O(u)rkut really!

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.