PXylem

NEW DELHI,INDIA

The Death of a teeneger has again pumped oxygen to the Orkut fire

THE GENIE OF the Orkut is back. This time with the untimely murder of a teeneger by his own "Orkut" friends. It is not the first time the social networking site has been dragged into the limelight. Few months back, thanks to Shiv Sena’s call to ban the Google’s social networking site it was in the news. At that time the Shiv Sena alleged that certain ‘communities’ have been using this common platform (Orkut) for insulting the party Supremo Bal Thackeray and Maratha idol, Shivaji.

The present hullaballoo has redirected us to think the way present day netizens behave themselves in the virtual world where every thing is virtual but seems real.Though this time the attack is not calling for banning it but it has, perhaps, stirred the hornet’s nest of many present day technological innovation that have their own inherent ‘curse’ and ‘bane’ shades.

Orkut, which has million of users in Brazil, accounting 55.50 per cent of the total users, followed by the USA and the India, its association with controversies and myths is not new. And that is quite contrast to its intend of becoming an embodiment of the freedom, many of us cherish, and a leading platform for public debates among communities worldwide on important social and developmental topics.

What is Orkut: The bane?

To be an Orkuttian means you are in constant touch with your friends or with a community through visible scraps or through personalized messages. They post their profile– personal, professional and educational—with hobbies and with an array of other elements on Orkut. Moreover, it is a place where one can search for past friends or make new friends of one’s liking. In simple terms, Orkut works as an interface between you and the world around you in a more personalized and safe way.

Stories are abundant how with the help of Orkut a friend has found his long forgotten school friend. For the Brazilian readers, this information is probably old news, how with the help of Google’s forum Orkut, a family reunited after 72 years of separation.

This story of 72 years of separation of a family exemplifies how when social networks like Orkut reach a critical mass in any region of the world, they can often be used to reunite lost friends and relatives.

Well, Orkut is not all about lost and found saga. Now, when online petitions and networking sites have been mobilizing public opinion on various issues like Jessica Lall case to reservations in educational institutions, finding a community or a poll supporting the President A.P.J Abdul Kalam for his second inning may not come as a surprise for many.

What is Orkut: The curse?

The worst is Orkut’s success has made it a popular vehicle for child pornographers, pedophiles, racists and anti-Semitic groups. In Brazil it was found that around 5,000 people were using the Internet, principally Orkut, to distribute the images of explicit sex with children.

Militants, anti-social elements and their sympathizers, too, are thriving on Orkut. Many communities on Orkut can be seen praising bin Laden, al-Qaeda or Jihad (holy war). Do not get astonished by the fan following of the under-world don Dawood Ibrahim, as there are 1502 members in the fan following list.

The banned United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), the largest insurgent outfit in the north eastern region, is reportedly using the networking site for targeting the tech-savvy new generation and the people living outside the state, including NRIs to draw their attention and extend its reach. Not to mention about other northeastern terrorist organisation demanding sovereignty, one would find communities or their sympathizers on the site.

What is Orkut: The rumour?

So, that was all about Orkut’s dark and bright side of the site. But, there are many things that are between dark and bright. And it is all about rumours related to Orkut. One of the rumours is about Orkut Buyukkokten, the architect of the Orkut. The rumor comes from the assumption that Orkut gets $12 every time someone registers on Orkut, $10 every time you add a friend, $200 every time you upload a photo and a crisp $1 every time you logout of Orkut.

Secondly, if you do not send out a scrap, Orkut will delete your account. Another myth is that Google is going to charge people for using Orkut.

These are few of the rumours that besides giving bad name to the site, present a poor picture of the site to its users.

Conclusion

With all the weaknesses and strengths, Orkut carries and the fact that this discussion is not going to be the last, we can expect that the said technology would allow better from the good people than bad from the bad people. The real issue is how we counter these messages of hate and radicalism and the way present day netizens cunduct themselves in the world of instant connectivity.