Google has released a chrome extension for Orkut. The extension allows you to search for friends, directly jump to their profile page, check scrap count etc.
Chrome Orkut Extension
Orkut is losing its command as the Social network of choice in India. Lately, there have been a lot of arguments on why Orkut is sliding (read: Orkut vs. Facebook in India) and what it should do to come back again.
Here is adding 2 more points to the same:
1. Do not allow changing names: Names are a permanent field for everyone. You allow to change names and people will put their status message there to gain attention. Also there are some desperate attention seekers who use silly special characters in the name and hence destroy the experience for everyone else following them.
2. Release the User Profiles in Google Search: If you currently search for any name on Google there is sure chance that either Facebook, Linkedin or Twitter profile will come on top. If this happens to a non-Facebook user very often, he would feel “left out” and start using Facebook to “catch up”. Same for Linkedin and Twitter. Orkut does not throw up on top and hence “it is not the place to be”. There are a lot of late adapters who have started using ( or atleast signed up) Facebook and Linkedin for the same reason.
There should not be any privacy issue with that as already other networks are doing so.
Not that these 2 tips can do wonders to save Orkut but definitely would make a difference.
If you got any tips to save the former Youth Icon, do share it here. Possibly the Orkut team is reading this.
Recommended Read: Facebook’s success with default options.
[Naman is a startup enthusiast and has worked with couple of Indian startups as Product Manager. He writes at The Inspire Blog]
By Your point # 2, are you implying that google tweaks its searches? If that’s so that’s cheating. In simple terms, this is not what google should do and can do…
IMHO, orkut was supposed to loose anyways, it had first mover advantage in India, Brazil (where its base is) but seriously it lacks in terms of richness that FB provides. thats law of free market, isnt it?
Plus, FB is more global if i can say so.
No. There is no statement about tweaking search results.
Agree. Orkut is an inferior product as compared to FB. But there must be something that can save it.
sure, so you meant improving the search-friendliness of orkut profile, by fair means after all, it will come back on top in search. but the problem here is that also a factor of how many links you have, and links as on social networks got created by the networks, bigger the networks, bigger the FB gonna be on searches.
Well, I can think of one, the biggest one, move the scraps from scrapbook to main page. That’s what the killer is in FB.
I would echo with your comment @Naman, Orkut is an inferior product as compared to FB. But it can be revived only if Google focused on Social web more intensely.
They ignored Orkut when it needed most of their attention. Possibly becoz they were interested in the American market, not Brazil nor India. They are even shocked to look at SEO opportunity that Twitter ecosystem has built.
Reviving Orkut will not be an easy task simply with a feature changing strategy. Their has to be larger strategic change in its offerings to get the ball rolling back again among the internet crowd.
Recently, I saw a lot of advetisement campaigning by Orkut @IIT, Powai.
Big banners, hoardings, and big Orkut balloons. This is not goin to help it anyway. Better luk at it’s design and security features.
Its become heavily vulnerable these days.
3 must include things for orkut to do well!!!
1> better contacts management just like facebook, making division into groups,removing of friends quick and effective
2>in the new orkut, you cant assign group to a contact at the time of sending or accepting friend request..
3> flexibility with status updates.. integration with twitter just like facebook.
Think point #2 is a bigger concern. Google should expose the contents to search engines..and this way people will be able to use it more better like we do on our website for twitter and facebook.
#3 could be the server outage. Every now and then it says the server is busy while posting scrap etc
Orkut have to come up with an offering so more webmasters can use it as we are using facebook and and twitter. should allow me to create public groups etc so other can join.. else facebook is coming
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Itz a lost game for orkut. no matter how much google try!!! facebook rocks!!!!