This Is What Twitter Used To Look Like

If you were sending out a tweet on July 15, 2006, congratulations! You've been with Twitter from the start, and are officially more tech-savvy than the rest of us. That's right — July 15 marks the 8th anniversary of Twitter's initial rollout to public users. Of course, back in 2006 it was called "Twttr" and it looked — and functioned — a bit different than the Twitter we know and love and use today.

Let's take a trip down memory lane and see what TechCrunch had to say about Twttr on July 15, 2006:

Odeo released a new service today called Twttr, which is a sort of “group send” SMS application. Each person controls their own network of friends. When any of them send a text message to “40404,” all of his or her friends see the message via sms. This launched officially today, and a few select insiders were playing with the service at the Valleyschwag party in San Francisco last night.

People are using it to send messages like “Cleaning my apartment” and “Hungry”. You can also add friends via text message, nudge friends, etc. ... Users can also post and view messages on the Twttr website, turn off text messages from certain people, turn off messages altogether, etc.

TechCrunch went on to write that while every Twttr user has a public page, people probably wouldn't "want to have all of their Twttr messages published on a public website." Oops, looks like that didn't go as planned.

How did Twitter go from a SMS app to one of the Internet's leading communication platforms?

July 15, 2006 - Twitter Is Introduced To The Public

It was called Twttr. It was threadbare. It was weird.

Fall 2006 - A New Name, A New Logo

Not long after the public launch, Twttr was rebranded. The platform changed its name to "Twitter" and redesigned its logo.

October 2006 - A New Way To Use Twitter

Twitter enabled users to sign up without their phone number. It effectively changed the way Twitter functioned — moving the app from SMS to a web interface platform.

Summer 2007 - Twitter Replaces "Friends" With "Followers," Adds Profile Search Tool

Twitter use to identify your "friends" and allow you to "follow" people. It soon realized that you don't need both, so followers it is. We are officially in the follow-for-a-follow era.

Aug. 23, 2007 - The First Hashtag Is Created

Chris Messina (no, not the actor) tweets out the first hashtag — but it'll be awhile before Twitter catches on.

July 2, 2009 - Twitter Starts Hyperlinking Hashtags

And social media campaigns will never be the same again.

Jan. 22, 2010 - Astronaut Sends First Tweet From Space

NASA astronaut TJ Creamer becomes the first person to send an unassisted (meaning in real-time) tweet from above the Earth.

Sept. 14, 2010 - Twitter Puts A Bird On It

The bird ushers in a new era for Twitter.

Fall 2010 - Twitter's First Step To A Big Redesign

Twitter upped its game here, redesigning your homepage and profile to put everything in one place. It also emphasized one of its newest features: embedded media, such as photos and videos.

May 31, 2011 - Twitter Introduces The "Follow" Button On Websites

Now users can instantly follow a website with just one click. Online editors everywhere rejoiced.

Winter 2011 - Twitter Reveals "New Twitter"

2011 was a huge year for Twitter, and the redesign it unveiled sets up what we know today as "modern" Twitter. It redefined your homescreen so you can see all the tweets of the people you follow. It also added a tab for your mentions, as well as the "discover" hashtag section.

June 5, 2012 - Twitter Logo Sticks With The Bird

What's more iconic than the blue Twitter bird?

May 2014 - Twitter Redesigns The User Profile

Twitter officially rolled out its new user profile in 2014, featuring larger header images and an expanded tweet timeline. Critics of the design said it mirrored the Facebook timeline perhaps a little too much...but like it or not, it's what we got.

July 15, 2014 - Twitter Shows Off A More Refined Homepage

It's simple. It's clean. It's the Twitter we know now.

Images: Mediabistro; TechCrunch; Twitter blog; Twitter