So how do you get started on Orkut? You can't join unless invited. It has to start somewhere and the number of invitations might just peter out. Invite me if you are a member though, or else I'll start feeling left out and unloved...
Orkut is an advertising gimmick cooked up by their "affiliate", Google. Affiliate here means "part of the same conglomerate", or "owned by the same people". All they are really interested in is harvesting IP's and the associated page viewing trends so that they can more accurately implement their new targeted advertising campaign. Read the privacy page. It basically says we won't share any of your info...except with Google. Good gimmick though, appealing to your fears of being left out.
Jonderson
Not sure about that. <br /> <br /> "All employees at Google are allowed to spend twenty percent of their time working on personal interests, a policy Google has to encourage creativity. Buyukkokten had an interest in social networking and so developed his service, Google says. Now the company has decided to open it to the public. <br /> <br /> The move comes in the wake of rumors that Google wanted to buy social networking service Friendster last year and just a day after Eurekster launched, a social network service that refines search results. Is this a sign that Google plans to use social networking for search?"<br /> <br /> h**p://searchenginewatch.com/searchday/article.php/3302741
Mark Barrett
Well since I don't see their ads they can harvest all they like. But if they really wanted to harvest stuff would't they want to make access a little easier? Or is this a ploy to make really, really want to get in bymaking it exclusive? or am I just a cynic?
Lindsay
No, no, I didn't mean to imply anything other than Orkut being designed solely for the purposes of gleaning IPs (and their associated surfing habits) to compile in large databases which can then be used or sold in marketing/advertising ventures. Since the privacy notice actually says that this information is going to be shared with Google specifically it really is less of an implication than it is a surety given the direction in which Google has claimed it is moving.<br /> <br /> And yes, making it seem like an elite club is part of the ploy.
Jonderson