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Even that example doesn't fly. The website ratemyface.com (terrible name...) launched first, and amihot.com launched second.

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From what I can tell, those sites are totally different as far as first impressions. Plus, hotornot got the most brandable domain in the history of the internet.

edit: archive.org confirms it. You've got to be kidding me if you think those sites are remotely similar except for one tiny feature.

The main concept is the same, isn't it? The execution and branding vary widely, but that's exactly the point. Like Youtube vs. Google video, this example shows that, even here, first mover advantage doesn't count for too much.

You can't really call vastly different sites the same idea. This train wreck totally misses the "I would show this to my friends design" aspect of the idea:

http://web.archive.org/web/20010202080600/http://amihot.com/

And you've got to admit that the basic idea alone totally carried the hotornot site.

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