[podtech content=http://media1.podtech.net/media/2007/11/PID_013001/Podtech_Hi_5.flv&postURL=http://www.podtech.net/home/4548/getting-open-and-social-with-hi5&totalTime=1465000&breadcrumb=e4fb161f053e491286c47a2ccb7a483e]
Hi5 is a social network that’s very popular. They are seeing 100,000 new users every day. Facebook is seeing 200,000.
Since Hi5 is one of the partners in the Open Social platform, along with about 16 other social networks including MySpace, I wanted to find out about the social networking space from a company other than Facebook.
Also, at Facebook you never get to interview the geeks who actually build the service, so when I got a chance to interview Akash Garg, the Chief Technical Officer behind Hi5 I jumped at the chance. Geeks usually tell more details than the CEO will. Akash didn’t disappoint.
We talk about a variety of things about the social networking industry as well as his opinion of Open Social.
Scobleizer 
I hate to be snide, but a note to anyone doing a video interview with Scoble (or anyone else I guess). If the interviewer asks you why your site is special and you answer that you’re #1 in another country and then the interviewer asks again and you go on to give your Alexa rating then I’m probably not going to watch the rest of your interview.
Maybe I’m just cranky, but there’s a reason Scoble’s throwing softballs to give you a chance to give your elevator pitch and that reason is because people lose interest if you don’t tell them why they should be interested in you.
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I hate to be snide, but a note to anyone doing a video interview with Scoble (or anyone else I guess). If the interviewer asks you why your site is special and you answer that you’re #1 in another country and then the interviewer asks again and you go on to give your Alexa rating then I’m probably not going to watch the rest of your interview.
Maybe I’m just cranky, but there’s a reason Scoble’s throwing softballs to give you a chance to give your elevator pitch and that reason is because people lose interest if you don’t tell them why they should be interested in you.
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I personally just think all social networking sites (with the exception of facebook and woozyfly) are just complete clogged toilets with too many nasty floaters.
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I personally just think all social networking sites (with the exception of facebook and woozyfly) are just complete clogged toilets with too many nasty floaters.
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Saying your number one is some markets is fine. Hey its your 24 minutes with Rob. He did explain why they were number one in other markets (translation, open to foreign traffic at the start).
One thing is that I had a hard time hearing some of Rob’s questions but no problem hearing Akash response.
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Saying your number one is some markets is fine. Hey its your 24 minutes with Rob. He did explain why they were number one in other markets (translation, open to foreign traffic at the start).
One thing is that I had a hard time hearing some of Rob’s questions but no problem hearing Akash response.
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Robert,
You always get great guests with great information. If I may offer a suggestion (as a fan of your blog and show), when you interview a person representing a company like this, get your editor to throw in some screenshots or other images/videos that are relevant to the interview and then you will capture a lot more of our “visual” attention! You know…. something to look at! I tend to just “listen” to your videos while I am doing something else (reading other feeds). You have so much potential here with these great guests you get to interview. Show me more! 🙂
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Robert,
You always get great guests with great information. If I may offer a suggestion (as a fan of your blog and show), when you interview a person representing a company like this, get your editor to throw in some screenshots or other images/videos that are relevant to the interview and then you will capture a lot more of our “visual” attention! You know…. something to look at! I tend to just “listen” to your videos while I am doing something else (reading other feeds). You have so much potential here with these great guests you get to interview. Show me more! 🙂
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The 2007 Weblog Awards were announced…and Scoble didn’t even show up as a nominee ANYWHERE! They even had a video blog section. Zip. Nada for the paunchy Scoble.
You’ve jumped the shark, go back to work for Radio Shack.
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The 2007 Weblog Awards were announced…and Scoble didn’t even show up as a nominee ANYWHERE! They even had a video blog section. Zip. Nada for the paunchy Scoble.
You’ve jumped the shark, go back to work for Radio Shack.
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Man that is some harsh criticism. Nice interview though.
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Man that is some harsh criticism. Nice interview though.
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Mao Tse, that was gratuitously mean, and petty.
This is the warblogger, politico crowd. I knew them before they became pretentious, and they vote for their own. Scoble is an ‘outsider’. Of course he wouldn’t be nominated.
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Mao Tse, that was gratuitously mean, and petty.
This is the warblogger, politico crowd. I knew them before they became pretentious, and they vote for their own. Scoble is an ‘outsider’. Of course he wouldn’t be nominated.
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Did Shelley just stick up for me? I think the world is going nuts. First Christopher Coulter said I was right. Now Shelley is sticking up for me. What is going on here? 🙂
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Did Shelley just stick up for me? I think the world is going nuts. First Christopher Coulter said I was right. Now Shelley is sticking up for me. What is going on here? 🙂
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While hi5 maintains its strong hold in Central America, it faces tough competition in Asia from many social networking sites. Hi5.com comes in first ten ranking in Alexa.com. You can see ranking of Fortune Park Hotels Ltd in http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details/fortunehotels.in Alexa.
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While hi5 maintains its strong hold in Central America, it faces tough competition in Asia from many social networking sites. Hi5.com comes in first ten ranking in Alexa.com. You can see ranking of Fortune Park Hotels Ltd in http://www.alexa.com/data/details/traffic_details/fortunehotels.in Alexa.
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