🅸🆂 🅼🅴🆂🆂🅸🅽🅰︎ on Twitter|work=Twitter|access-date=2018-11-10|language=en}}</ref> Messina proposed vertical/associational grouping of messages, trends, and events on Twitter by the means of hashtags. Simply put the hashtag was to be a type of [[Tag (metadata)|metadata tag]] that allowed users to apply dynamic, [[User-generated content|user-generated]] tagging which made it possible for others to easily find messages with a specific theme or content; it allowed easy, informal markup of [[folk taxonomy]] without need of any formal [[Taxonomy (general)|taxonomy]] or [[markup language]]. Hashtags have since been referred to as the "eavesdroppers", "wormholes", "time-machines", and "veins" of the internet.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/decade-ago-hashtag-reshaped-internet-180964605/|title=A Decade Ago, the Hashtag Reshaped the Internet|last=Panko|first=Ben|work=Smithsonian|access-date=2018-11-10|language=en}}</ref> {{quote|How do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?|Chris Messina's original Tweet proposing hashtag usage, August 23, 2007<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/chrismessina/status/223115412|title=Chris Messina ✌︎ on Twitter|website=Twitter|access-date=2016-03-19}}</ref>|source=}}


Although Twitter's initial response to Messina's proposed use of hashtags was negative "these things are for nerds"<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/decade-ago-hashtag-reshaped-internet-180964605/|title=A Decade Ago, the Hashtag Reshaped the Internet|last=Panko|first=Ben|work=Smithsonian|access-date=2018-11-10|language=en}}</ref> a series of events, including the devastating fire in San Diego County [[2007 California wildfires|later that year]], saw the first widespread use of "sandiegofire" to allow users to easily track updates about the fire. The use of hashtags itself then eventually spread like wild-fire on Twitter, and by the end of the decade could be seen in most emerging as well as established social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and YouTube. So much so that Instagram had to officially place a "30 hashtags" limit on its posts to prevent people from abusing the use of hashtags.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://help.instagram.com/351460621611097|title=How do I use hashtags? {{!}} Instagram Help Center|website=help.instagram.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-10}}</ref> A limit which [[Instagrammer|Instagrammers]] eventually circumvented by posting hashtags in the comments section of their posts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.itchban.com/blog/2017/1/7/instagram-max-hashtags-how-to-post-up-to-60|title=Instagram Max Hashtags: How to post up to 60|work=itchban|access-date=2018-11-10|language=en-AU}}</ref> As of 2018 more than 85% of the top 50 websites by traffic on the Internet use hashtags<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.similarweb.com/top-websites|title=Website Ranking: Top Websites Rank In The World - SimilarWeb|website=www.similarweb.com|language=en|access-date=2018-11-10}}</ref> and their use is highly common with millennials, Gen Z, politicians, influencers, and celebrities worldwide.
⚫
He was formerly Developer Experience Lead at [[Uber (company)|Uber]] from 2016 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/technology/2016/06/05/uber-app-urbanhail-startup-ride-prices|title=Uber denies access to Harvard startup that compared ride-hailing prices|date=June 5, 2016|website=Boston.com|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/computing/2014/summer/originstory.shtml|title=#OriginStory – Carnegie Mellon University {{!}} CMU|last=(CMU)|first=Carnegie Mellon University|website=www.cmu.edu|access-date=2016-03-19}}</ref> Messina is also known for his involvement in helping to create the [[BarCamp]], [[Spread Firefox]], and [[coworking]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/technology/21iht-cowork.1.10263648.html |title=Coworking, a cooperative for the modern age |author=Fost, Dan |accessdate=August 23, 2017 |date=February 21, 2008 |work=The International Herald Tribune |publisher=iht.com}}</ref> movements. Messina is an active proponent of [[microformats]] and [[OAuth]].

⚫
Messina subsequently went on to become the Developer Experience Lead at [[Uber (company)|Uber]] from 2016 to 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/news/technology/2016/06/05/uber-app-urbanhail-startup-ride-prices|title=Uber denies access to Harvard startup that compared ride-hailing prices|date=June 5, 2016|website=Boston.com|language=en-US|access-date=2016-06-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cmu.edu/homepage/computing/2014/summer/originstory.shtml|title=#OriginStory – Carnegie Mellon University {{!}} CMU|last=(CMU)|first=Carnegie Mellon University|website=www.cmu.edu|access-date=2016-03-19}}</ref> And as of 2018 ranks as the No. 1 hunter on [[Product Hunt|ProductHunt.com]]. He is a [[technology evangelist]] who is an advocate for [[Open-source model|open source]], [[open standards]], [[microformats]], and [[OAuth]]. Messina is also known for his involvement in helping to create the [[BarCamp]], [[Spread Firefox]], and [[coworking]] movements.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/21/technology/21iht-cowork.1.10263648.html|title=Coworking, a cooperative for the modern age|author=Fost, Dan|date=February 21, 2008|work=The International Herald Tribune|publisher=iht.com|accessdate=August 23, 2017}}</ref>


==Career==
==Career==
Line 25: Line 28:


In February 2018, Messina launched Molly, an AMA-style website where the questions are answered using the person's social media posts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/02/19/hashtag-creator-launches-molly-to-build-a-personal-bot-from-your-social-media-footprint/|title=Hashtag creator launches Molly to make a personal bot from your social media footprint|last=Johnson|first=Khari|date=2018-02-19|work=[[VentureBeat]]|access-date=2018-02-24}}</ref>
In February 2018, Messina launched Molly, an AMA-style website where the questions are answered using the person's social media posts.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://venturebeat.com/2018/02/19/hashtag-creator-launches-molly-to-build-a-personal-bot-from-your-social-media-footprint/|title=Hashtag creator launches Molly to make a personal bot from your social media footprint|last=Johnson|first=Khari|date=2018-02-19|work=[[VentureBeat]]|access-date=2018-02-24}}</ref>

== Inventing the Hashtag ==
{{quote|"I had no interest in making money (directly) off hashtags. They are born of the Internet, and should be owned by no one. The value and satisfaction I derive from seeing my funny little hack used as widely as it is today is valuable enough for me to be relieved that I had the foresight not to try to lock down this stupidly simple but effective idea."|Chris Messina. Explaining why he didn't patent the hashtag|source=https://www.quora.com/Twitter-Hashtags-1/Why-didnt-the-creator-of-the-hashtag-patent-the-concept/answer/Chris-Messina}}


==Press==
==Press==

Revision as of 19:26, 10 November 2018

Chris Messina
Chris Messina in March 2016
Born
Christopher Reaves Messina

(1981-01-07) January 7, 1981 (age 43)
Bedford, New Hampshire
NationalityAmerican
Alma materCarnegie Mellon University
Known forInventing the Hashtag
Websitehttp://chrismessina.me/

Christopher Reaves Messina (born January 7, 1981) is the inventor of the hashtag as it is currently used on social media platforms.[2][3][4] In a 2007 tweet[5] Messina proposed vertical/associational grouping of messages, trends, and events on Twitter by the means of hashtags. Simply put the hashtag was to be a type of metadata tag that allowed users to apply dynamic, user-generated tagging which made it possible for others to easily find messages with a specific theme or content; it allowed easy, informal markup of folk taxonomy without need of any formal taxonomy or markup language. Hashtags have since been referred to as the "eavesdroppers", "wormholes", "time-machines", and "veins" of the internet.[6]

How do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?

— Chris Messina's original Tweet proposing hashtag usage, August 23, 2007[7]

Although Twitter's initial response to Messina's proposed use of hashtags was negative "these things are for nerds"[8] a series of events, including the devastating fire in San Diego County later that year, saw the first widespread use of "sandiegofire" to allow users to easily track updates about the fire. The use of hashtags itself then eventually spread like wild-fire on Twitter, and by the end of the decade could be seen in most emerging as well as established social media platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Reddit, and YouTube. So much so that Instagram had to officially place a "30 hashtags" limit on its posts to prevent people from abusing the use of hashtags.[9] A limit which Instagrammers eventually circumvented by posting hashtags in the comments section of their posts.[10] As of 2018 more than 85% of the top 50 websites by traffic on the Internet use hashtags[11] and their use is highly common with millennials, Gen Z, politicians, influencers, and celebrities worldwide.

Messina subsequently went on to become the Developer Experience Lead at Uber from 2016 to 2017.[12][13] And as of 2018 ranks as the No. 1 hunter on ProductHunt.com. He is a technology evangelist who is an advocate for open source, open standards, microformats, and OAuth. Messina is also known for his involvement in helping to create the BarCamp, Spread Firefox, and coworking movements.[14]

Career

Messina was employed as an Open Source Advocate at identity company Vidoop and before that was the co-founder of marketing agency Citizen Agency. He worked at Google as an Open Web Advocate,[15] leaving to join startup NeonMob.[16] He graduated from Carnegie Mellon University in 2003[17] with a BA in Communication Design. From 2016 to January 2017, Messina lead the Developer Experience team at Uber where he enforced the terms and conditions of Uber's proprietary APIs.[18][19]

Messina co-founded Citizen Agency, a company which describes itself as "Internet consultancy that specializes in developing community-centric strategies around product research, design, development and marketing"[20] with Tara Hunt and Ben Metcalfe, who has since left the company.

Messina was an advocate of open-source, most notably Firefox and Flock. As a volunteer for the Spread Firefox campaign, he designed the 2004 Firefox advert which appeared in The New York Times on December 16, 2004.[21] In 2008, he won a Google-O'Reilly Open Source Award for Best Community Amplifier for BarCamp, Microformats and Spread Firefox.[22]

In February 2018, Messina launched Molly, an AMA-style website where the questions are answered using the person's social media posts.[23]

Inventing the Hashtag

"I had no interest in making money (directly) off hashtags. They are born of the Internet, and should be owned by no one. The value and satisfaction I derive from seeing my funny little hack used as widely as it is today is valuable enough for me to be relieved that I had the foresight not to try to lock down this stupidly simple but effective idea."

— Chris Messina. Explaining why he didn't patent the hashtag, https://www.quora.com/Twitter-Hashtags-1/Why-didnt-the-creator-of-the-hashtag-patent-the-concept/answer/Chris-Messina

Press

Messina was featured with Hunt, also his ex-girlfriend, in "So Open it Hurts", in San Francisco Magazine (August 2008). The article detailed their very public and open relationship shared on the internet, and the lessons they derived from that experience.[24]

Notes

  1. ^ "Buy Twitter and dump Trump? Today in hashtag history". SFGate. August 23, 2017. Retrieved September 18, 2017.
  2. ^ Parker, Ashley (June 10, 2011). "Twitter's Secret Handshake". The New York Times. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  3. ^ "BBC News – Hashtag inventor: It was an 'accidental trip over a simple idea':". BBC. December 5, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  4. ^ "The Inventor of the Twitter Hashtag Explains Why He Didn't Patent It". Business Insider. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  5. ^ "🅲🅷🆁🅸🆂 🅼🅴🆂🆂🅸🅽🅰︎ on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  6. ^ Panko, Ben. "A Decade Ago, the Hashtag Reshaped the Internet". Smithsonian. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  7. ^ "Chris Messina ✌︎ on Twitter". Twitter. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  8. ^ Panko, Ben. "A Decade Ago, the Hashtag Reshaped the Internet". Smithsonian. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  9. ^ "How do I use hashtags? | Instagram Help Center". help.instagram.com. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  10. ^ "Instagram Max Hashtags: How to post up to 60". itchban. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  11. ^ "Website Ranking: Top Websites Rank In The World - SimilarWeb". www.similarweb.com. Retrieved November 10, 2018.
  12. ^ "Uber denies access to Harvard startup that compared ride-hailing prices". Boston.com. June 5, 2016. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
  13. ^ (CMU), Carnegie Mellon University. "#OriginStory – Carnegie Mellon University | CMU". www.cmu.edu. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  14. ^ Fost, Dan (February 21, 2008). "Coworking, a cooperative for the modern age". The International Herald Tribune. iht.com. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  15. ^ Happy Birthday, Chris Messina, And Enjoy Advocating The Open Web At Google. TechCrunch (January 7, 2010). Retrieved on 2014-05-23.
  16. ^ Yesterday was my last day at Google.
  17. ^ Messina, Chris. "Heading back to Pittsburgh". Twitter. Heading to Pittsburgh. Man, haven't been back since I graduated in 2003!
  18. ^ "The guy who invented the hashtag is joining Uber to build the 'future'". Business Insider. Retrieved March 19, 2016.
  19. ^ "Today is my last day at Uber". Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  20. ^ CitizenAgency.com
  21. ^ "Mozilla Foundation Places Two-Page Advocacy Ad in The New York Times". mozilla.org. Retrieved August 23, 2017.
  22. ^ "Google-O'Reilly Open Source Awards – Hall of Fame". Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  23. ^ Johnson, Khari (February 19, 2018). "Hashtag creator launches Molly to make a personal bot from your social media footprint". VentureBeat. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  24. ^ "So open it hurts". modernluxury.com. Retrieved August 23, 2017.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chris Messina.
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