Amanda Blain
Amanda Blain | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1980 (age 43–44) Hamilton, Ontario, Canada |
| Occupation(s) | Business owner, journalist, and internet personality |
| Years active | 2009 to present |
| Known for | Girlfriend Social, Google Plus |
| Website | http://www.amandablain.com |
Amanda Blain (born 1980) is a business owner, journalist, speaker, and Internet personality from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[1] She is best known for being the founder, owner and web developer of Girlfriend Social, a women-only friendship making website.[2] She is also known for her activity relating to Google Plus, where she acquired 5 million followers,[1] was the 20th most followed person in the world[3] and the number 1 most followed Canadian before Google Plus shut down.[3][4]
Early life
[edit]Blain was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. She studied Archaeology and Museum Studies.[1] She was not a fan of math and science, but ended up becoming full stack web developer, starting when she was 14.[1]
Professional career
[edit]Girlfriend social
[edit]
In 2009,[5] Blain designed, developed, and launched Girlfriend Social, a female friendship website,[6][7] stating, "Although there are many social networks online, most are designed to deal with business networking, dating, or connecting with people you already know, but there are very few sites that connect new friends."[8] Blain came up with the idea following a move to a new city and starting a new job with mostly male co-workers.[9][10] The site is designed to allow women around the world to make new friends, does not charge users and has over 500,000 members[11][12][13] making it the largest female friendship-only social site in the world.[14][11]
Girlfriend Social was voted "Favorite Website for Meeting New Friends" by About.com readers in their Readers' Choice Awards in 2012.[15]
Google plus
[edit]Blain joined Google Plus on its first day of the official beta, June 29, 2011,[3] and was placed on Google's Suggested User List under the technology category on December 15, 2011.[16] Blain was known for speaking about and promoting the platform,[17][18][19] calling it "a true Social Media platform."[3] A frequent user of the hangouts feature on the Google Plus platform, Blain was voted by the community as "Number 1 Hangout User".[20] Blain states that she has met thousands of people in real life after meeting virtually in Google hangouts first.[21][4] She spoke publicly about the closing of Google Plus on April 1, 2019, saying it was "Amazing. Life changing experience"[4]
Journalist
[edit]Blain started a personal blog and multiple technology-focused websites in 2012.[22][23] She covers topics like pop culture, video games, social media, and virtual reality on these sites and others.[24][25][26]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d "I found my calling: Interview with Amanda Blain of Girlfriend Social". Career Builder. February 16, 2016.
- ^ Tuhuh-Dubrow, Rebecca (July 13, 2012). "Women Can Connect, Click by Click". The New York Times.
- ^ a b c d Crum, Chris (April 16, 2014). "The 20th Most Popular Person On Google+ Tells You How To Use It Better". WebProNews.
- ^ a b c "Goodbye Google Plus -The Final Death Of G+ Eulogy". Amanda Blain. April 1, 2019.
- ^ "Women 2.0's Female Found Successes of 2009". Women 2.0. December 22, 2009.
- ^ "Canadian Entrepreneur Launches New Website That Could Re-Define the Meaning of 'Girls Night Out'" (Press release). Ottawa,Canada. December 3, 2009. Retrieved May 19, 2019.
- ^ Teitel, Emma (August 30, 2014). "The challenge of finding friends online". Macleans.
- ^ Levine, Irene. "New Girl on the Block? Use the Internet to Find Friends". HuffPost.
- ^ Lowen, Linda (2017). "Online Friendship Sites Help Women Make New Friends – An Interview with Girlfriend Social's Founder, Amanda Blain". Thought Co.
- ^ Andersen, Charlotte (2021). "15 Beautiful Ways Real People Make Sure They Never Feel Lonely". The Healthy.
- ^ a b Levine, Irene (2011), "Female Friends – Go Online To Connect", Women's World, no. May 23, p. 22
- ^ Gray, Emma (2012). "Online Friends: How More Women Are Using Platonic 'Dating' Sites To Find Female Friendship". HuffPost.
- ^ Luchette, Claire (2013). "7 Ways to Make New Friends". HuffPost.
- ^ Jones, Megan (2016). "Having Friends Makes You Healthier, Happier, and Even a Better Sleeper (Says Science!)". Reader's Digest.
- ^ Burbach, Cherie (2012). "Favorite Website for Meeting New Friends for 2012". About.com. Archived from the original on July 15, 2016.
- ^ Google's Suggested User List, [1]. Retrieved August 20, 2012
- ^ NMX Speaker Page, April 1, 2013
- ^ Top 10 Sessions By Speaker Ratings At Affiliate Summit East, Aug 15, 2016
- ^ Affiliate Summit Speaker Page, July 31, 2016
- ^ Shervington, Martin (2012). The Art & Science of Google+.
- ^ "Guy Kawasaki and 10 Experts Chime in on the Value of Google Plus – and How You Can Start to Leverage It". Windmill Networking. October 1, 2012.
- ^ World Of Geek Stuff, June 8, 2021
- ^ Amanda Blain Blog, June 8, 2021
- ^ MuckRack Journalist Profile, June 8, 2021
- ^ Purewal, Sarah (April 22, 2013). "9 Social Media Tricks You Must Know". Men's Health.
- ^ "The 7 Top Social Media Sites For Business (and why you want to use them)". Cision. May 1, 2013.