1. Mixi Started in 2004 and Required an Invitation to Join
Mixi started as a service in 2004. Some records say operations began in February, while others say it opened on March 3, so we will just say it started in 2004 [6]. At that time, only people who received an invitation from an existing user could join [6]. It was not a system where you could simply sign up yourself.
2. Why Mixi's President Said Invitations Made the Service Easy to Use
In November 2008, mixi’s president, Kenji Kasahara, explained the reason for the invite-only rule. He said that if someone invited you, they could teach you how to use the site, making it easier to enjoy [1]. From there, it was easy to find friends and acquaintances by following "Maimiku" (friends) [1]. This is similar to how learning the rules of a game is easier when a friend who already plays teaches you, rather than starting alone. However, this explanation came four years after the start, so it is not a direct statement from the beginning.
Company explanations also state that the system allowed real-life friendships and acquaintances to be recreated online, which made irresponsible comments less likely [7]. But this is also a later explanation, not a direct account of the company’s intent at the time.
3. How Invitations Helped Mixi's Circle of Users Grow
People who joined because they were invited would then invite other friends. This way, the circle expanded, and the number of users grew. According to company explanations, the number of users passed 1 million in August 2005, 5 million in July 2006, and 10 million in May 2007 [7]. Internet Watch reported on March 2, 2006, that the number had broken through 3 million on March 1 [3]. These numbers come from different sources. The growth happened through connections between users, reaching over 10 million in about 3 years from the start.
4. Why Invite-Only Limited Growth When No Users Were Nearby
The invite-only system also limited the service’s reach. If there were no users around you, you could not get an invitation. In 2008, the president said that inquiries asking "I want to join, but there are no users around me" never stopped [1]. Reports at the time said that the service did not "catch fire" in communities far from mixi’s center, such as in rural areas or among users over 35 years old [4]. Here, the advantage of being easy to start becomes a wall for people outside the circle. The same system acted as a bridge for those who could enter, but as a gate for those who could not.
5. Mixi's 2008 Announcement of a Registration System Without Invitations
On November 27, 2008, mixi announced plans to introduce a registration system in spring 2009, allowing use without an invitation. They also announced that users aged 15 to 17 would be allowed to use the service starting December 10, whereas previously it was for those 18 and older [2]. The number of members at the time of the announcement was said to be 15.68 million [2].
The registration system actually started on March 1, 2010, later than planned. The invite-only system was not abolished; instead, both systems ran together, allowing people without invitations to register [5]. It was not a "cancellation," but a combination. After that, in April 2010, the number of registered members was reported to have passed 20 million [6].
6. Thinking About Something You Started Because Someone Invited You
Have you ever joined a sports club or a hobby class because someone invited you? Ask your family or teachers, "Who taught you how to start?" If you think about things you continued because someone invited you, and things you could not join because no one invited you, you will see that the strengths and walls of the invite-only system exist in everyday life too. The 2008 interview with mixi’s president is available in Japanese [1]. Try reading the original text to see how they described the goals of the invite-only system. It is also recommended to compare it with other articles from the same day [2][4].