Facebook Adds Hashtags: Twitter Wasn’t The First To Use Hashtags In Social Media Posts, Who Posted The First One?

Facebook announced on Wednesday that it will begin adding Twitter-style hashtag functions on its site, allowing users to join public conversations about a topic, but the social media giant doesn't have to worry about not being the first to implement it - Twitter wasn't the hashtag's first user, either.

The idea was actually invented in August 2007 by Chris Messina, now a user experience designer on Google Plus, whose idea was to create a place to group different tweets. He proposed the idea of using the pound symbol, according to ABC News

Messina's first hashtag post on Twitter read: "how do you feel about using # (pound) for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]?

After several different international events that captured the attention of social media junkies across the globe occurred, like the October 2007 California wildfires and the 2009 Iranian election protests, the use of the hashtag to refer to groups caught on and eventually Twitter enabled the function that would allow anyone to join the global conversation.

Messina was involved with creating the BarCamp, Spread Firefox and Coworking movements.

As with all posts on Facebook, someone's ability to see what you post (even if you add a hashtag) depends on who you've agreed to share the post with - so, if you share a post only with friends, than only they will see it. If you wish it to be seen by anyone, you should click on the little icon below the post and select Public, Forbes Magazine reports.