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The internet has certainly made it a lot easier for individuals to interact with people all over the world, through things such as instant messaging, VOIP, forums, etc. It allows people to better understand the world around them and also make new friends online when they discover like-minded individuals. For people looking for a great way to meet new friends online, GaiaOnline.com is definitely a site worth checking out.

For those who still don't know what it is, Gaia Online is a forum-based website where everyone's avatars are anime-styled characters which are able to don different pieces of clothing and accessories which can be purchased either using virtual gold or paying for it with real cash. The reason why it's called a "forum-based" site is because back in 2003, when the site was first opened to the public under the name Go-Gaia, it was initially just made up of a forum and an avatar customization feature. However, since then, Go-Gaia has evolved into Gaia Online and added a ton of new features. So many in fact that I wouldn't even know where to start.

When I personally joined the site in 2004, they had lesser features than they do now. Back then, the only game which you could play was Fishing, which got boring quickly. Which is why most people still mainly stuck to the forums and marketplace where you could sell or buy items to customize your avatar with. However, they've added games like slots, blackjack, jigsaw and a few others to entertain users.

It doesn't stop there, they've also added things such as the Gaia Towns feature which basically brings your avatar into a Flash application and you can then move around and talk to people in real time, kind of like in Habbo Hotel for those who know that site. It's really great to be able to see your avatars come to life and actually move about instead of having them merely standing beside your messages in forum posts. They've also recently added a virtual theater where you can actually watch movies with other users in a virtual cinema. Of course, they don't have any of the latest Hollywood blockbusters, but they do have great movies like Space Jam and even The Matrix.

However, despite the radical changes that have been implemented, Gaia Online still holds true to its original goal: to allow people meet and interact with one another in a virtual environment. That's why even with the addition of Gaia Towns, there are still a ton of people in the forums since it's basically what Gaia Online first started off with and what everyone has grown accustomed to. The great thing about Gaia Online is also the way in which you earn gold. That's done by doing simple things, such as exploring the site by clicking around, posting in the forums or even polling in any poll. It's that simple, and with that gold you can buy items to outfit your avatar with. While this sounds extremely shallow, it can get extremely addictive. The problem is that Gaia Online keeps on adding new items all the time and by now it's really impossible to keep track of how many items they've added to the site. So much so that www.tektek.org has been set up to aid users with Gaia Online. There are so many items that no two avatars will ever look the same because there are an infinite number of possible combinations of items. That's also another great thing about Gaia Online, you are able to have a unique avatar which can truly represent yourself in a virtual world.

Gaia Online is obviously a great place to meet like-minded individuals, especially by joining Guilds. Users are able to set up Guilds based on a specific topic so that all users are able to congregate in that specific forum to discuss about that particular topic. For example there are quite a few Star Wars Guilds out there and even Guilds based on Final Fantasy where users even role play characters in forums. It really becomes a very immersive experience after awhile since there are definitely a ton of people with whom you can role play with. Also, you can rest assured that no matter what topic you're interested in there'll be a guild set up for it. Of course, even if there isn't one, you could easily start one yourself. The great thing about having these guilds is that you are able to hang out with people who have similar interests to your own.

Gaia Online is a really great site, though some might be turned off by the anime theme. However, there are tons of features that will keep users coming back for more. For example they're planning on introducing a whole MMORPG game to Gaia Online so that users can play using their very own avatars. Still, it's not like there aren't already enough features to keep you occupied. With forums, games, movies and a great community, there's no reason for me to not give this site the best 5/5 rating.

P.S: If you're thinking about signing up, I suggest you do so soon. Gaia Online is giving away a unique special item everyday from the 12th to 24th of December as a Christmas special. These special items can really increase in value over time. Also, when you're signing up, please include "spvn" as the referrer.

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