BYTE MARKS
Google gets into social networking
By Burt Lum
Yet another social-networking Web site has popped up.
This one is interesting because it's backed by Google, probably the most widely used search engine.
The Web site is www.orkut.com. It was created by Google employee Orkut Buyukkokten.
Google makes it clear that Orkut is "in affiliation with Google."
Google's plan for Orkut is anybody's guess, but we all know that social networking is heating up. This column has mentioned some social-networking sites, including Ryze, Friendster, Tribe and Linkedin. Each has a slightly different approach to the building of your social network. It might be the user interface or the ability to add friends.
Orkut is similar. You can invite friends to join your community. It allows you to describe yourself in as much detail as you want. You can build your community to keep in touch with friends or to establish business contacts.
The one notable difference from other social networking sites I've joined is that you need to be invited to join Orkut. This sounds elitist to me, but Google claims that since Orkut is beta, the idea is to manage and maintain a "close-knit community."
Another thing that makes Orkut different from the others is the "karma meter." You can give each of your friends a smiley graphic, indicating he or she is trustworthy, cool and sexy. You can also rate each as a fan.
If you are interested in trying out Orkut, send an e-mail to me at burt@brouhaha.net.
I will send you a no-obligation invitation from Orkut to join. ;-)
Catch Burt Lum on KORL 690 AM from 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays.
