In 2005 , two high shoal students resolve that eminent school day yearbooks were n’t up to sniff . They feel students today have a mess more to deal than any yearly could contain . These two scholar , Dave Cook and Catherine Cook , decided to make an online social networking site based around the construct of a high school annual and myYearbook was carry .
The site is more than just a virtual yearbook . Like other societal networking sites , myYearbook lets members create profiles and interact with each other . In some path , it ’s exchangeable to situation like Facebook and MySpace . But myYearbook has many unique lineament of its own .
Dave and Catherine , the founders of the situation , desire myYearbook to be a social networking site that people stick with through gamy schooltime and beyond . Ideally , myYearbook will permit people not only connect with old friend and make new I , but also web with potential employers .
In 2008 , myYearbook became the fastest - growing social networking internet site in the United States . At that time , the site had more than 11 million members with 40,000 joining every sidereal day as of October 2008 [ source : myYearbook ] . Not a bad accomplishment for a couple of high school students .
While myYearbook has some catching up to do with behemoths like Facebook – which boasts more than 200 million fighting users – it continue to be a popular societal networking site . The developers for myYearbook have incorporated several cagey elements into the design of the site that draw in Modern members and keeps established appendage employ . Users can play games , chip in to charitable causes or research projects , take quizzes or even use a date divine service on the site .
have ’s take a closer tone at how to create a myYearbook profile .
Using myYearbook
To produce a profile on myYearbook , you ’ll need a valid eastward - mail service address . You ’ll also postulate to occupy out an online course with your name , placement , sex and birthday . Then , you ’ll need to put down a CAPTCHA code to verify that you ’re a literal human being rather than an automated program .
Once you ’ve filled out the form , the next step is to start searching for friend . The developer of myYearbook automatize this process and have you look for by pulling friends from destination books for other serving like Hotmail or Yahoo Mail . If your contacts have myYearbook profiles , the site will broadcast a request to their account . If they do n’t have an account , you may choose to get off them an e - ring armor inviting them to join myYearbook and build their own visibility .
The final step is to upload a photo for your profile image . Once you ’ve chosen an appropriate photo as your profile image , myYearbook will provide you with Lunch Money , the virtual currency of myYearbook . The more people you tempt to link up myYearbook , the more Lunch Money you ’ll receive .
Once you ’ve end the initial physical process , you ’ll have built a basic profile . But that ’s just the origin . you could fill out your profile with more selective information about yourself . you may arrange a status message standardised to a Facebook status or Twitter message . you’re able to also produce playlists of songs , add video to your profile , add television receiver shows , manage friends lean and post blog entries .
The myYearbook user interface is similar to other social networking website . The main tabs allow you to go to the abode page , your visibility Sir Frederick Handley Page , a friends page that lists all the user you ’ve designated as friend and tabs for various game , quiz , applications and messages . The layout is intuitive and uses playful fonts and images .
It ’s not unmanageable to explore the web site and contact mass . It ’s also not hard to find fault a fight . Next , we ’ll look at myYearbook battles .
myYearbook Battles
One of the pop applications on myYearbook is the Battles characteristic . Members can combat one another by upload photos or videos of themselves and challenging other users . There are many different category members can opt from to categorise their battles . They range from Best Pet to Biggest Dork to Who Would pull ahead in a Fight ?
Once a struggle begins , other myYearbook members can vote on the person they think should win the competition . Normal ballot cost nothing and are deserving one level . But you may also pick out to spew a supervote . Supervotes are worth either five or 10 votes and cost $ 500 or $ 1,000 in Lunch Money , respectively . Members can also choose to connect a VIP club to receive access code to larger supervoting exclusive right among other benefit .
Battles can turn into popularity contests . People who have a lot of friends may have an former reward . The participant can involve his or her friend for funding in the battle . But anyone can view battles even if they are n’t supporter with either of the player so have a bunch of friends does n’t secure a victory .
The site maintain a book of wins and losses for each member . you could view a member ’s battle history and see how he or she stack up against other the great unwashed in various category . There ’s even an option to watch the hall of celebrity and see the people who have get ahead the most battles .
Of course , with any contest there will be people endeavor to gage the scheme . On myYearbook , the most plebeian tactic is to practice the RTF tactic . RTF stands for " rejoin the favour . " Essentially , by vote for that person in a battle , you will have that person ’s living in a future conflict of your own . If the person you support has a lot of ally , you may cease up with hundreds of votes on your side . Of of course , your opponent is likely stress to do the same thing .
You might wonder if the battles mean anything at all if , at the goal of the day , it ’s just a measure of who has the most influence on myYearbook . Why would anyone start out a battle in the first station ? There are two principal reasons : pride and Lunch Money . Establishing an telling list of win is a source of pride for many people . And winning a battle earns you a reward in the form of Lunch Money .
But what is Lunch Money and what can you do with it ?
myYearbook Lunch Money
The founder of myYearbook came up with a clever melodic theme to encourage people to join the site and impose it often : Lunch Money . Lunch Money is virtual up-to-dateness . Some of the ways you’re able to earn Lunch Money admit creating an account , win over friends to bring together myYearbook , completing certain tasks , winning battles and by enter to the site . you could also earn more Lunch Money by upgrading to a VIP account . These accounts have a monthly fee graze from $ 6.99 to $ 19.99 a calendar month . Each point has extra perquisite , including bonus Lunch Money .
What can you do with this virtual currency ? you may buy pictures of other members , adding them to your " possess " tilt . Other users can purchase your picture as well . As people buy the photos , Lunch Money goes to the soul who " sold " the photo as well as to the someone who in the first place uploaded the photo . The situation determines picture prices by the drug user ’s popularity and the turn of sentence the photo has been " buy . "
you’re able to donate Lunch Money one dollar bill to several different cause ranging from cancer research to financing for humane societies ; however , there ’s a limit to the amount you’re able to donate to each cause per Clarence Shepard Day Jr. . you’re able to also employ the virtual cash to corrupt practical presents for other myYearbook members . The web site expose the gifts on the members ' visibility pages .
The construct of virtual currency is n’t a new one – the practical world Second Life uses a virtual system called Linden Dollars and other sites like Facebook are experimenting with the approximation , too . But myYearbook keeps its model simple . So far , you ca n’t purchase any actual - life token with Lunch Money dollars . But you could tot up some bling bling to another somebody ’s profile or guide the way of substantial - world charitable donation .
myYearbook vs. MySpace
For several years in the United States , MySpace was the king of societal networking sites . But in recent long time , MySpace ’s growth has slow up while two other site , Facebook and myYearbook , have grown . Facebook has more than 200 million exploiter and is the new head of the pack when it comes to online societal connection in the United States . But myYearbook is steady growing as well .
Both sites allow for users to make free profiles , get off subject matter to other members and radio link to medium like music or video on their profiles . Both site act as platforms for games and blog posts . And both allow extremity to upload photos and customise their profile in various elbow room .
In myYearbook ’s " Our Story " section , the founders trace MySpace as " creepy . " Perhaps the founder were touch to the fact that there are sites like MyDeathSpace that document sordid and tragical occurrence in the lives of MySpace members . Or perchance it ’s a quotation to a tarradiddle about MySpace removing more than 90,000 profiles belong to to registered gender offenders in the United States [ source : The Sidney Morning Herald ] . Whatever the motive , it ’s clear that the founders of myYearbook design to deplume no punches .
Anyone can create a myYearbook business relationship . In other dustup , nothing is block off the same " creepy-crawly " masses from MySpace from joining myYearbook . It ’s possible the only reason MySpace has had to remove so many accounts is due to how many users it has overall . In fact , there ’s a major difference in scale . MySpace has over 124 million user to myYearbook ’s 11 million [ rootage : The Guardian ] . But MySpace has been quail while myYearbook is growing . It might take a while for myYearbook to gather more members than MySpace but if the style preserve it will happen .
Another difference is in the style of display . MySpace ’s layout utilize tabs and take out - down menu in a simple bluish and white scheme . The myYearbook vogue is much more colorful and playful . That might attract more young users but it could bruise myYearbook when it comes to retention . There ’s a danger that the exploiter foundation will outgrow the frantic colors and graphics of myYearbook profiles .
finally , myYearbook appeals to a younger crowd . Many of the game , quiz and applications are pore on appearance and popularity of community extremity and that just might be the mix the site need to debate with the larger societal networking sites .
Benefits of myYearbook
Why join myYearbook ? The first intellect is that it allows users to keep up with old ally while making Modern ones . The various hunting function make it simple to get other residential district members . If the people you ’re looking for are n’t on the service , it ’s not surd to ask in them to join . And retrieve , if someone accepts your invitation to join myYearbook , you ’ll be rewarded with fillip Lunch Money .
Another reason to get together is to get more involved in charitable arrangement . Donating your Lunch Money to a specific cause helps funnel literal money to that cause . And you ’ll have the opportunity to learn about several kindly organizations , what they do and how you might aid . donate Lunch Money is well-situated – but it could also serve as the first stair toward an ongoing relationship .
Speaking of relationship , you might even find true love on myYearbook . There ’s a match service that will randomly pull image of other myYearbook members and present them to you . you’re able to choose to become a secret admirer or go straight to the user ’s visibility and send a subject matter to him or her .
you’re able to also utilize myYearbook ’s forums to discourse current events and payoff with other members . Topics roll from heavy subjects like organized religion and politics to light menu like television programs or sports . The more combat-ready you are in the community , the more you ’ll get out of it .
If you have aspiration to become a diarist , you may compose an article and submit it to the website . The myMag section contains articles written by other myYearbook appendage . It ’s easy to become an author – all you have to do is defer your name , a little bio and an image . Once you ’ve registered as an author , you may start writing and defer articles for publication .
As myYearbook continues to acquire and acquire , the founders will likely add together more feature to the internet site . As it stands now , myYearbook is a full-bodied community of interests of young users who are growing up in an earned run average of online social networking . It should n’t total as a surprisal that two teenager were capable to pin down what other people in their age group are depend for when it comes to a societal web . It will be interesting to see where it goes from here .
To learn more about social networking sites like myYearbook and other related topic , look up the links on the next Sir Frederick Handley Page .
