The Impact of Hi5
Hi5 -- one of the original social networking sites, created by Ramu Yalamanchi -- has been around since 2003, about a year before Facebook was launched by Mark Zuckerberg and Myspace was founded. While it's not the first social network and is nowhere near as populated as Facebook, it has had an impact on modern social networking as we know it today.
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Social Networking
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Facebook is typically seen as the first social networking pioneer, but websites such as Hi5 and Classmates.com had already formed primitive social networks where individuals could find new friends and network with established acquaintances. At first, Hi5 offered a basic interface in which you could send messages, upload pictures and connect with friends, but it didn't have all of the features that we equate with social networking today, such as status messages, tagging and specific pages for interests.
Avatar Integration
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Hi5's avatar integration is a stand-out feature: Unlike Friendster, Myspace or Facebook, the program allows you to create a cartoon avatar that can then be used on the site. In this, the interface is much more akin to a Meez or SecondLife social networking website, setting Hi5 apart from other social startups. Since Hi5 continues to develop ways to integrate avatars into site usage, similar websites take their cues to develop new ways as well.
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Social Gaming
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Facebook offers a whole library of social gaming in which you can participate with your friends. But Hi5 also offers online gaming, with titles such as Airport, Farmerama and the site's most popular game, Barn Buddy, with nearly three million participants. While the games may share titles with similarly named games on Facebook, gaming development on social platforms helps to enhance game development as networks compete for the most users. When Hi5 releases new games, the pressure is placed on other social networks to compete and continue to develop their own new games and applications.
International Effects
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According to Alexa ratings as of 2011, Hi5 is only the 666th most visited website in the United States. However, it's the 55th most popular website in Thailand and is used widely in Latin American and Portugal, according to AppAppeal.com. If you have family living in geographical areas where Hi5 is more widely used, it gives you the opportunity to connect on a social platform your family may feel comfortable using on a regular basis, making it easier for you to keep in touch.
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