Orkut adds Diwali theme after Diwali..fails to control spam..
As a social application, it’s imperative for a site to offer seasonal brownies and looks like Orkut had a process failure this time.
While Google India promptly changed it’s logo to reflect the Diwali mood, Orkut team added the Diwali theme, 3 days after the event – not sure whether it was intentional or simply a bureaucratic failure.
Also, what surprises me is how Orkut brushes off it’s responsibility of controlling spams in the product:
..official orkut themes are available only from the ‘Orkut Themes’ directory under your own ‘Edit Profile’ page. Scraps and messages that promise colorful themes with celebrities, etc. asking you to click certain links or copy-paste code into your browser window usually spell trouble. (In general, it is a bad idea to copy-paste code from unidentified sources into your browser window — even if it promises to increase cell phone battery life or grant access to the fountain of youth.) So stay safe and keep orkut beautiful!
Simply put, they should say – “we have failed to keep spammers out of Orkut – so use it with own care (don’t come back to us)”.
Apart from scraps, do you use any other feature in Orkut? What’s your fav. app, if any?
A look at comscore data does suggests Orkut’s stagnant traffic. Is Facebook gaining traction?
About the author - Ashish Sinha is a Startup Mentor/Product Strategy Coach, and the founder/chief editor of pluGGd.in.
He has launched/managed couple of products (consumer as well as enterprise) in US and India, and now consults with startups/small businesses on their product/media strategy. He can be reached at: ashish (at) pluGGd.in [+91 98452 06443]
My orkut usage and facebook usage are now virtually the same. All I do r add friends, wish “Happy Birthday” and add photos. The only difference is that I routinely change the Facebook status, though that is because I’ve mapped it with Twitter. The novelty of Facebook apps which was the reason I started using facebook has worn off. (Something Facebook also latently admits, if I am correct). Of course, since orkut had the first mover advantage in India, I have more frnds on orkut than on facebook. So, in India, forgive the cliche, I recckon Orkut is still Kinng.
I agree with Arby. What matters is where your friends are.
[...] Author: Ashish Sinha | Nov 21 2008 | Goog + Orkut | Email This Post Orkut has made couple of improvements in GTalk integration and is an attempt to make it less spammy (sometime back, they accepted that they are unable [...]
As I post this, the comment counter says: “3 People have left comments on this post”. But I see only two comments.
My previous comment hasn’t made it for some reason.
I did a blogsearch and found that orkut themes launched on Oct 26th a couple of days before Diwali in fact. I myself started using it from 29th. So the author hasn’t got his facts right.
It looks like the author has moved to Facebook for good reasons but still likes to keep track of orkut and comment on it – which is pretty okay i guess.
and you mean to say orkut delayed the blog entry (in announcing diwali theme?)
it’s evident they goofed up and posted the blog late. for the independence day theme they didn’t even do a blog post.
hiiiiiiiiiiii