hi5

hi5.com is a social networking internet service similar to Friendster and MySpace. Users create an online profile by answering questions and uploading a user picture.

Networks of friends

Users can send friend requests to other users. When this person receives said friend request, he or she may accept or decline the friend request or block the user altogether. If the user accepts this person as their friend then they will be connected directly or in the 1st degree. The user will then appear on the person's friend list and vice-versa.

Users have the option to make their profile viewable only to those people who are in their Network. Your network of friends consists of your direct friends (1st degree), the friends of your direct friends (2nd degree) and the friends of the friends of your direct friends (3rd degree). Other users opt to make their profile available to view to everyone on hi5.

Basic features

hi5 consists of the basic features featured on most networking sites such as:

• Messaging: Users can send messages to other users
• Bulletin Boards: Users can post messages on their bulletins - in most cases these bulletins are typical forwards - so that all of their friends (1st degree) can view.
• Groups: Users can create and join groups for people with a similar specific interest, hobby, location, etc or a group where they can argue with people about different issues, eg: communists argueing on a pro-capitalist group - The groups to which each user belongs to are listed on the user's profile.
• Journals: The user's last post is also available for viewing in their main page, with a link to all their previous posts.

Security Issues

When signing up with a Hotmail, AOL or Yahoo! address, the user is asked to enter their Hotmail, AOL or Yahoo password so as to check whether anyone in the user's contacts has a hi5 account. No warning is made of the dangers of giving out passwords to third parties.

Other features

• Music (Beta): Musicians can upload their songs to hi5, users can add up to 15 songs by adding the hi5 Musicplayer to their profile and can purchase the songs via iTunes or REAL. Editorial provided in 5 genres; Hip-Hop, R&B, Electronic, Rock and Reggaeton.
• Photos: Users can store up to 1 Gigabyte of photos, create up to 100 albums on his/her hi5 account. Each album can hold up to 250 photos, provided it does not exceed the total album capacity of 50 MB.
• Chat: Users can use the online chatrooms to chat with each other.
• Testimonials: Users can write testimonials about their friends or other users. The testimonial must then be approved by the person in order for it to be viewable in their profile - the last 4 testimonials are displayed on their profile with a link to view them all.
• Fives: Users can choose from a variety of icons that playfully describe the other person or their relationship with that person. Among the fives are: Best friend, Champion, Better Half, Swank, Cool, Trendy, Cute, Cousin, Pretty, etc. Like Testimonials, Fives must also be approved by the user.
• HTML Scripting: Users can add HTML to their profiles, a feature not provied by others. JavaScript, however, is stil not allowed.

hi5 Artists

Bands that have a profile on Hi5:

• Single Journey Ticket - Band [1] Confirmed
• Fall Out Boy - Band [2] Confirmed
• Ripped - Band [3] Confirmed
• Mariah Carey - Singer [4] Confirmed
• Ciara - Singer [5] Confirmed
• Alicia Keys - Singer [6] Confirmed
• Yellowcard - Band [7] Confirmed
• Chris Brown - Singer [8] Confirmed
• Clipse - Rapper [9] Confirmed
• Rihanna - Singer [10] Confirmed
• Ne-Yo - Singer [11] Confirmed
• Cassidy - Rapper [12] Confirmed
• Kinky - Band [13] Confirmed
• Paula DeAnda - Singer [14] Confirmed

See also

• List of social networking websites