Orkut at Night

Social networking 'leads to sex faster'

2011-01-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

New York, Jan 25 (ANI): Facebook, texting and other social networking tools make new couples to jump into bed faster, reveals a new US survey.

According that third annual sex survey by Shape and Men's Fitness magazines, nearly four out of five women and three of five men say that digital intimacy leads to having sex faster, reports a foreign news agency.

However, only 38 percent of women said they have actually slept with a date any sooner because of online intimacy.

Smart phones and laptops are the new toys that lead to the bedroom, it said, with nearly 80 percent of women and 58 percent of men saying social media tools leads to sex faster.

Moreover, texting is the topmost way lovers keep in touch, with men texting 39 percent more often than calling and women 150 percent more.

As many as 65 percent of those polled said they had been asked out by text and 49 percent through a Facebook message.

And as soon as the relationship clicks, 72 percent of women reported scouring a current partner's ex-girlfriends' Facebook pages.

Even in the heat of passion, some people just can't get enough of their digital devices, the survey found.

When a call or text comes in during sex, five percent of respondents said they glance to see who is calling and one percent said they stop to answer the phone.

And when the spark is extinguished, digital dumping is the new way to break up, with 43 percent of women and 27 percent of men reporting getting a text along the lines of "It's not you, it's me."

For the heartbroken, the Internet keeps hope alive, with 81 percent of all respondents saying they won't de-friend an ex on Facebook and 75 percent admitting to constantly checking a former sweetheart's page. (ANI)

Six steps to a happy sex life

2011-01-27T05:58:00.000-08:00

Feeling shy to make that first move in the bedroom? Well, here are six sex tips to get you all raring to go and sweep your man off his feet.

1. Bag Some Bedroom Magic with Before-Play

No surprise that women blame a lack of romance for a lack of sex! Time to nurture "before-play" between you—if you've had a row, or are stressed after work, let him know you need some cuddles and affection.

Don't expect him to be a mind reader - men aren't good at that. Ask him for a compliment, too. Men respond to straight talking so tell him that feeling appreciated and loved-up gets you in the mood for proper foreplay, reports The Sun.

Having before-play creates the right mood to get turned on. So include things like always having mood music ready to play, and candles to light your supper - even if it's a takeaway!

2. Get Steamy !

Time to turn up the heat. Why not suggest having a candlelit bath or sexy shower together. Subtle candlelight flatters your figure! Take time lathering each other up with some sexy-scented shower gel. Have a couple warm towels ready to dry each other off before you tumble into bed.

When you indulge each other in steamy little pleasures it'll give you loads of ideas for more sensual tricks to tempt each other into bed. You could offer to wash his hair and caress his scalp gently. Show him a light touch and then ask him to return the favour.

Once you're out of the shower dare him to paint your fingernails. As he strokes each of your fingers gently it produces the love hormone oxytocin in your bodies.

3. Get Rude with Food !

It's crucial to make sex as easy-as-can-be when you're a busy/tired couple. So grab opportunities like getting a bit rude with food together. It's super sexy to hand-feed each other little tidbits or to spoon something delicious like chocolate mousse into each other's mouths.

Or why not have a rude-food feast in bed on a Saturday afternoon? Who says you have to eat at the table! This is the perfect setting for drizzling some sweet honey down your cleavage for him to lick off - forget about putting it on toast!

4. Letting Him Know What You Want

Believe me he wants to know what turns you on! If you're feeling a bit shy then show him rather than tell him what to do. Take his hand and guide it gently around your pleasure-zones. Pause where it feels fab saying, "I love it when you touch me here."

Also when he happens to touch you just right "big him up" - men love praise so heap it on him and he'll do more of that feel-good foreplay.

If he's a bit heavy-handed (true of so many men!) use this trick— take his finger and gently suck and lick it - then tell him that's the sort of pressure you love.

And definitely use a warm and sensual voice to encourage him. Crikey, even just hearing your little sex-sighs will make him all ears! So use those little sighs and moans to communicate your pleasure.

5. How To Find Out What He Wants!

He might be a bit shy to tell you what he likes. So ask, ask and ask again! A good way to ask is to give him some options. Say something like, "do you prefer it when I stroke or squeeze you here, and more gently or firmly?" This'll give him the confidence to be honest.

If he needs extra encouragement tell him you find it exciting being told what to do. Turn this into a playful sex-game where he's the boss and you're his sexy PA and he's going to dictate to you what he wants done!

6. Your Private Pleasure Pack

Definitely make your sex-life simpler by keeping a little "pleasure pack" in your bedside table. Then when the mood strikes you'll be ready for some frolics with your fella.

No annoying searching about for things like your favourite lubricant, condoms, sex toys, blind fold for a kinky sex game, sexy stockings and silky knickers, tissues, massage oils, etc.

Read more: Six steps to a happy sex life - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/man-woman/Six-steps-to-a-happy-sex-life/articleshow/5880034.cms#ixzz1CFC3zRSG

A good sex life helps you live longer

2011-01-19T02:31:00.000-08:00

A new study has revealed that a great sex life will not only help you feel and look younger — it will also help you live longer.

Dr Eric Braverman, an anti-ageing expert from the US, has written a new book 'Younger (Sexier) You,' in which he says that sex not only raises your hormone levels (so keeping you young), but can also boost your metabolism, brain function, heart health and immunity.

Braverman says that coffee can help boost a flagging libido, while snacking on peanuts can enhance arousal, reports the Daily Mail .

Eating brown rice can help combat sexual coldness, while avocadoes might increase your capacity for pleasure.

Braverman also points to a study by Queen's University in Belfast that suggested having sex three or more times a week reduced the risk of heart attack or stroke in men by half.

Orgasms are thought to fight infection - increasing the number of infection-fighting cells by up to 20 per cent.

A recent study also found that greater sexual activity in older men might protect them against prostate cancer.

According to the doctor, the best aphrodisiacs are asparagus, bananas, cabbage, celery, figs, oysters and sea veggies.

But it's not just about the mechanics of sex. Healthy sexual function is also about how your brain reacts to the messages it's receiving from your body, he adds.

When your brain is working at its peak, brain chemicals are produced and dispersed at the correct levels. A reduced sexual desire can apparently be the first sign there's a problem with one of the four key brain chemicals - dopamine, acetylcholine, GABA and serotonin.

The following spices can also boost dopamine levels: basil, black pepper, cayenne, chilli peppers, cumin, fennel, flax seeds, garlic, ginger, mustard seed, rosemary, sesame seeds, tarragon and turmeric.

Spices good for boosting acetylcholine include allspice, basil, cumin, peppermint, sage, thyme and turmeric.

Alcohol increases GABA levels, but make sure you stop at one or two glasses a day — a man might not be able to maintain an erection and a woman could nod off.

Good antidepressant spices for serotonin include anise, dill, marjoram, nutmeg, peppermint, saffron, spearmint and turmeric.

Read more: A good sex life helps you live longer - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/man-woman/A-good-sex-life-helps-you-live-longer/articleshow/7310816.cms#ixzz1BTa787T5

Five exercises for better sex

2011-01-11T03:25:00.000-08:00

Sex is a physical activity, as we already know. Therefore, getting in shape, being fit and having a fabulous body will definitely improve your sex-life. Not only this, working out regularly will help increase your stamina and strength to perform.

People who regularly exercise are more healthier, fitter and tend to have more attractive bodies. This should be enough motivation for folks who think that their weight is normal and hence, do not need to exercise. If the prospects of better health doesn't motivate you, perhaps exercising for the sake of better sex might. Here are some exercises that will help you to enhance your prowess in bed:

Push-ups:
Push-ups are great for obvious reasons. They help to strengthen the arms, shoulders and stomach muscles. Sporting a paunch might be a major turn off for quite a lot of people. Having firm, sexy abs is very attractive physical attribute. Having strong abs is very useful for males especially when it comes to the man-on-top position.

Squats:
Doing squats, a lot of muscles are put to work producing greater amount of hormones, which in turn will boost your sex drive. They improve one's strength and stamina of gluteus muscles and the upper legs thereby helping to improve one's performance. Doing squats also helps one achieve a firm and attractive bottom.

Bench press:
Doing bench presses, helps to strengthen the chest and shoulder muscles. Women find chest muscles sexually appealing and it will help men to support themselves longer without getting exhausted easily. As for women, doing bench presses will make the breasts firm and seem full.

Cardio:
Whether it is doing aerobics, running or swimming, doing cardio-vascular exercises help increase blood circulation in the body. Having a good blood flow and circulation helps in the process of arousal, which is especially essential for men performance-wise. Also, doing cardio helps release of endorphins in the brain, which are known as the happy hormones.

Kegel's exercise:
Last but not the least, Doing Kegel's exercise can help make a remarkable difference in your sex life. Pubococcygeal muscles also known as PC muscles are the muscles used to stop urinating midstream. That's because, for men, regularly doing Kegel's exercises will help them to control the muscles that contract during ejaculation and therefore prolong ejaculation. As for women, doing Kegel's exercises will help you gain gain control over the vaginal muscles, thereby getting greater sexual satisfaction.

Read more: Five exercises for better sex - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/man-woman/Five-exercises-for-better-sex/articleshow/7247274.cms#ixzz1Aj10fY9r

How to Get Pregnant With a Baby Girl

2010-12-14T20:19:00.000-08:00

Exceptions are everywhere and so are a few million mothers-to-be across the world! There are women who wish to have a cutie pie, baby girl. If you are one of them and wondering if there is something you can do to heighten the chances of getting pregnant with a baby girl, the good news is you can do it! There are many techniques that come as an answer to your query - how to get pregnant with a baby girl.

# Know your basics. The gender of fetus is determined by your partner's sperm. The female is built with XX chromosomes and that is why the X sperm is the one who is going to make your egg a female fetus. The female making sperms are bigger and comparatively live longer. Nevertheless, they are sluggish too and hence, coitus a few days before ovulation would brighter the chance to conceive a female baby or a baby girl.

# The timing of having sexual intercourse is very important in learning how to get pregnant with a baby girl. You would want to have coitus several days before the actual ovulation. Nevertheless, if you have lovemaking too close to the ovulation, you may end up with a baby boy fetus. The sperm can live up to 5 days and you must get a time for coitus so that you would have it as far from ovulation as possible but still close enough that the spermatozoa would stay alive. You should avoid having lovemaking during the two days before the peak day. If you do not have a regular period, it becomes tougher job.

# you should adopt some special lovemaking positions. If you want to learn how to get pregnant with a baby girl, try to convince him to have a shallow penetration. This is preferably done with the missionary position as it deposits the sperm closer to the entrance to the vaginal tract. This area is found to have an acidic environment that favors the X sperm, the girl making sperm.

Read more: How to Get Pregnant With a Baby Girl | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5888436_pregnant-baby-girl.html#ixzz189PjA6Zu

How to get pregnant with a baby boy

2010-12-14T20:18:00.002-08:00

It is a human mentality that we all want everything the way we wish, the way we feel! We always seek things getting done as per our choice and our preference. This is the truth and it goes same when it comes to conceive. No married couple is left without having discussion on the future baby in their family. The commonest chat is all about baby boy or a baby girl? There are many couples who seek baby boy and the good news is there are many techniques that fairer the chances of conceiving a baby boy by ten times!

Let us now learn how to get pregnant with a baby boy:-

The best thing to learn here is to know old customs where a son was highly appreciated as compared to the daughter. The time has changed but for the couple who seek baby boy can adopt some ancient techniques that land the woman with infant with male gender. Ancient holistic healing practitioners advised a typical baby boy diet. This special diet includes meat (especially red meat), salty snacks (such as chips) and caffeine in little amount.

Also, including olive, eggs, peas, pickles, fish, sweet corn etc help women getting brighter chances of conceiving male baby. Some folk dietician practice typical alkaline diet that they believe is best way to learn how to get pregnant with a baby boy. Dried prunes, zucchini, mushrooms, avocado and beans are also advised to a woman who wants to conceive a baby boy.

Adding a little coffee just before hitting a sack would make male sexual partner to produce naughty sperms that would travel faster and fertilize ovum with a baby boy.

It is observed that Y chromosome sperms (the spermatozoa bearing Y chromosome) swims faster and is more active. It is this sperm that makes the ovum fertilized with a baby boy. They are more active but short lived. The key of success lies in getting these sperms to the ovum. Holistic science like Ayurveda says that a man is in his full sexual power during dawn or early morning (say around 3 am to 5 am) and intercourse during these hours may have more sperms. The woman seeking to learn how to get pregnant with a baby boy should grab him during this period.

Using the sexual position that places the sperms closer to the cervix may work to conceive a baby boy. The rear entry positions are preferable for the same.

Learning basal body temperature – BBT charts is helpful. Practice it for a few months and then an accurate ovulation period is learned. The woman should then concentrate on the period of ovulation and should get her sexual partner to indulge in lovemaking approximately 12 hr prior to the ovulation. You can also use Chinese calendar.

The woman who wants to learn how to get pregnant with baby boy should also suggest her man to avoid ejaculation for 4-5 days before the ovulation and coitus. This makes Y sperms getting the ovum as compared to the X sperms.

The woman should have orgasm that would pull the sperms to the ovum. This is very important in case she wants a baby boy. Nevertheless, keeping a pillow just under the lower-back region would allow sperms to travel faster to the uterus where ovum is waiting for fertilization.

Some sex-experts suggest that the woman should avoid sexual intercourse during the full phase of the moon and also during the new moon. The preference should be given to a quarter-moon for a successful intercourse resulting into developing a male fetus.

Best Sexual Position to Get Pregnant With a Boy Baby

2010-12-14T20:18:00.001-08:00

Gender selection is not a new concept; people have been trying to influence whether they have a boy baby or a girl baby for hundreds of years. Fortunately we now know a lot more about how our bodies work and for this reason we can influence our baby's gender or sex in many ways including what sexual position we use.

Why This Method of Getting Pregnant With a Boy Works

As you probably already know, it is the male or rather his sperm that is responsible for whether you have a boy or a girl baby. The Y chromosome sperm (boy sperm) is very fast and can reach the egg quickest in a race, but they don't live long and can often die within a day or two. The X chromosome sperm (girl sperm) live a lot longer (sometimes up to five days) and can reach the egg at any time, often once the boy sperm have already died off.

That means that timing is important in getting pregnant with a boy. The closer you can have sex to when you ovulate - when the egg is released - then the more chance you have of getting a boy baby.

Best Sexual Position to Conceive a Boy Baby

So now that you know that you have to have sex as close to ovulation as possible so that the Y sperm reaches the egg first there are also a number of sexual intercourse positions that can help improve your chances of getting a boy.

The most common is the rear entry position (often called the doggie position). This is where the woman is either in all fours position kneeling on the bed or floor and the man enters her from behind, or she is lying on her stomach with her legs kneeling on the bed or floor. This gives access to deep penetration and so the sperm is deposited right at the entrance to the cervix. Since they are not very strong, the Y sperm has a shorter distance to travel and will more likely reach the egg first and you will conceive a boy.

Of course, position is not the only factor that can help you fall pregnant with a baby boy, I've reviewed a guide that shows you how to use diet, timing, positions and more in how to have a baby boy - read my review at: http://www.fertility-goddess.com/conceive-boy-girl-choose.php

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tracey_A_Edwards

Ways to Get Pregnant With a Boy Baby

2010-12-14T20:17:00.001-08:00

If you're trying to conceive a baby boy, you should know that there are several things that you can do at home to help you accomplish this goal. These things are not that difficult, but they do require planning, patience, a bit of diligence, and the correct tools. Luckily, many of them are things that you will already be doing any way in an attempt to conceive. You'll just be tweaking them a little bit to tip the odds in your favor of having the boy that you want. So, let's get to it.

Timing Your Conception To Occur At The End Of Your Fertility Cycle To Conceive A Boy: Most people know that timing your conception will influence your baby's gender, but not every one understands why. The sperm that produces a male baby and a girl baby are very different from one another. The girl sperm are the slow, poky, but unwavering and hardy warriors, while the boy sperm are very quick, but are also just as quick to burn out and die off, making them much more vulnerable.

So, if you want a boy, timing becomes extremely important. Because, if you are too early, the boy sperm are vulnerable to weakness or dying off if they have to wait for the egg. In the best case scenario, the boy sperm are fresh and ready to go when the egg is released. This is most likely to occur on the day of or the day following ovulation.

Many people are content to guess at this, but don't. Because this step is just too important to ignore. I recommend using saliva ovulation predictors, but urine works too. Find a method that gives you a warning of when ovulation is approaching so that you can be prepared to pounce when the time is right.

Ways To Have Intercourse To Get A Boy Baby: So, we've discussed when to send the boy sperm to the egg, now we'll discuss how to do this and why it's important. Again, remembering that the boy sperm are extremely vulnerable, you want to make their exposure between release and the egg as short and as quick as possible. The best way to do this is to use sexual positions that allow for deep penetration. (Remember to do this on the day of ovulation, or at most on the day after. Even a day early or a day later can make all the difference.)

How (and Why) To Alkalize Your Body (Lowering Your PH And Acidity) To Get A Boy Baby: I've covered when and how to get the boy sperm to the promised land of conception. Now, I'll cover the last, but equally important, step. This is creating an environment that is not going to kill of these guys before they even have a chance. Because the sperm that will give you a son can not thrive for very long if your vaginal PH is too high. Most women will need to lower it, however one way to be sure is to use PH testing strips. This will tell you how alkaline you naturally are and how much you'll need to tweak this before you are ready to conceive a boy.

How do you tweak? There are a few ways. You can go on a low PH or alkalizing diet and / or you can douche with solutions that lower acidity. A friend of mine who has interstitial cystitis (bladder sensitivity) told me that the boy diet was actually pretty close to the low acid diet she is on because the acidic foods irritate her bladder.

The douching part is typically not as bad as you might think either. The solutions are more than baking soda and water, but usually you don't have to do this for too long (especially if you use the diet concurrently) until you are at the optimum level.

Putting It All Together: Hopefully, you can see that none of these steps are too difficult. The key is to methodically address each of them, because doing so will give you the best chance (as high as roughly 94% if you play your cards right) of success. It's really just a matter of having a plan, having the tools, and having the discipline to follow through.

Conceive A Boy is a website I set up to make the process of having a son a bit easier. I've included step by step instructions and resources for the douching recipes, food lists, and PH testing strips mentioned in this article as well as hints, tips, and support. Check it out if you like at http://conceive-a-boy-baby.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Dean

Pregnancy

2010-12-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

Pregnancy is a period of expectant waiting and one that all of us aspire to experience at least once in our lifetime. As we set foot on the path that transmutes one from a woman into a mother, several responsibilities and concerns become ours alone. Among these is our duty to the life that is yet to be and how we can give of ourselves, in body and spirit, to form and nurture the new life that we seek to bring into existence.

Giving life is powerful. It is vital, therefore, that we prepare our body to become a suitable environment for the baby to grow in while staying happy and healthy emotionally and mentally as well. Each week of pregnancy brings with it new changes and feelings that may require some explanations and support.

This section touches on those aspects you need to be aware of in the time before, during and after your pregnancy. Here, we will answer to commonly asked questions. You can talk to our experienced medical experts and get your doubts clarified. Some pages will have information, you already know and other pages might encourage you to think differently or about new things.

Click on the links below to read more about all aspects of pregnancy, starting with how to get pregnant, prepregnancy, stages of pregnancy, tips during pregnancy, your growing baby, Normal delivery & C-section, new born care, post pregnancy issues and tips and Emergency contraception

How to Get Pregnant With Twins Naturally

2010-12-14T20:11:00.000-08:00

Want to conceive twins naturally without the dangers of fertility drugs? Over the past few decades scientists have discovered a number of natural supplements that increase your rate of giving birth to twins. Here are a few tips on how to get pregnant with twins.

Things You'll Need:

* Dairy products
* Yams/sweet potatoes

Instructions

1 Be familiar with your family history. Twin births tend to run higher in certain blood lines than others. It is also know that twins tend to skip a generation. So if your grandparents had twins, there is a good chance that you will be able to conceive twins as well.

2 Put on a few extra pounds. Women that are a few pounds overweight are more likely to give birth to twins. However, don't stuff yourself to a point where you are unhealthy. This will only decrease your chances of having twins.

3 Eat a diet high in dairy products. Dairy has been shown to increase twin conceptions by 7 times the normal rate.

4 Add wild yams to your diet. Studies show that cassave, a type of sweet potato or yam is a form of progesterone which is a hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle. The skin of these yams are believed to contain a chemical that causes hyperovulation.

5 Wait until you are in your mid to late 30's. Studies show that women in this age range are more likely to conceive twins naturally.

6 Have a lot of kids. No Ocotomom stuff, but the more kids you have, the greater your chances of conceiving twins are mathematically.

Read more: How to Get Pregnant With Twins Naturally | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_5560441_pregnant-twins-naturally.html#ixzz189NgdElP

Dieting and exercise!

2010-12-13T22:40:00.002-08:00

Let us assume that you are on a diet. You are consuming only 2000 calories per day. But your body needs 2500 calories per day. So the 500 calories are going to be taken out from your fat daily. So in 15 days you will loose 1 kg!

Now, imagine this! If your body needed 3000 calories per day instead of 2500 calories per day, you would have a 1000 less calories per day. Because of this, in 8 days you will loose one kilogram of fat!

So, getting your body to use up more energy per day will help you loose weight faster. But how do you get your body to use up more calories per day? You guessed it: Exercise!

Just do more in a day! Do more physical activities for best results. Run, walk, pull, push, jump, play football, play golf, swim, dance, make love! Do anything to use up more calories in a day and you will loose weight at a faster rate. Go running, go for a walk, take a cycle to work do any physical activity that makes you use more calories.

If you want to calculate how many calories you will burn by doing a particular activity, you can use this calculator. Choose some activity that you like to do, some sport that you like to play and do it every day. Burn some extra calories that way!

Please Note: If you are “exercising” or “dieting” or “exercising and dieting” you must count calories and make sure that the calories you consume are less than the calories you burn each day! If you don’t, all the exercising and dieting in the world will not get you to loose any weight!

However, there is a problem with this too. If you stop exercising and dieting tomorrow, you will re-gain all the weight! So, how do you deal with that? Is there no permanent solution?….

How to control your weight?

2010-12-13T22:40:00.001-08:00

Well, you could stop eating and taking in calories. This would force the body to the use up the calories that are stored in your fat. If you use up 2500 calories per day, then after 4 days of complete fasting, you should have lost around 7700 calories or 1Kg of fat. If you want to loose 15Kg’s, you will just have to fast for 45 days! But we recommend that you DO NOT do this!!

Mainly because it is a very impractical solution to loosing weight! Even though fasting for one or two days is healthy; fasting for 15 or 45 days is just stupid!

If you do not eat anything, it will be very hard to do any work. Your appetite will really drive you crazy! Your appetite is the thing that makes you feel hungry and makes you want to eat. If you do not eat, your appetite will keep growing and keep “poking” you to eat. Don’t you know, from common experience, how irritable you can get if you are hungry and have not eaten in a long time? That’s your appetite driving you crazy!

So, what do you do then?

Diet!

You could start dieting. What you will have to do is keep an account of how many calories you take in each day. You will have to make sure that you take in fewer calories than you burn each day. For example: If your body needs 2500 calories per day, you must in only have 2000 calories of food each day.

If you do this, each day, your body will have to use 500 calories from your fat. If you follow your diet for 15 days, you will loose 1 Kg! Why? Well, 15 days x 500 calories = 7500 calories taken from fat! That is approximately 1 kg of fat burned!

If you want to loose 15 kg, it will take you "255 days" if follow your diet strictly!

Generally, the problem with dieting is that, it is hard to stick to a diet all the time. You have to go for social functions, outings etc. where you can’t say that you are not going to eat anything because you are on a diet. Besides this, if you go on a strict diet, that too makes you hungry and irritable! Because of that, working may become hard!

The worst thing about diets is that, once you get off your diet, you will re-gain a lot of weight! Why? Because one you get off your diet, and start eating normally, you will once again have extra calories each day!

For example: One you get off your diet, let us assume that you start taking in 2700 calories per day. But, your body needs only 2500 calories per day. You will be taking in 200 calories extra per day! This will build up and in 38 days, again you will have gained 1 kg!

Besides that, as we said earlier, your body is made for survival. So, if you are on a diet, the body thinks that there is not enough food available. So, the body does not use energy “liberally”. The body becomes very careful about how much energy it used. If, when you were not dieting, you needed 2500 calories per day, after you start dieting, you will need only 2000 calories per day! To put it in scientific terms, the body lowers the metabolic rate!

Now, assume that after a few days of dieting, you decide to quit. Now what happens? Since you have stopped dieting, you are taking in 2700 calories per day! But, your body has become very careful about energy usage. So you are using only 2000 calories of energy each day. Because of this, you will have 700 calories extra per day! This will end up as 1kg of fat in 7 days!!

Basically, if you want to diet and stay thin, you can never stop dieting. You will have to diet forever!

However, when dieting, you can solve the “always hungry” or “appetite” problem by taking in foods that are large but have very few calories. Fore example: Eat an apple. If you eat an apple, your “hunger” will go away and you will have taken in very few calories. If you eat a “one cream biscuit” on the other hand, your hunger will still remain but the number of calories that you have eaten will be far more than an apple!

If you are cooking food for your family or your self, you should try these low calorie recipes.

Incorporate these low calorie recipes in your life. You should see the difference immediately! They are designed to make you feel full but give you very few calories in the process. That way, your “appetite” problem can be solved!

But, there is still on problem. Dieting takes too much time for you to loose weight! As we said earlier, if you are on a diet and you consume 500 calories less than you need each day, then too you will need 255 days of consistent dieting to loose 15kg! So, how do we speed up things….

http://www.indiahowto.com/dieting-and-exersice.html

How to lose weight

2010-12-13T22:38:00.000-08:00

Want a flat tummy? Read this article. We will explain everything that you need to know to accomplish your aim! This article explains all the concepts of weight loss and how you can “actually” and “practically” loose weight.

If you have tried to loose weight in the past and did not get results, it is probably because you were doing something wrong. There is a LOT of weight loss advice out there! Most of this advice is just a scam! There are a lot of misconceptions about weight loss too. In this article, we will explain weight loss in a scientific and practical way. You will be able to decide what you need to do to accomplish your weight loss aims and you will be able to do it!

The body is a very very “efficient” machine. It is very sophisticated and evolved. One of the main things your body is made for is “survival”.

You know, that you need energy to live and do the things that you do. This energy comes from food. The food you eat is converted into energy. When you “feel hungry”, that is the body telling you that you need to take in some food because the body needs some energy.

As you probably know, energy is NOT ONLY required for actually doing things. You need energy to walk, talk, push, pull etc. But, besides that, the body still needs energy even if you are doing nothing! Even if you are just lying down on your bed, the body still needs energy. Why? The body needs this energy to keep the heart pumping, keep all the different organs functioning etc. All these internal processes take up some energy. So whether you do something or do nothing you still need a certain amount of energy each day to stay alive.

Now, as we said earlier, the body is very sophisticated and made for survival! It prepares for a “rainy day” or a situation where you will have nothing to eat. The average adult can survive for a few weeks without any food before he/she has any serious medical problems. This is possible because the body saves any excess energy that is taken in!

Here is the part we are interested in: The excess energy that you take in, is stored in the body in the form of “fat”!

To understand all this properly, you need to understand the concept of “calories”.

5 best positions to get pregnant fast

2010-12-13T22:23:00.000-08:00

Getting pregnant maybe the easiest of all things, however, some couples do find it hard to conceive for several reasons, including weak or insufficient sperm count.

In some cases, as when nature needs a boost, a little push from you and your partner can go a long way in getting pregnant. When it comes to the best position to get pregnant, the general rule is that the male sperm must be deposited as near to the female cervix as possible.

This has something to do with the life spans of the female egg and the male sperm. Once an egg is released from the ovary – a stage also known as ovulation – it begins its path down the fallopian tube to the uterus. A released egg typically survives for only 24 hours, while a sperm can last anywhere from three to five days in the female body. As such, the egg has to be as close to the egg as possible so they can meet and join before the egg dies.

While not a lot of people will agree that the sexual positions have anything to do with getting pregnant, the logical inference is that it makes sense to assume the position that can help the sperm meet the egg in the shortest possible time.

This is especially true when for couples who have problems or difficulty conceiving. Having said this, the first "best position to get pregnant" tip is to avoid positions that least expose the cervix to the male sperm, and that generally defy gravity such as sex while standing up, sitting down, or with the woman on top. When trying to conceive, it is best to limit the amount of sperm that flows back out of the vagina.

The woman's hips should also be positioned in such a way that the sperm released is kept inside, giving it enough time to swim up to the female cervix.

Consider the following positions instead:

1. The missionary position. Or man-on-top is said to be the position that's best for getting pregnant. This is because this particular position allows for the deepest possible penetration, making it possible for the sperm to get deposited closest to the cervix.

2. Raise the hips. Elevating the hips, which can be done by placing a pillow behind her, can also be helpful because this exposes the female cervix to as much semen as the male can release.

3. Doggy-style. The rear-entry position where the man enters the woman from behind is also a recommended position. In this position, sperm is also deposited closest to the cervix, thereby helping increase the chances of conception.

4. Side-by-side. You can also try having intercourse while lying side by side. This position likewise causes the most exposure of the cervix to the male sperm.

5. Orgasms. Finally, while this has nothing to do with sexual positions, there are also researches that suggest the importance of the female orgasm in conceiving. According to studies, female orgasm leads to contractions that could push sperm up into the cervix. The lesson: have fun while trying to conceive.

Read more: 5 best positions to get pregnant fast - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/man-woman/5-best-positions-to-get-pregnant-fast/articleshow/5317909.cms#ixzz1844CnxmJ

When is the best time to get pregnant?

2010-12-13T22:21:00.000-08:00

The period of time between ovulation and the first day of the menstrual period is known as the 'Luteal Phase' sometimes referred to as the 'Post Ovulation Time'. The length of the luteal phase is fixed and in the majority of women lasts for exactly 14 days. This number can vary with some women having a luteal phase of 15 or 16 days and others as short as 12 days, but, whatever the length of your luteal phase, it is always constant being the same number of days long, month in - month out... even if you have irregular periods. If you do have an irregular cycle then the 'irregular' part of the cycle is the first part up to ovulation. Once ovulation has occurred then your period will start exactly 14 days later (or however many days long your luteal phase is) unless of course fertilization has occurred.

What is the optimum moment for fertilization to occur?

Obviously this should be around the time of ovulation. The ovum will survive for a period of 12 hours or so in which it is capable of being fertilized. Ideally, fresh sperm should be inside the female body prior to ovulation so when this occurs fertilization can happen. The sperm can last for 3 or more days inside the woman's body, considerably more time than the fertile window of maybe 12 hours that the ovum has.

The secret to getting pregnant fast is to know your body. To learn what phase you are in and to predict as closely as possible when you will ovulate so that intercourse may be performed as close to this time as possible. Don't forget that lovemaking too often can reduce the virility of sperm and reduce the sperm count.

For women who have regular cycles, the time of ovulation can be quite accurately predicted.
presuming that your 'luteal phase' is 14 days long (the most normal) then ovulation will occur sometime between days 11 and 14 of the cycle with day 1 being the first day of bleeding of your period.

If you have irregular periods then you can take a note of your cycles of the past few months and try to estimate an average length of period. You can then use the method above, it will be a little less accurate but will still give you a good idea as to when you should be ovulating. If lovemaking is undertaken once every 2 days or so then there should be sperm present inside you ready for when you ovulate.

A valuable method for getting to know your cycle and observing your body is by using the BBT method (Basal Body Temperature). To do this you need to use a special BBT thermometer which can be easily obtained. The thermometer is calibrated to show fractions of degrees. The method consists of taking your vaginal temperature every morning upon waking. The temperature is plotted daily on a graph. A notable rise in temperature occurs at the time of ovulation. By using this method you will be able to know exactly when you are ovulating and therefore be aware of the tell tale signs (such as subtle aches and sensations in the abdominal region) that accompany ovulation. You will also be able to calculate the exact length of your 'luteal phase' and note how it does not vary from month to month even if your periods are extremely irregular,

You can also confirm ovulation is occurring by observing the texture of your vaginal mucus. This generally has a thick texture which when seen under a microscope appears to consist of a mesh of fibers. As the hormones in your body change at the time of ovulation, so too does the texture of the mucus. It becomes clearer and thinner. When this is viewed under the microscope it appears that all of the fibers are parallel. This actually aids the sperm along their way to the ovum by means of capillary action, sucking up the sperm thus facilitating fertilization. The mucus remains like this for a period of two or three days - The ideal time for fertilization.

If you can combine all of the ideas noted here then it should help you to get to know your body and the rhythm of your monthly cycle facilitating the prediction of your exact ovulation time.

http://www.pregnantaid.com/

How long does it take to get pregnant?

2010-12-13T22:18:00.000-08:00

Many people write to me convinced that there is something wrong with them because they can’t get pregnant… when I ask them how long they’ve been trying for they tell me 3 or 4 months. It seems that so many people, probably due to what we have been taught as teenagers are so convinced that as soon as they have unprotected sex they will become pregnant that when they have unprotected sex for 3 months continually and don’t become pregnant then they begin to wonder if there s something wrong with them or if they have a fertility problem.

To be trying to get pregnant for up to 18 months before successfully conceiving is not out of the ordinary with many couples not becoming pregnant until after 12 months of trying.

It actually sounds a lot when you think you’ve been trying to get pregnant for 3 months for example. In reality, with the ‘window for getting pregnant being just a few days in most women then in 3 months then there might not have been more than a total of 6 -9 days in which conception might occur.

It is said that if a couple makes love every day then this will weaken the strength of the man’s sperm due to a lowering of the sperm count. This will reduce the possibility of getting pregnant by at least 50% which will cut down those 6-9 days to 3 or 4.
If the couple abstains for long periods this can also reduce the potency of the sperm as the sperm inside the testicles becomes old it gets weak and stale.

The best frequency for lovemaking around and during the period of ovulation is once every 2 days or so.

To know when the woman is about to ovulate is of utmost importance too. Without this knowledge then the whole process of getting pregnant will become a very ‘hit or miss’ affair. Remember that once ovulation has occurred then there is only about 12 hours or so in which to conceive before the ovum dries up and becomes unable to be fertilized.

Sperm on the other hand can live up to 3 days inside the female body and can be there waiting for ovulation to occur. If the couple knows when the woman is about to ovulate then it will help to adopt a regular lovemaking schedule (every 2 days) during this time.

To know when you are ovulating is the key to getting pregnant and there are various little tricks and tips to finding that out.

You may also benefit from reading my ebook 'The No Nonsense Guide To Getting Pregnant'

The best way to tackle getting pregnant is to be calm and stress free, eat well, arm yourselves with a little knowledge and have fun.

http://www.pregnantaid.com/

How To Get Pregnant

2010-12-13T22:16:00.000-08:00

To be able to become pregnant there are certain facts that you should be aware of that when applied to your lifestyle and your lovemaking will dramatically increase your chances to become pregnant

Prepare Your Body
You need to take the correct minerals and vitamins, this is very important not only for trying to conceive but once conception has occurred then you will need to have prepared yourself to be able to nourish the unborn in the first few weeks. There is a lot to be said ion this subject.

Discover When You Ovulate
You should be aware of how your body works and exactly what your body is doing at every step of your monthly cycle. Get to know the tell tale signs that you are about to ovulate. With a little practice you should be making love just as you ovulate.

Best Time To Get Pregnant

Know when to make love. Learn about how sperm can become more or less active. Plan it so that you make love just as you ovulate with the highest quality sperm. Female orgasms can also help in conception if timed well.

How to Get Pregnant

2010-12-13T22:15:00.000-08:00

Deciding to get pregnant is the first step on a long and exciting path that will eventually lead to the beginning of a new family. The thought of conceiving a child may seem daunting but it is a process that has been present since the dawn of time. With the rising awareness on pregnancy health concerns and conception methods, it is easy to be misinformed on how to get pregnant properly. The truth is that some women get pregnant very easily while others find it difficult and need a great deal of patience and optimism. While it is helpful to question women who have already conceived in the past, the topic can be embarrassing and this is why it is necessary to perform some research.

Are you in Good Health?

The first step in getting pregnant is to make sure that your body is running at full health. This is known as a pre-conception health check and is something that everyone should perform prior to making a solid decision. The health professional will make assessments on factors such as method of contraception, current body weight, diet and exercise, medication, vaccinations and current lifestyle habits. At this point; existing, new or previous medical conditions and physical ailments will be assessed to decide whether you are able to safely carry a child. In addition, it is also possible to have a fertility test which the physician can arrange. This is an option that should seriously be considered as it will allow the greatest chance of success.

Know your Body

After getting the green light that you are healthy enough to get pregnant, the next step involves knowing your body. The best time to make love is on and around the ovulation period (3-5 days, before and after) and any other time for that matter. Try not to create a love making schedule as this will create tension and stress which will work against the mutual goal. Another note to consider is that exercise is an important factor when it comes to fertility. Research has shown that just 30 minutes of exercise 3-5 times a week will help to increase the chances of getting pregnant. When it comes to diet; start getting into the habit of documenting what you consume in order to make sure that no products with adverse effects are entering your body.

Food, Beverage & Supplement Knowledge

Foods play an important role in the body and this is made doubly important when it has an added role of getting pregnant. Research has shown that a high calorie diet, rich with good foods will significantly increase the odds of a woman getting pregnant. Start getting into the habit of eating multiple portions of organic fruit and vegetables on a daily basis. If you are meat eater, make sure to keep this organic as well, as the ordinary kind may contain growth hormones and antibiotics. Fiber is important in any diet and this is just one of the reasons why you should consider moving over to brown breads and whole foods. It is also known that these contain higher levels of zinc. Try to increase the amount of good fats in your diet which are available from oily fish and well as from pumpkin, sunflower and flax seeds.

When it comes to beverages, rather try and stick to water, fruit juices and fruit teas. Avoid caffeine at all costs which means avoid coffee, black/green tea, cola and chocolate. Avoid the bad kind of sugar and if you feel yourself craving sweets, have one of your favorite fruits instead. Additional foods to avoid include soy, lunch meats and white flour. Don't use strong medication; and if you feel yourself in pain, ask your physician for an alternative while trying to get pregnant. Important supplements that will aid in fertility include folic acid, omega 3/6, as well as the standard range of vitamins. Stick within daily recommendations and double check your supplements with your physician.

Relax and Stay Positive

The prospect of getting pregnant might seem exciting at first (because it is) but over time, if you don't get results, it is easy to have your spirits dampened. It can take a while to get pregnant with many women so don't feel disheartened. Instead, use this time to be free and experiment with your partner. By spicing up your sex life and trying different positions, the chemicals will be flowing which will aid in conceiving. After intercourse, lie down with your partner for at least 5 minutes and relax so that the sperm has a chance to get to where it needs to go. Under no circumstances allow sex to become a chore as this will hinder results and cause problems within the relationship. In short, a lifestyle with a good diet, strenuous exercise and as little stress as possible is the key for those who would like to get pregnant.

http://www.howtogetpregnant.net/

Google receives requests from IPL for removing content

2010-04-30T20:29:00.001-07:00

Google receives requests from IPL for removing content

Internet major Google has said it has received four content censorship requests this month from the Indian Premier League, the administrative body of the Twenty20 cricket tournament.

A total of five complaints were received in 2010 about certain websites carrying "illegal retransmission of the authorised feed, copyrighted content for which IPL is the owner", according to Google.

Google Gets Stung by Its Own Buzz

2010-02-22T20:51:00.000-08:00

The week of Feb. 9, 2010, may go down as one of the worst in Google's corporate history in terms of product launches and public reaction. On that day, Google Buzz (http://buzz.google.com) invaded every Gmail account holders' workspace through an auto-setup, opt-out routine. Other than widespread rumors of an announcement the day before, Gmail users had no warning that potentially highly personal information would suddenly be shared with their most-used contacts (email addresses) through cloud computing technology. Over the ensuing 7 days, Google weathered an angry online swarm of complaints that it had failed to account for personal privacy requirements. On Feb. 16, Google CEO Eric Schmidt revealed that "the company misjudged public reaction to its decision to automatically load its Twitter, Facebook-like Buzz service into Gmail" (The Register, Feb. 17, www.theregister.co.uk/2010/02/17/google_buzz_schmidt). Within the week, Google engineers also started tinkering with the Buzz settings, beginning on Feb. 11, the results of which were summarized by Gmail/Google Buzz product manager Todd Jackson in a Feb. 13 Gmail Blog post ("A new Buzz start-up experience based on your feedback," http://gmailblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/new-buzz-start-up-experience-based-on.html).

Facebook may elbow out Orkut as top Net hangout

2010-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: Facebook may not be hard on the heels of Google yet but its spectacular growth is threatening to cast the internet search giant’s own

social networking site, Orkut, to the fringes of internet, at least in India.

The world’s second-most visited website after Google, which turned six on Friday, could surpass Orkut in the number of users to become India’s top social networking site by September, say a couple of studies. Though Orkut now has 15.5 million users compared to Facebook’s 10.4 million as of December, the Google site’s additions are at a sluggish 1.8% per month, says data from Mumbai-based Komli Ad Networks. Facebook, in contrast, is growing at a compounded 7.8% a month since July.

Going by this trend, Facebook could well overtake Orkut in India in about seven months. Though that is still some time away, analysts say Google could do well to peek into its past in India and the history of the internet, littered with decaying social networking services such as Six Degrees, Firefly and Friendster. The emergence of Gmail, Google’s mailing service, almost wiped out Hotmail, till then India’s most popular email service. Orkut might meet the same fate as Hotmail soon, they say.

Valentines day orkut scraps

2010-02-15T10:32:00.000-08:00

World is celebrating today Valentine’s day 2010 and exchanging gifts from their lovers. Everybody could be searching for some greetings they could send and Scraps that they can paste on there friends scrapbook.

Valentine’s day is also Called Saint Valentine’s day. Actually this was the original name which just shortened to Valentine’s day. This is the day to celebrate love and affection between intimate companions. On this day lovers express their true love by presenting gifts or flowers, offering confectionery and sending greetings cards.

Well for orkut scraps their aremany websites like orkut uncle, 123orkut, tucmuc, orkutlover, foontastic, scrapslive and sendscraps. Every website is fully loaded with greetings that you can paste on their scrapbook.

Well but before posting, one important point is that those persons using new orkut versions shouldn’t directly paste the codes provided, rather they have to click HTML tab first, then paste these code right there, otherwise it could lead some hazy codes out there and no photos.

Well here also i am posting some of the greetings cards which you may like to send to your lovers.

Want a job? Get on Facebook

2010-02-03T19:57:00.001-08:00

We have openings for the position of a content writer. The candidate must be a graduate and have passion for reading and writing in English. He/she must also be a Facebook member with at least 25 friends.

Above is a job listing on a popular job portal. Zapped? Don’t be. Several companies these days are on the lookout for youngsters with active social networking profiles. In fact, having a specified number of fans, friends or followers on these sites is now a hiring criterion. These ‘active netizens’ are hired by companies which wish to use social networks, online communities and other online mediums for marketing, sales and public relations.

In India, Facebook Uses Google AdWords To Leapfrog Orkut

2010-01-22T11:33:00.001-08:00

Different territories demand different marketing approaches. Google, for instance, has been spotted taking the unusual route of promoting their search engine and Chrome browser with print advertising campaigns in India and The Netherlands, respectively.

And now a reader informs us that Facebook is buying Google ads on the search giant’s India portal (Google.co.in). You can see some examples embedded in this post or on our tipster’s blog.

It’s impossible to determine if this is new, but perhaps Indian TechCrunch readers can tell us if these just started popping up or if they’ve been running for a while. I’ve been trying out searches for people on a couple of other country portals but haven’t seen any Google AdWords campaigns from Facebook at first glance. We’ve contacted Facebook for more information.

Facebook, Orkut and the caste system

2010-01-21T09:34:00.001-08:00

MUMBAI, India — A man who goes by “hemant” types out a question: "Are you embarrassed that you are from the scheduled castes or scheduled tribes?"

One by one, members of the online community of SC and ST, which compose the lowest castes and groups in India, begin responding:

“Rajni”: “No my dear i never felt ashamed due to my caste.”

“Mr”: “When I was an innocent school-going boy, I feel embarrassed to reveal my caste due to discrimination and my helplessness, later during my college days I started coming out of the closet and was very aggressive to those who criticize me.”

O(u)rkut really!

2010-01-20T10:48:00.000-08:00

Hey... how come you are not on Orkut?” a friend asked me anxiously a few years ago when the Orkut fever was just seeping in the virtual world and I wasn’t aware of its hysteria yet. “What’s that?” I asked in return. The expression of sheer disbelief on his face after hearing my question forced me to check out what Orkut was all about. Once I did, I got hooked on to it too, just like the others. But my excitement and addiction died down just as fast it had developed. Getting in touch with long-lost friends, seeing a new scrap in your scrapbook everyday from someone or the other, receiving flattering testimonials from friends — all the thrills and frills overtook one aspect: lack of privacy. ‘Accessibility of your info to one and all’ was what made me go off Orkut and I am not the only one.

Fans Corner: East Bengal Community On Orkut

2010-01-17T10:11:00.000-08:00

Firstly we caught up with Kallol Das, who is one of the moderators of the community 'East Bengal the Real Power'. Kallol is 29 years old and is a businessman by profession but he spends most of his time by doing something or the other related to his favorite club East Bengal.

Goal.com: What has been the main reason for East Bengal's turnaround this season?

Kallol: There are many reasons but if I have to choose one I would say that the players have adapted well to De Ridder’s tactics, which they were not able to do unfortunately under Subhas Bhowmick. There is a lot of team spirit in the squad which is very important for a successful team.

Google Orkut Vulnerability Patched

2010-01-15T10:58:00.001-08:00

Google Orkut Vulnerability Patched

Google has fixed a cross-site scripting vulnerability in Google Orkut a security researcher said could be used to steal cookies and other information.

Nir Goldshlager, who also recently uncovered vulnerabilities affecting Google Calendar and Twitter, told eWEEK the problem was due to an input validation error.

Chennai executive held for obscene orkut profile

2009-12-23T19:16:00.000-08:00

BANGALORE: An executive of a Chennai-based firm has been arrested for creating a fake e-mail through which an "obscene profile" in the name of a housewife here was posted on a popular social networking site, police said today.

A resident here had lodged a complaint with the cyber crime police station in October about the fake profile in Orkut where her phone number was given inviting for sexual favours, following which the woman started receiving calls regularly from strangers, police said.

India survey says Facebook affects productivity

2009-12-21T19:38:00.000-08:00

Indian firms are losing productivity because office staff spend too long on social networking sites, a survey says.

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Assocham) says workers use Orkut, Facebook, Myspace and Linkedin for "romancing" and other purposes.

Office employees questioned in the survey spent on average an hour a day on sites like Facebook, leading to a loss in productivity of nearly 12.5%.

The findings were based on responses from nearly 4,000 corporate employees.

'Dangerous'

"Close to 12.5% of productivity of human re

source in corporate sector is misappropriated each day since a vast majority of them while away their time accessing social networking sites during the office hours," according to the findings of Assocham's Social Development Foundation survey.

"As a matter of fact, [the] growing use of browsing sites can be dangerous for overall productivity and IT companies have already installed software to restrict its use," Assocham secretary general DS Rawat said.

The survey questioned 4,000 employees between the ages of 21 and 60 in Delhi, Bangalore, Madras (Chennai), Cochin, Indore, Ahmedabad, Surat, Mumbai (Bombay), Pune, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Lucknow and Kanpur.

The survey found that 77% of workers who had Orkut accounts used them during work hours.

Nearly half of office employees accessed Facebook during work time.

Moreover, four in every 10 workers built their entire Orkut or Facebook profile at work, the survey found.

Some 83% saw nothing wrong in surfing at work during office hours.

According to the survey, 19% of companies allow use of social networking sites only for business purposes, while 16% allow limited personal use.

Only 40% of the employees interviewed said that their companies allowed staff full access to social networking sites.

The survey also says that 84% of respondents in India's major cities show signs of internet addiction - they do not take breaks at appropriate times, they spend more than a "normal" amount of time online, and can get irritable if they are interrupted while surfing.

In September, Portsmouth City Council in southern England banned staff from accessing Facebook on its computers after it was revealed they spent on average 400 hours on the site every month.

The move was expected to stop the "waste of public cash". http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8423888.stm

Computer hacker accesses 30 million Facebook, MySpace, and Orkut usernames and passwords

2009-12-15T20:04:00.001-08:00

Redwood City, CA - Hackers broke into an online database hosted at RockYou.com and illegally accessed the usernames and passwords for more than 30 million users of Facebook, MySpace, Friendster and Orkut. The hacker may also have accessed usernames and passwords for Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail accounts as well.

RockYou produces widget applications that are widely distributed on social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace. In order to work properly, these widgets require the user’s username and password. Most social networks have data security requirements for its widget developers, and it may be possible that RockYou was in violation of these requirements.

Orkut Introduces Inline Photo Browsing, Slideshows and Face Detection

2009-12-14T19:46:00.001-08:00

Orkut the social networking site popular in Brazil and India has rolled out a new set of features for photo sharing on the site. The new features include Inline photo browsing, photo slideshows and Face detection for tagging friends.

Photo tagging has been pretty popular on Facebook, however, Facebook still does not have options for inline photo browsing and photo slideshows.

Orkut has been spicing up the site by introducing a new design and several more features which have brought it on par with other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. However, Orkut still lacks the popularity of Facebook and more and more users are now migrating to the other available options.

Do you use Orkut? Have you left it recently for Facebook or Twitter? Let us know through your comments.

More NY sex offenders to be removed from social networking sites

2009-12-10T19:31:00.001-08:00

ALBANY - Thirteen additional social-networking Web sites will remove accounts belonging to registered New York sex offenders, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo announced Thursday.

Qasab attracts fans on Orkut, Facebook

2009-12-09T21:19:00.001-08:00

26/11 terrorist Ajmal Amir Qasab's supporters in Pakistan use networking sites to whip up support for him

Terrorist Amir Ajmal Qasab, one of the 10 terrorists in the November 26 terror attacks on Mumbai, has attracted a huge fan following among Pakistanis on social networking sites like Facebook and Orkut.

One fan of the terrorist, who created an Ajmal Qasab fan club on Orkut, claims Qasab's arrest is part a conspiracy by Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis wing (RAW). "Well, this is my fan club.

I need no introduction. Nowadays, I am busy with officials, trying to prove myself Pakistani," he writes, posing as Qasab.

Man held for posting obscene pics of airhostesses on Facebook, Orkut

2009-12-07T10:52:00.000-08:00

New Delhi: An unemployed 30-year-old hotel management graduate has been arrested by the police for posting morphed and obscene photographs of two Jet Airways airhostesses on social networking sites.

The accused, Jitender Singh, who is married and lives at Rohini in northwest Delhi, was arrested by the special cell on Thursday.

"Singh and the victims have a common friend. The victims recently had a dispute with that friend. So, Singh downloaded the victims' photographs from their Facebook accounts and sent morphed, obscene versions to their friends and colleagues," a senior police official said. The photos were also posted on Orkut.

The women, residents of Delhi, in their early 20s, have been with Jet since 2005.

Harassed candidates vent anger on Facebook, Orkut

2009-12-01T10:49:00.001-08:00

New Delhi: Those unhappy with the marred Common Admission Test (CAT) are venting their ire on social networking sites Facebook and Orkut. The IIMs and the American firm Prometric, which is conducting the online test, have come in for intense criticism. "Legal cases can be filed against IIM for harassing students in such a way. Many students came to give exams from remote areas. The institute had enough time to prepare itself for such an emergency. This is playing with the life of several students," said one student on Facebook.

Orkut receives a splash of color

2009-11-26T10:20:00.001-08:00

As the months rolled by, Orkut has been espied making some great new changes like face detections for pictures and chat options. Just last month the social networking service was revamped with Google Web Toolkit. Now Orkut lets its users alter their profile and homepage color with just one click.

According to the official Orkut blog, the company’s product manager Eduardo Thuler stated that this feature was well-received by the public. Earlier, users could gain access to only five colors namely blue, green, orange, pink and black. With great feedback, the company has now added a whole plethora of hues for their palette for members to use.

Being pretty color contrast conscious, Orkut’s background color would also change. It would go from its standard blue background to a variety of other hues in order to perfectly blend with the users’ chosen color. The palette includes a variety of light and dark shades like lilac, purple, navy blue, grey, emerald green and so on. source: http://sify.com/news/ngos-claim-toxic-waste-still-lying-at-union-carbide-factory-news-national-jl0p4vfjcjb.html

Orkut receives a splash of color

2009-11-26T10:20:00.000-08:00

Desi Tadka: How Social Networking Sites Are Helping In The Growth Of Football

2009-01-30T03:45:00.000-08:00

Goal.com's Subhankar Mondal discusses how social networking sites such as Orkut and Facebook Goal.com's Subhankar Mondal discusses how social networking sites such as Orkut and Facebook are adding to the popularity of football in India and elsewhere.... are adding to the popularity of football in India and elsewhere....

Like the runaway express train screaming through the tunnel, the lad goes on hitting hard his keyboard. Night is subsiding into morning but like the child who goes on reading Enid Blyton long into the night, he carries on fiercely tabbing on the keyboard.

His parents in the next room wake up and come rushing to his room, understandably annoyed at their son's impertinence to stay up so late. The mother fears that he might have resumed his long torn apart relationship with his now Spain-residing Italian boyfriend-possessing hardly studying good-for-nothing ex-girlfriend while the dad thinks he might be surfing the net for some ‘cheap entertainment’ (you know what that means, right?).

Out come the words and the thunder. And the slap. And the cane. And the newly bought Mac topples down onto the floor. The father picks it up and looks at the screen and instead of finding any picture of sensuous women doing their nutter, he discerns the unmistakable Orkut screen with football-related stuff written all over it, including the far ranging comments that have recently flocked in after Real Madrid's 1-0 win over Deportivo la Coruna.

Like a dreamy eyed romantic getting addicted to Shakespeare or a frenzied Holy Grail seeker voraciously going through each and every document containing the terms holy and grail, this lad has been hooked onto Orkut seemingly forever.

And there are hundreds, thousands and millions like him who through the social networking sites such as Orkut, Myspace and Facebook connect themselves to fellow football fanatics from around the world.

Football in India might not enjoy the mass popularity that cricket does but it is gathering momentum and doing so rapidly. Social communities such as Orkut are playing the role of a catalyst in this and football supporters from India and from around the world are coming to a single place to discuss and debate all things football.

Take for example our very own Goal.com India community on Orkut. It is a community that was started in October last year and has quickly become quite popular among football fans, who range from the regular Manchester United follower to the Gunner for Life to the Chelsea mental to the cheeky lad who says that he supports a certain club in Madrid but actually fosters affection for a certain club in Verona.

The discussions range form the intellectually refined to the regular fan-rant, the words at times soaked in Shakespearean theatrics and at times picked out of the mouth of a ruffian (well, sort of).

The Goal.com India community is not unique in this matter. There are several hundreds of communities devoted to clubs, national teams, players and managers. And even rivalries.

Salman Ahmed is the owner of one such popular community in Orkut. He lives in Bahrain and supports Spanish and European powerhouse Real Madrid.

Ahmed's community focuses on Real Madrid and he explains, "We are a united community and have many football fans and Real Madrid supporters. We keep our community updated with the latest news, comments and articles related to the club.

"Every member has different views about different players, coaches, clubs and the like but in our community we put all the differences aside and join to cheer the biggest club in the world.

"Not only do we have active members but we have intelligent participants who understand and read the game very well. People join communities that are active and in which they are welcomed any time. Our community has these features. I think our community has helped football fans from around the world come together."

The internet has apparently condensed the world and brought people closer. These football communities provide a platform for the average and the slightly above average (whatever that may mean) football fans to connect to one another, allow the Man United supporter in India to have a go at the Liverpool fanatic in Singapore or the Barcelona follower in Australia to fight against the Real Madrid fan in Toronto.

These social networking sites are hugely aiding in the growth of football in India as well as in places where football is still a secondary sport. In certain places, football might be big, maybe even huge, but is not really a (sporting) culture in the same way that it is a culture in Europe (or at least in most European nations) and in South America.

But the social networking sites, especially Orkut, Myspace and Facebook, are contributing to the alteration of the social contour and are trying to make football a vital component of the culture.

Source: http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/1117/desi-tadka/2009/01/29/1084228/desi-tadka-how-social-networking-sites-are-helping-in-the-growth

Dr Kalam's Orkut community targeted by Pak hackers

2009-01-10T02:18:00.000-08:00

Dr Kalam's Orkut community targeted by Pak hackers

The former president respected Orkut community till date has 207,249 registered members and this attack has seriously compromised the security of the community and its members

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Pakistani hackers have targeted the Orkut community of Dr Abdul Kalam.

Prelimanary reports suggest that the hackers whose registration has been traced to Pakistan had renamed Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam community and were now using it launching pad to distribute malicious and objectionable content.

The former president respected Orkut community till date has 207,249 registered members and this attack has seriously compromised the security of the community and its members.

The orkut page of Dr Kalam currently reads "We, the people of India, apologizes to our Pakistani brothers and ISI for barbaric acts of terrorism like Mumbai and Gujarat and many more which were originated and carried out by few citizens of India and supported by government of India. We condemn such acts to fullest."

The message clearly points out new moderators whose origins can be traced to Pakistan.

Youth held for threat to Sena chief

2008-08-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

Divyesh Singh
Monday, August 04, 2008 03:12 IST

The Thane police cyber cell officials on Saturday arrested 20-year-old Suraj Dinkar Shetty after they received a complaint from Bhartiya Vidyarthi Sena (BVS) state secretary Vikas Repale that someone had started an anti-Shiv Sena community on the social networking site Orkut and had also posted a threat message to Sena chief Bal Thackeray.

“We had been observing that some people had started an anti-Shiv Sena community on Orkut and were using abusive language against Sena chief Bal Thackeray. After keeping a watch since the past few months, we came across a message that said that Sena chief would be killed on August 5th. We then approached the Thane police commissioner to look into the case,” Repale said.

When cyber cell officials traced the internet protocol (IP) address of the computer from where the mail was written, they came to know about Shetty’s address. Shetty, who used his laptop to browse the internet, has however refuted all the allegations and has claimed to be innocent. According to Shetty, someone else has hacked into his account and used his email id to write those messages. Shetty was arrested from his residence in the Golden Nest housing complex at Mira Road.

The Cyber cell officials are further trying to find out the involvement of other people in this case. Last year, Shiv Sena activists had attacked few cyber cafes in Kalyan and nearby areas and had demanded a ban on Orkut as few people had started such anti-shiv sena communities. Use of orkut was banned in cyber cafes for a few months after that. s_divyesh@dnaindia.net source: http://www.dnaindia.com

Rediffmail Uses Orkut/ Facebook feeds

2008-07-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

Techtree News Staff

Rediff.com has now integrated news feeds from popular social networking sites like Orkut and Facebook in the Rediffmail inbox. With this new addition, Rediff users will now be able to receive news feeds from these social networking sites without actually having to visit them. News feeds within the mailbox will help users to find interesting content like photos, videos and music shared by friends on these sites.

Users can sign up to receive news feed by providing their username and password details and Rediffmail will automatically import news feeds from the chosen social networking sites. Moreover, users can choose this service just as a way to see what their friends are up to, or for browsing and reading the stuff their friends share and actively engage them through email by sending comments and messages. Presently, this news feeds feature is limited to just two social-networking sites - Facebook and Orkut. However, the company plans to extend it to other social networking sites like LinkedIn, among others.

Programmers in India prefer Google's Orkut

2008-07-20T04:55:00.001-07:00

Programmers in India prefer Google's Orkut

Google's Orkut social network isn't just big in Brazil. It's also popular in India, especially among software developers, according to a new survey.

Despite Facebook's efforts to promote that social network as the platform of choice for third-party application developers, Orkut is used by twice as many software programmers in India than either Facebook or MySpace, according to an Evans Data survey of more than 300 developers in India. Software programmers in that country are heavy users of social networks in general.

Seventy-three percent of those surveyed said they had used Orkut, compared with 35 percent for Facebook and 32 percent for MySpace.

"Capturing mindshare with developers in fast-growing emerging development markets like India and Brazil gives them (Google) a strategic advantage going forward in further cultivating this very important community," Evans Data Chief Executive John Andrews said in a statement.
Google has released new domains specific to India and Brazil as a result of the popularity in those countries.

The independent survey was conducted in late May and early June.
Originally posted at Webware

Programmers in India prefer Google's Orkut

2008-07-13T18:56:00.000-07:00

Programmers in India prefer Google''s Orkut

2008-07-09T02:25:00.000-07:00

Posted by Elinor Mills 7 commentsGoogle''s Orkut social network isn''t just big in Brazil. It''s also popular in India, especially among software developers. Despite Facebook''s efforts to promote that social network as the platform of choice for third-party application developers, Orkut is used by twice as many software programmers in India than either Facebook or MySpace, according to an Evans Data survey of more than 300 developers in India. Software programmers in that country are heavy users of social networks in general. Seventy-three percent of those surveyed said they had used Orkut, compared with 35 percent for Facebook and 32 percent for MySpace. "Capturing mindshare with developers in fast-growing emerging development markets like India and Brazil gives them (Google) a strategic advantage going forward in further cultivating this very important community," Evans Data Chief Executive John Andrews said in a statement.

Programmers in India prefer Google's Orkut

2008-07-08T20:09:00.000-07:00

Posted by Elinor Mills 7 comments
Google's Orkut social network isn't just big in Brazil. It's also popular in India, especially among software developers, according to a new survey.

Despite Facebook's efforts to promote that social network as the platform of choice for third-party application developers, Orkut is used by twice as many software programmers in India than either Facebook or MySpace, according to an Evans Data survey of more than 300 developers in India. Software programmers in that country are heavy users of social networks in general.

Seventy-three percent of those surveyed said they had used Orkut, compared with 35 percent for Facebook and 32 percent for MySpace.

"Capturing mindshare with developers in fast-growing emerging development markets like India and Brazil gives them (Google) a strategic advantage going forward in further cultivating this very important community," Evans Data Chief Executive John Andrews said in a statement.
Google has released new domains specific to India and Brazil as a result of the popularity in those countries.

The independent survey was conducted in late May and early June.

source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9985096-7.html?hhTest

Google to Battle Child Porn on Orkut

2008-07-04T20:16:00.000-07:00

Google to Battle Child Porn on Orkut

Internet giant Google has signed an agreement with Brazilian public prosecutors to help fight the distribution of child pornography on its Orkut social networking service. Brazilian public prosecutors had filed a suit against Google in its unwillingness to cooperate with investigations; Google maintains that it has always been willing to cooperate with Brazilian authorities, but under U.S. law could not disclose information about its users.
Brazilian authorities have claimed that as much as 90 percent of illegal online content being investigated in Brazil involves Orkut at some level. Of 624 Brazilian investigations into online human rights crimes—including crimes against children and teenagers—420 involved Orkut.
Under the new agreement, Google will employe filtering technology to block and remove illegal content on Orkut; it will also provide evidence in suspected crimes against minors when presented with a Brazilian judicial order without requiring international legal maneuvering. The company will also preserve six months of access logs of users being investigated for illegal activity on the service.
Public prosecutors had sued Google for refusing to cooperate in investigations of illegal activity on Orkut; that suit will be withdrawn as part of the agreement. Google maintains it has always been willing to cooperate with Brazilian authorities to the extend permitted under applicable laws.
Orkut was on of the earliest social networking sites to hit the Internet, and enjoyed a brief burst of popularity in the United States before losing ground to sites like MySpace and Facebook. Nonetheless, Orkut boasts some 60 million users; nearly half are Brazilian.

Orkut founder Buyukkokten

2008-06-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

Reader Girish (right) spotted Orkut Buyukkokten, founder of Orkut.com, at Google Inc, Mountain View, California, in January 2008.

He was elated to meet Orkut and requested for a photograph along with him. The social networking guru obliged.

If you encounter/meet/see business personalities and photograph them, please scan the photographs and mail the pictures to us. We will feature the best images right here on Rediff Business.

Has social networking ever landed you in hot water?

2008-06-02T03:02:00.000-07:00

Has social networking ever landed you in hot water?

June 02, 2008

A British family's multi-million dollar mansion has ended up in shambles after their 16-year-old daughter threw a party there.

The teenager posted an open invitation to her birthday bash on social networking sites, promising strangers a good time. Over 400 invitees landed up at the house and besides looting thousands of dollars' worth of jewellery and clothing, the 'guests' trashed furniture, smashed things and even threw a television into the pool.

Several such instances have been reported of late -- some youngster or the other is always in the news for misusing a social networking site and landing up in hot water.

Has using a social networking site ever gotten you or anyone you know into trouble?
Do you think youngsters are aware of the consequences when misusing their accounts?
Tell us what you think -- simply post your experiences, advice and opinion on the message board below. Photograph: AFP/Getty Images Source: http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2008/jun/02net.htm

Communities dedicated to Aarushi Talwar on Orkut

2008-06-01T23:02:00.000-07:00

It is true that the online social networking site, Orkut, has been in news for all the wrong reasons lately. But this time, the website is being put to good use. Friends of Aarushi Talwar are remembering the teenager and are protecting her honour..
CJ: Laila , 16 hours ago Views:297 Comments:0

ORKUT, THE internet social networking community where youngsters meet up to keep in touch with each other, has been in news on and off. Mostly, for all wrong the reasons. Like, on occasions when certain unsavoury and undesirable elements create hate communities and post hate scraps.

Orkut is again in news. But this time, it is for a poignant and touching reason. The murdered teen – Aarushi Talwar’s friends have formed communities on Orkut to condole her death and keep her memory alive. These young teenagers have shown much courage, solidarity and sensitivity by their unity by telling the world that no one can tarnish Aarushi’s character and honour. They also seem to be reaching out to Aarushi in spirit and telling her that she can rest in peace and they will take care of her earthly enemies. Not only Aarushi’s friends but other youngsters who have never known her too have shown much sympathy and support towards the deceased.

Orkut basically allows the global community to stay socially alive and is the only free popular platform accessible for youngsters to air their views. So, if they use this social networking site to remember Aarushi and pour their grief and horror at her murder, it is certainly not wrong. These teenagers have displayed the good, gentle, caring side of human nature.

In this harsh and cruel world where everyone is thinking of themselves - TV channels about their television rating points (TRPs), the police about their 15 minutes of fame, her parents about proving themselves innocent by contradictive statements in press and in media - these youngsters have gathered an abandoned soul and protected the sweet fragrant memory of her short life.

Rest in Peace "Aarushi Talwar"A tribute to Aarushi . Aarushi Talwar, to name a few.
In fact, there is also a community for Hemraj called ’Remembering Hemraj - Aarushi’s servant’.
In these communities, the words Aarushi had said on the last day of her life, her likes, her love of music, and the fun stuff she did are all remembered.
One community reads...

"This community pays tribute to Aarushi Talwar, a 14 year old girl who had been murdered on 15 May 2008 in Noida !The Girl was about to turn 15 On MAY 24th ! But her destiny moved the way against her will !! She had it all...Beauty with Brains..Intelligence and wit..
So lets cum together and pray for her !!be a human!For the Culprit is not very FAR! God Bless Her Soul !!!!! RIP !!!"

An unknown teen wrote "Although I don’t know you.. but I still wish..May God bless your soul dear aarushi.."The name of Aarushi’s Orkut profile that she had created, is, "AaRuShI :) loving LiFe!!!!!!" This is enough to make anybody’s eyes moist and misty!

This outpouring of sympathy and grief is also because the youth feels that she is a lost and lonely soul abandoned by her own her parents – her wall of security.

The way these young teenagers, with still that touch of innocence and understanding way above their years, mourn Aarushi and remember her with so much love and affection is so very touching and poignant. Candle light vigils, flowers, sombre prayer meetings and communities on Orkut and Facebook reflect the overwhelming grief felt for this little princess’ life that was cut short. Let us learn about solidarity, unity and protection from these teenagers actions.
Certainly these are the ways to protect her honour, not marking her death as a honour-killing as the police called it!
Rest in Peace "Aarushi Talwar"
Source: http://lifestyle.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=135006

Orkut - Getting Started

2008-05-29T04:20:00.000-07:00

Protect your account
Profile privacy features
How do I join orkut?
How do I create my orkut profile?
General safety tips for using orkut.com
How do I join orkut?
How do I change orkut.com back to English?
How do I enable JavaScript?
Does orkut support my browser?
Does orkut.com own all the content that I submit to the site?
Protect your account
Due to orkut.com's open nature, we realize that users' accounts can become compromised through phishing schemes, viruses, and spyware. Fortunately, users can help secure their own account and their online identity quickly and easily. As a starting point, we recommend the following safe practices:

Don't share: Keep your username, password and personal information secret and change your password regularly.

Don't script: Never paste a URL or script into your browser while logged into orkut.com, no matter what it claims to do. Don't click on links in emails that claim to be from orkut or Gmail. Scan your computer regularly for viruses, spyware, and adware.

Don't spread: Never enter your Google Account login and password on sites other than orkut.com and other Google properties. Never check remember me when you're using a shared computer.

Avoid posting sensitive personal data, such as email addresses or pictures, in public places.

Don't forget to click the Logout link at the top of the page when you're done using orkut.

You may also want to restrict who's allowed to write in your scrapbook and see your photos, scrapbook, videos, testimonials, and feeds. To do so, click settings under your profile photo, choose the privacy tab, and use the dropdown menu to choose who is allowed to send you scraps or see your scrapbook, photos, videos, testimonials and feeds.

Please remember never to share your password with anyone, including sites that claim to send friendly scraps to your orkut.com friends. If you've shared your password with anyone, we highly recommend you change it as soon as possible.

If someone is using your account without your permission, please report a hijacked account.
Please be assured that orkut.com does not use your email address for any purpose other than sending out orkut invitations and notices. We find spam annoying and are committed to keeping your email address safe.
Additionally, we'll never send you spam emails asking you to download anything or to send us personal information, such as your password or bank account information. orkut.com is a free service, and it will remain safe with your help.

orkut.com Community Standards

2008-05-29T04:17:00.000-07:00

The following Community Standards are the shared values of the orkut.com community. orkut.com is a place where users can express their own beliefs and values, and our Community Standards help foster a positive environment in which to do so. These standards are a living document and will change based on the needs of the broad community and the available tools, so we encourage you to review them frequently.
We take the orkut.com Community Standards seriously and ask you to respect them. As orkut.com members, you have certain responsibilities to yourselves and to each other.

The following guidelines are intended to protect orkut.com members' privacy, legal rights and overall user experience. Note that these guidelines are not intended to replace the actual Terms of Service for orkut.com
Potential Community Standards violations should be reported using the Report Abuse button on either the community or profile page. If we determine that the reported content is illegal or violates our policies, we may immediately remove it.

Account RestrictionsWhile we encourage users to take full advantage of their accounts on orkut.com to share ideas freely with one another, we have limitations on certain account content and behavior. Users’ accounts are subject to the following restrictions. Violation of any of these restrictions may result in the suspension or termination of an account:

User IdentitySince orkut.com is meant to foster open interactions between real people, we require users to meet basic identity standards. Accounts should only be created by the person being depicted, and all users must be alive and at least 18 years old.

Profile ContentAn account should not upload, transmit or contain (in the profile, testimonials, scrapbook entries, etc.) material -- such as child pornography -- that violates real-world laws. These users will be immediately terminated when we become aware of such content, and we will report instances of child pornography to the appropriate authorities.

Additionally, images displayed on orkut.com should not contain nudity, sexually graphic material, or material that is otherwise deemed explicit by the orkut team.

An account should not upload, transmit or contain material that is hateful or offensive based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

An account should not contain direct threats of violence against any living person, nor may it promote any dangerous and illegal activity.

Account BehaviorAccounts should not be used for commercial purposes unless separately agreed to by contract with Google. orkut.com is for personal use only.

An account should not be created by automated means or be used by an automated system to perform actions such as: creating new accounts; sending scraps, messages, testimonials or invitations; or creating communities. We may remove accounts found to be engaged in this type of activity. Similarly, an account that affects the general stability and/or integrity of the system may be suspended or terminated.

Finally, we believe that users are accountable for the company they keep. An orkut.com account should not be used to invite another account with the purpose of violating these Community Standards. If the orkut.com team determines this takes place, we may suspend or terminate both accounts.

Community RestrictionsWhile we encourage users to take advantage of communities on orkut.com to share ideas freely with one another, we have limitations on certain community content and behavior. Communities are subject to the following restrictions. Violation of any of these restrictions may result in the termination of a community:

Community ContentNeedless to say, a community should not contain material -- such as child pornography or pedophilia -- that violates real-world laws.

Additionally, images displayed on orkut.com should not contain nudity, sexually graphic material, or material that is otherwise deemed explicit by the orkut team.

A community should not display material, or be used for activity, that is hateful or offensive based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, or sexual orientation.

A community should not contain direct threats of violence against any living person, nor should it promote any dangerous and illegal activity.

Community BehaviorCommunities should not be used for commercial purposes unless separately agreed to by contract with Google. orkut.com is for personal use only.

A community that affects the general stability and/or integrity of the system may be suspended or terminated until the issue can be addressed.

Other orkut.com Policies
Terms of Service Image Upload Policy Copyrighted Material Policy Privacy Policy

Source: orkut.com

orkut Privacy and Security Center

2008-05-29T04:13:00.000-07:00

Please visit the topics below to find out more about orkut's policies. These links also contain important information for safeguarding your profile and protecting your privacy. We trust and rely on our users to notify us of violations of our Terms of Service and to notify us of abuse.
orkut.com Policies
Terms of Service
Community Standards
Copyrighted Material Policy
Privacy Policy
Image Upload Policy

Privacy Features
Removals policy
Profile privacy features
Ignore other users
Content ownership

Security Features
Removals policy
Protect your account
Prevent viruses and spyware
Spam on orkut

General Safety Resources
General safety tips for using orkut
Advice for parents
Other safety resources
Reporting abuse on orkut

Known issues with security
Is this email from orkut? Is orkut going to delete my account?
All my scraps are gone!
I deleted my profile, but it's still up.

orkut Known Issues
We're always working to resolve problems that pop up on orkut. If your problem is listed below, we're aware of the issue and are working to fix it as soon as possible. To see more information on an issue, just click "View Details & Report." Clicking the "Report it" button will save you the time of sending us an email but will ensure that we're notified about your issue.
Source: orkut.com

Orkut

2008-05-29T04:07:00.002-07:00

orkut is an online community designed to make your social life more active and stimulating. orkut's social network can help you maintain existing relationships with pictures and messages, and establish new ones by reaching out to people you've never met before.

orkut makes it easy to find people who share your hobbies and interests, look for romantic connections or establish new business contacts. You can also create and join a wide variety of online communities to discuss current events, reconnect with old school mates or even exchange your favorite recipes.

Who you interact with is entirely up to you. Before getting to know an orkut member, you can read their profile and even see how they're connected to you through the friends network.

To join orkut, simply sign in with your Google Account and you can begin to create your own profile right away. If you do not have a Google Account yet, we will help you create one in minutes.

It is our mission to help you create a closer, more intimate network of friends. We hope to put you on the path to social bliss soon. Source: orkut.com

Orkut

2008-05-29T04:07:00.001-07:00

Orkut

2008-05-29T04:07:00.000-07:00

orkut makes it easy to find people who share your hobbies and interests, look for romantic connections or establish new business contacts. You can also create and join a wide variety of online communities to discuss current events, reconnect with old school mates or even exchange your favorite recipes.

Who you interact with is entirely up to you. Before getting to know an orkut member, you can read their profile and even see how they're connected to you through the friends network.

To join orkut, simply sign in with your Google Account and you can begin to create your own profile right away. If you do not have a Google Account yet, we will help you create one in minutes.
It is our mission to help you create a closer, more intimate network of friends. We hope to put you on the path to social bliss soon. Source: orkut.com

Google, Facebook in stalemate over social data

2008-05-26T05:40:00.000-07:00

By ANICK JESDANUN – 2 days ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Google Inc.'s online communities have little traction in the United States, but the search leader continues to seek a spot in the social-networking hierarchy. First, it must contend with Facebook, the No. 2 online hangout behind MySpace.

Days after Google unveiled Friend Connect, which lets the sites of musicians, political campaigns and others incorporate profile data from several social networks, Facebook began to block the program.

Although Google was taking advantage of the same tools that Facebook made available free to other outside developers, Facebook said Google was violating Facebook's restrictions on data sharing. The two sides remain in a stalemate.

Google, whose Orkut social network has tens of millions of users in Brazil, tried to reach further into social networking with the November unveiling of a consortium called OpenSocial, which lets developers write applications for use on multiple social networks. News Corp.'s MySpace has joined, but Facebook hasn't.

This month, Google unveiled Friend Connect, which promises to pool profile data from Facebook, Google Talk, Orkut, LinkedIn, Plaxo and hi5, though not MySpace. The profile information gets incorporated into other sites — a political campaign, for instance, can build communities of supporters by tapping existing networks — with Google serving as the intermediary.
Facebook quickly objected, citing privacy concerns. Normally dealing with other companies one on one, Facebook can block a service it feels violates its rules. With Google as the intermediary, Facebook lost that leverage, so it decided to block Friend Connect entirely.
In a blog posting, Facebook developer Charlie Cheever said Google's Friend Connect "redistributes user information from Facebook to other developers without users' knowledge, which doesn't respect the privacy standards our users have come to expect."

Google responded, acknowledging it passes along data. But it said sharing is limited to links for profile photos of users and friends who have expressly consented to sharing with that particular site. The user's name and numeric ID on Facebook are replaced with Google's own identifiers, Google said in a company blog post.
Google also said it purges Facebook data from its systems every 30 minutes, more frequently than the 24 hours required by Facebook.

Facebook has run into privacy challenges before, most recently when it unveiled a marketing tool called "Beacon" that tracked purchases Facebook members made on other Web sites and sent alerts to their Facebook friends about the transactions.

But Rachel Happe, research manager at IDC, said the dispute is ultimately about control rather than privacy. She said Google's Friend Connect "starts to eat into other people's value proposition, which is why you saw Facebook object to it." Source: http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gAOfgS-2v1Qhg7OKgdlLROleXVEAD90S061G0

One held for posting obscene Orkut message on Sonia

2008-05-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

18 May 2008, 0325 hrs IST,TNN

PUNE: Orkut, the popular social networking site, is in the news again. The cyber cell of the city police crime branch has arrested Rahul Krishnakumar Vaid (22), an IT professional of Gurgaon, Haryana, for allegedly uploading obscene and derogatory text about Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi on Orkut. Congress activist Amol Bhokare (28) of Pune, who saw the message, lodged a complaint at the Deccan Gymkhana police in December, 2007. Vaid was found guilty under section 67 of the IT Act. According to assistant commissioner of police (cell) Netaji Shinde, Vaid, who was working with PC solutions, an IT company in Gurgaon, had added the derogatory text in a community named'I hate Soniya Gandhi' on Orkut, last year.

He uploaded the text while working at office. Shinde said that the police had first asked Google to provide the IP address of the person who posted the message. They learnt that the accused was connected to the net through Bharati Airtel and Sify Internet in Chennai. It was also learnt that the message was circulated through the email address'rahulvaidindia@gmail.com'. The police then sought information about the user of this email address from the internet service provider and learnt that it was the address of Rahul Vaid, a resident of Chakarpur in Gurgaon. The police nabbed Vaid at his residence on Friday. He admitted to having posted the message.

The accused was produced before the Shivajinagar court on Saturday and remanded to custody till May 21. Interestingly, the person who formed the community'I hate Soniya Gandhi' is not guilty as per the law. ACP N. Shinde said hating Sonia Gandhi is the personal opinion of the person who formed the community. Having a personal opinion about someone is not an offence as per the law. Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Pune/One_held_for_posting_obscene_Orkut_message_on_Sonia/articleshow/3049971.cms

Flooders and fake profiles

2008-05-23T02:50:00.000-07:00

Flooders and fake profiles: As with any online social networking community, a number of fake and cloned profiles exist on Orkut.Due to the large number of users, and the deactivation of the jail system, the profiles were often left unremoved or, when removed, recreated easily. These profiles are normally created to troll, to spam, to flood or just for fun. It isn't hard to find users owning more than one profile, with some stating they own hundreds. Also, many of the users use these profiles to steal art that has previously posted online and deem it their own.

In 2005 invisible profiles, communities and topics started to appear in Orkut. This could be achieved by using HTML escaping codes and 1x1 pixel photos to fool the engine behind the site.

In August 2005 a freeware program was made in Delphi called Floodtudo ("tudo" in Portuguese means "everything" - this was developed by a Brazilian) specifically for flooding Orkut. It quickly spread through the users and was easily downloadable (the most common Floodtudo versions were As this program was massively used by thousands of spammers, a big spam wave struck Orkut in September and October 2005. However, changes implemented by the developers in November made this program non-functional.

As the flooding of Orkut was becoming out of control, the developers implemented some features in order to stop this. These features included not allowing two or more verbatim topics or scrapbook entries to be submitted, forcing the user to wait before posting another topic or scrapbook entry, and the usage of captchas, whenever a scrap entry is hyperlinked. They gave more rights to community moderators as well, so that users can be banned outright instead of relying on the developers to remove them, and now community moderators are able to mass-delete topics selectively in forum as well.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: wikipedia.org

Orkut

2008-05-22T23:48:00.000-07:00

Orkut is a social networking service which is run by Google and named after its creator, an employee of Google - Orkut Büyükkökten. The service states that it was designed to help users meet new friends and maintain existing relationships. Orkut is similar to other social networking sites. Since October 2006, Orkut has permitted users to create accounts without an invitation. Orkut is the most visited website in Brazil and second most visited site in India. The initial target market for Orkut was the United States, but the majority of its users are in India and Brazil. In fact, as of May 2008, 43.9% of the traffic comes from Brazil, followed by India with 38.8%.
External links Official Site
Official Blog (in English)
Official Blog (in Portuguese)
Non-official Brazilian Magazine about Orkut (in Portuguese)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Source: wikipedia.org