I suppose it really dates me that I remember Orkut; that I even remember using it. At the time it seemed really interesting and a great way to keep in touch with people and share ideas with likeminded people. Now thinking back to it, Orkut seems dry and clunky simply because services like Twitter and Facebook completely transformed the social media space. However, there are many who think back to those Orkut times fondly.
This tweet triggered a flood of memories and a whole lot of nostalgia. The social networking website started in 2004 was the first for many.
Since so many had fond memories of Orkut (which was dissolved in 2014), many of the tweeple tweeted with this hashtag.
What, who is Orkut, they wondered.
Many millennials cut their social media teeth on Orkut. They marvelled at how the site made it possible to reconnect, stay in touch and share stuff with likeminded people.
In fact, some became quite sentimental at the mention of a service that helped them reconnect with friends and family they had lost touch with.
Some seemed to really be missing Orkut.
Perhaps Orkut belongs to a time when social media wasn’t toxic?
Why is Orkut trending, people wondered.
Seeing the trending hashtag #Orkut, some thought that it was returning. There were many who made great friends on Orkut; friendships that have endured over time.
Kids who are connected 24x7 on their handheld devices cannot know the joy of visiting an internet café for 30 minutes or an hour to check Orkut, email, and a few favourite websites.
Orkut may seem dated and limited in its functionalities; however, during its heyday in 2008, it was the most visited website in India and Brazil.
With social media giants like Facebook and Twitter now ruling the roost, it is surprising that people still seem to have a soft spot for Orkut.
Since Orkut died in 2014, and was largely defunct long before then, there is a whole generation of social media users who never knew Orkut at all.
A host of other social network platforms with much smarter features, functionality, slicker interface and ease of use outpaced Orkut over time.
Orkut became largely irrelevant over time. Many loyalists, however, felt that the platform deserved better than the step-motherly treatment it got from users who migrated elsewhere.
This is the story of the evolution of social media in a sense. Perhaps Orkut failed to keep up with the times, whereas Facebook constantly tweaks, adds and evolves to keep pace with changing times. Who knows, someday, people may be ‘talking’ nostalgically about Facebook/Twitter the way they are about Orkut right now?
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