Several news sites have published articles branding Hibe as an “Anti-Facebook” or a “Facebook-like” platform. Among them are Adrianne Jeffries’ article from ReadWriteWeb entitled “The rise of the Anti-Facebooks” and, more recently, Ana Bulnes’ “Quiero ser como Facebook” from Silicon News Spain.

We are grateful for the coverage and we expose, here, our views on the subject.

If one can perceive Hibe as an “Anti-Facebook” because we offer an alternative approach to social networking, we do not see ourselves as such.

Facebook has its place. 500 million Facebook members cannot be wrong. We even encourage people to “like” Hibe’s Facebook page.

The main difference between Hibe and Facebook lays in our vision of how technology is used to make people’s life better. We believe in technology that adapts to human needs, not the other way around.

If in our daily life, we interact in a variety of contexts, we need to be able to do the same online, regardless of the technology.

Facebook’s mission states they want to “make the world more open and connected”. Like them, we share a vision of a more connected world.  We simply believe that people should be free to define how they connect with others instead of being driven to openness.

Facebook and Hibe are not mutually exclusive. As Facebook becomes a global digital phone book, the place to search and connect with people you just met or lost sight many years ago, Hibe will become the social engine that gives you the freedom to interact with these people on your own terms.