The King of All Social Networking Sites - Orkut

Ask any youth if he/she is on Orkut, and pat comes the reply, "Of course!!!" Well, that's how much this social networking website has climbed the popularity chart. An Internet service that facilitates making new friends and finding long lost ones, www.orkut.com is run by Google and was developed as an independent project by a Google employee, Orkut Büyükkökten. Launched in January 2004, the network has over 40.42 million members today.

Initially, one could sign-up to Orkut only by invitation. However, that has changed over time. You could either sign-in using your Google mail account (Gmail) or create a new account with any of your existing email ids. The first step is to create a profile with your Social, Professional and Personal details. You could include as much or as little detail as possible, upload your photographs and view profile details of members on the site. You can set privacy preferences to restrict information appearing on your profile.

On Orkut, you can join Communities that pertain to your interest or any social/other issue that you support. The social network is an exciting platform to make new friends, find romantic interests, share hobbies and ideas, establish business contacts, and do so much more. The opportunities are endless!

Orkut's layout can be complex for a new user, but over time it grows on you. To the left side of the opening page you can see your main photograph, and a list of links that take you to your profile, album, videos (latest addition), scrapbook and testimonials, among others. The Scrapbook is an interesting concept where you can post messages or ‘scrap' on your friend's scrapbook. It's open for all to read. You can also send private emails. You can rate your friends as Trustworthy, Cool and Sexy on a scale from one to three. You can even become a member's Fan. You can write Testimonials for your friends and tell them what you think about them.

The right side of the main page displays your friends who last came online. Below that you see the communities that you are a member of. You can create your own communities and invite people to join them.

Orkut has been involved in a lot of controversies over the past year, what with fake profiles, stolen identities and hate communities. A couple of countries have even banned Orkut but that has certainly not affected the popularity of this amazing site. It would be great if Google could think of ways to protect members from fraud and illegal use of information posted by members on the site. But a certain amount of prudence on behalf of the members can work to quite an extent.

On the whole, orkut.com rocks! The youth are hooked on to it, and who knows, you might even find your childhood sweetheart here!