Essays and commentary

Social Media Timeline, 2026

An updated visual timeline of social media platforms, tracking the rise of niche and AI-driven networks alongside major platforms, part of an ongoing annual history of social media since 2013.

social media timeline, AI, citizen authors & online communities

67% of job adverts use feminine coded language

A year-long analysis of 728 publishing job adverts finds most are coded with feminine language, and that feminine-coded roles are paid less.

gender, research & academia, industry & careers

Social Media Timeline 2024

A 2024 update to the visual social media timeline, tracking the latest developments in the history and evolution of social media platforms.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

Social Media Timeline: September 2023

A September 2023 update to the social media timeline, tracking the latest platforms and changes in the social media landscape.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

BONUS UPDATE On the Social Media Timeline

An updated visual timeline of social media platforms, including the rise of federated and decentralised networks, part of an ongoing history of social media since 2013.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

Social Media Timeline

A visual timeline of social media platforms covering their history and evolution, including older platforms newly returning to relevance.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

The Draw of the UK Postgraduate Degree for Americans

industry & careers, research & academia, PhD & personal updates

Books and Social Media: NOW PUBLISHED

books & publications, social media, gender

Timeline of social media with added world events

A visual timeline of social media platforms shown alongside major world events, illustrating the history of social media in its broader cultural and political context.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

Timeline of social media, 2021

A rebuilt 2021 visual timeline of social media platforms and key events, covering the history and evolution of social media from its origins to the present.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

The Power of the Gatekeeper

books & publications, research & academia, industry & careers

What I learned from doing a viva from my bedroom

PhD & personal updates, research & academia, books & publications

Dr²: doing a viva from lockdown

PhD & personal updates, gender, research & academia

Social Media Timeline 2019

A 2019 visual timeline of social media platforms, including newer entrants like TikTok, tracking the history and evolution of social networks.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

When you get caught up with life and don't have time

PhD & personal updates, industry & careers, research & academia

Social Media Timeline 2018

A 2018 update to the social media timeline, adding newly emerged platforms and tracking the changing landscape of social media over time.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

Gender and writing in digitally social spaces

gender, social media, citizen authors & online communities

The Power Mechanisms

gender, research & academia, citizen authors & online communities

Timeline of Social Media, 2017

A 2017 visual timeline charting the history and evolution of social media platforms, from early networks to the major players of the mid-2010s.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

The Rise of the Citizen Author

citizen authors & online communities, books & publications, digital publishing

The Rise of the Citizen Author

citizen authors & online communities, digital publishing, industry & careers

Making the most of an inconvenient situation

PhD & personal updates, research & academia, industry & careers

Echoes of the City

creative writing, digital publishing, projects & collaborations

A Visual History of eBook Readers

A visual chart tracing the evolution of eBook readers over time, from early devices to major brands, based on academic research into eReader history.

digital publishing, research & academia, books & publications

A Look Back at Futurebook 2015

conferences & industry, digital publishing, research & academia

Updated Social Media Timeline

A 2016 update to the social media timeline, tracking platform launches, closures, and shifts in the social media landscape since the original 2013 version.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

New Website for Lunchquest

projects & collaborations, branding & marketing, digital publishing

Tips on Writing About Foucault's Theories

PhD & personal updates, research & academia, creative writing

Final Keynote at FutureBook 2015 - Charlie Redmayne

conferences & industry, digital publishing, books & publications

Doing Digital Writing: Twitter Poetry

creative writing, social media, digital publishing

Tips for Writing Foucault

PhD & personal updates, research & academia, creative writing

Oolipo

digital publishing, citizen authors & online communities, conferences & industry

History of Social Media Part III

History of Social Media Part II

History of Social Media Part I

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia

Social Media Timeline

The original visual timeline of social media platforms, tracking the rise of major networks from the early 2000s onward. The first in an ongoing annual history of social media.

social media timeline, digital publishing, research & academia