# Hyves

> social networking site in the Netherlands

**Wikidata**: [Q1056882](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1056882)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyves)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/hyves

## Summary
Hyves was a Dutch social networking service founded in 2004 by Floris Rost van Tonningen and Raymond Spanjar, operating until its discontinuation in 2013. It served as a primary platform for online social interactions among Dutch users before regional competitors like Facebook gained dominance.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 2004 by Floris Rost van Tonningen and Raymond Spanjar.
- Discontinued in 2013 after 9 years of operation.
- Official website was http://www.hyves.nl (Dutch language).
- Owned by Mediahuis Nederland.
- Classified as both a website and social networking service.
- Had an Alexa rank of 797,667 as of December 1, 2017.
- Operated under autonomous system number 47344.
- Wikipedia exists in 10 languages including Dutch (nl) and English (en).

## FAQs
### Q: What was Hyves primarily used for?
A: Hyves functioned as a Dutch social networking service, enabling users to create profiles, connect with others, and engage in online communities within the Netherlands.

### Q: Who owned Hyves during its operation?
A: Hyves was owned by Mediahuis Nederland, a prominent media company in the Netherlands.

### Q: Why did Hyves shut down?
A: The platform was discontinued in 2013 amid shifting user preferences toward global social networks like Facebook, though the exact business rationale wasn't specified in the provided sources.

## Why It Matters
Hyves represented a significant early example of localized social networking, providing a culturally relevant alternative to global platforms for Dutch users. Its discontinuation in 2013 marked a pivotal moment in the Netherlands' digital history, illustrating how regional social networks were ultimately overshadowed by international competitors. Despite its short lifespan, it demonstrated the demand for locally tailored online communities and influenced the evolution of social media strategies in European markets.

## Notable For
- Being the leading Dutch social networking service prior to Facebook's regional dominance.
- Exclusively targeting Dutch-speaking users with its language and interface.
- Maintaining strong localized relevance despite global social network expansion.
- Having its own dedicated Dutch-language Wikipedia entry and Wikimedia Commons media.

## Body
### Founding and Development
- Established in 2004 by founders Floris Rost van Tonningen and Raymond Spanjar.
- Operated until discontinuation in 2013, spanning approximately 9 years of service.
- Official website domain was http://www.hyves.nl, explicitly tagged as Dutch-language content.

### Ownership and Operation
- Acquired and operated by Mediahuis Nederland throughout its operational period.
- Functioned as both a standalone website and a distinct social networking service.
- Classified under instance_of: "website" and "social networking service" in structured data.

### Technical Details
- Hosted under autonomous system number (ASN) 47344.
- Achieved an Alexa rank of 797,667 on December 1, 2017.
- Maintained 12 sitelinks across Wikimedia projects (as per structured properties).
- Featured media in Wikimedia Commons under the category "Hyves".
- Listed with Freebase ID: /m/0bb3nf.

### Linguistic and Regional Presence
- All primary content and user interactions conducted in Dutch.
- Supported by Wikipedia editions in 10 languages including Dutch, English, German, and French.
- Aliased domain: hyves.nl, reinforcing its Dutch market focus.

## References

1. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
2. [Alexa Internet](https://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/hyves.nl)
3. Quora