ars ▁startup ▁acceler ator ▁program ▁in ▁B ould er ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 7 . ▁Social thing ▁launched ▁a ▁private ▁beta ▁with ▁support ▁for ▁Facebook , ▁Twitter , ▁F lick r , ▁V ime o , ▁P own ce , ▁and ▁Live J ournal ▁in ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁▁▁ ▁Social thing ▁differenti ated ▁itself ▁from ▁Friend feed ▁and ▁other ▁aggreg ators ▁through ▁the ▁use ▁of ▁an ▁algorithm ▁that ▁determined ▁users ' ▁friends — at ▁the ▁time , ▁compet ing ▁services ▁required ▁users ▁to ▁define ▁a ▁list ▁of ▁friends ▁for ▁each ▁service . ▁CE O ▁Matt ▁Gall igan ▁described ▁Social thing ' s ▁advantage ▁to ▁users ▁as ▁" simp ly ▁just ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁see ▁what ▁all ▁of ▁your ▁friends ▁on ▁all ▁of ▁your ▁networks ▁are ▁doing ▁without ▁ever ▁having ▁to ▁add ▁them , ▁and ▁then ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁communicate ▁with ▁them , ▁all ▁without ▁ever ▁leaving ▁the ▁same ▁site ." ▁ ▁Ac quisition ▁▁ ▁In ▁August ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁A OL ▁confirmed ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁acquired ▁Social thing . ▁The ▁service ▁was ▁incorpor ated ▁into ▁A OL ' s ▁People ▁Network ' s ▁division , ▁which ▁also ▁managed ▁A IM ▁and ▁B eb o , ▁the ▁social ▁network ▁A OL ▁acquired ▁for ▁$ 8 5 0 ▁million . ▁The ▁price ▁A OL ▁paid ▁for ▁Social thing ▁was ▁not ▁dis closed , ▁but ▁Vent ure ▁Capital ▁Journal ▁listed ▁the ▁ac quisition ▁as ▁# 2 ▁in ▁its ▁list ▁of ▁“ Top ▁M & A ▁Returns ▁for ▁V