This where it all began - Orkut kick-started the age of social networking. Before Facebook, every teenager made his/her mark on the internet with this SoNet site. And just when you had forgotten all about it (thanks to Facebook) and the person you were when you used the platform, Google decides to shut it down. So before we say goodbye once and for all, let's put on our Orkut Goggles (like the
Graduation Goggles mentioned by Robin in
How I Met Your Mother) and think of all the things that made Orkut so awesome.
1. New Language - A new way to communicate was born with Orkut. And we don't mean the platform itself but the style in which people interacted. Everyone wanted to sound 'kewl' so my became 'mah', fine became 'f9', and how are you became 'hwz ew'. Are we glad Facebook came along? Yes. Do we miss people we spoke (and wrote) like this? Totally.
2. Scraps - Before a wall for your posts, you just got had a scrapbook. And of course this is where people got to use their new (and improved) English language. Any and everyone got to write on your wall and ask to 'frndshp with u'. But of course this followed onto Facebook.
3. Profile Names - Special fonts and characters weren't the only additions to one's names; people also added tag lines for themselves. "Harsh Rulz", "Saif I love walkin in d rain coz no1 know m cryin", "Ravi Forbidden Eyes", "John wat go arnd come arnd" and many more. When and if people do this on Facebook, they just get booed. So boring.
4. Recent Visitors - You could see who's checking your profile. Oh the rush of joy when your crush's name appeared in the list.
5. Testimonials - We got our best friends to write awesome things about us. It was a trade off more often than not. You write mine and I write yours. Girls got to be cute and nice and sweet a lot during the good old Orkut days.
6. Themes - You could personalise your page to look just how you wanted it to. With Facebook, you just have to love the white and blue sadly.
7. The Memories - We were all much younger when we took to Orkut to make new friends and get in touch with others. So take this time to look back at the pictures you posted, the scraps you wrote and even the barrage of people you added. A flood of memories will wash over you and you will feel a twinge of despair when you realise it's the end of an era
And putting all this into perspective is a new video posted on YouTube called "Goodbye Orkut - #OneLastLogin". The video shows a bunch of 20-somethings logging into their old Orkut accounts, one last time. Take a look at this lot looking at their old selves and reliving old memories.
Watch the video and share your #OneLastLogin stories below: