Hi5

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= = =**Hi5**=

[|Hi5.com] is an online environment that allows you to meet new people, connect with friends and share ideas.[[|1]] Users can create online profiles, with or without pictures, that consist of personal, as well as fun information about themselves. These profiles are then viewable by the entire Hi5 community or just to your friends.

Hi5 has taken a different approach to this kind of social environment and does not focus on one type of service. It has various functions that allow you to personalize your profile with music, pictures, various backgrounds and video.

=How to Meet People=

The Hi5 network consists of meeting people through friends or meeting people casually through searching their database. When you create a profile, you send friend requests to people who you would like to be connected to and once they are added, you also connected to their network of friends.

You can also join any group of your choice or create your own groups. Hi5 has numberous groups that relate to different interests such as, Cultures and Communities, Business, Fashion and Beauty and many more.[[|2]] If you do not find one that interests you, you also have the option of creating your own group and have people join that one.

Joining schools, colleges, and workplaces is another option that allows you to reunite with old friends from high school, college, and companies where you’ve worked. You can find old friends to reminisce about the past or find new contacts through the people that you knew so well.[[|3]]

=Features of Hi5=

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 * **Send Messages --** You can send messages back and forth to your friends or people you meet online. When these messages are sent, they are also sent as an e-mail notification to check your Hi5 because someone has sent you something.
 * **Chat --** Chat in various chatrooms to people in the Hi5 community.
 * **Choose Your Top 6 Friends --** Hi5 gives you the option to choose your top six friends.
 * **Create Friend Circles --** Can create seperate circles for different groups of friends.
 * **Add Beta Videos --** Imbed video into your page.
 * **Invite Friends to join --** Send friend requests to people who are not yet apart of Hi5 or to people who you would like to be on your friend's list.
 * **View your network --** Viewing your network allows you to see all of the people who are in your network of friends.
 * **Join Groups --** Join groups that are of interest to you and meet new people with similar interests.
 * **Create a Journal --** Creating a journal is like a blog. The posts that you create are link to your space and can be viewed by your friends and the Hi5 community.
 * **Post messages on a Bulletin Board --** Users can also post messages on their bulletin boards. There is an e-mail notification that is sent about the new post and all of your 1st degree friends can view them.
 * **See Profile Visitors --** This allows you to see all the people who have viewed your profile in the last 30 days.
 * **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. [[|4]]
 * **Photo Album--** Users are able to compile many of their favourite photos and create an online album to post on their page so that family members and friends can be up to date with what's taken place in their life.
 * **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. [[|5]]
 * **Searching**-- It also allows the users to search for others and be able to view their profiles. It creates new introductions and its a privelege for meeting new people online from the same community.

=Online Safety=

Hi5 is designed to be a fun place for people to connect, but they are also aware that there are saftey concerns when using the internet. Some of the security tips that Hi5 issues include the following: > =Similar Sites=
 * **Protect Your Information** - Hi5 enourages the use of the privacy settings to control who can visit your profile. Remeber not to use information that will make it easy for a stranger to locate you.[[|6]]
 * **Never Meet With Strangers** - Remeber that you are using an online environment and that it is not always safe. If you are going to meet an online friend, plan the meeting in a public place and always let someone know where you are going to be in case of an emergency.
 * **Think before posting photos** - Try not to post pictures that will identify your location or something personal about you. For example, the school you attend, where you live or where you might work.
 * **Check your comments regularly** - If you allow comments on your profile, check them often. Don't respond to mean or embarrassing comments or emails. Delete them, block offensive people from commenting further and report the abusive person to hi5. Also, never respond to emails from strangers that ask personal questions.[[|7]]

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