The Rise and Fall of Vine: A Social Media Phenomenon Born Too Soon 'when did tangled come out'

In an era where social media platforms sprout up and disappear faster than dandelion seeds in springtime wind, it's hard to believe that one such platform managed to leave a lasting impression on the world. Yet, this was precisely what Vine achieved before its untimely demise.

Vine, founded by three ex-employees of Twitter (which would later become its nemesis), launched into existence with the ambitious goal of revolutionizing short-form video sharing online. The brainchild of Co-founders Kevin Sefcik, Dom Hofman and Biz Stone (yes, that Biz Stone who had previously co-founded the very same platform whose intellectual property Vine was now attempting to pilfer) came onto the scene in June 2012.

But what exactly did Vine offer that set it apart from its competitors? At first glance, not much. After all, platforms like YouTube and even Facebook already allowed users to upload short videos. So why should anyone bother with a new kid on the block?

The answer lay in simplicity itself. Unlike more established social media giants which often felt bloated under their own weighty feature lists, Vine took an altogether different approach. Its entire USP (Unique Selling Proposition) could be boiled down to three simple words: 'Make a video. Share it.'

With its 6-second time limit per post and focus on raw, unbridged content, Vine tapped into the zeitgeist of an increasingly attention span-challenged audience perfectly well-equipped for bite-sized entertainment. It was like having your own personal MTV but without all the commercial breaks.

But success can be a double-edged sword. While Vine's meteoric rise saw it amass over 100 million active users within just two months, it also drew unwanted attention from bigger fish in the pond - namely Twitter itself.

In October of that same year (2012), reports began to surface suggesting that Twitter was interested in acquiring Vine for a reported $30 million. Little did anyone know at the time but this would prove to be the beginning of the end for our beloved little platform...

Fast forward three months later and on July 10th, 2013 - exactly one year after its launch date - it was officially announced that Twitter had indeed purchased Vine from its founders in a deal worth... you guessed it! $30 million.

And so began the slow-motion car crash we all know today as #RIPVine. Despite valiant efforts by its new owners to breathe life back into what many saw as an aging relic of social media's wild west days, Vine continued on its inexorable slide towards oblivion until finally, in January 2018 - nearly five years after it first burst onto the scene - Twitter pulled the plug once and for all.

As we bid farewell to this fascinating chapter in internet history let us remember not just what went wrong but also why some ideas simply couldn't last...

When did tangled come out