orkut

Posted by Kenneth Ronkowitz on

Orkut is an online community from Google that connects people through a network of "trusted" friends. Named after Turkish software engineer Orkut Buyukkokten, the service lets members discuss a wide range of subjects in Internet forums, or "communities." Orkut.com had required you to get an invite from a existing member of the service, but now users can sign up now by using (or creating) their Google mail account.

I didn't know it even existed until I read a news story about problems they were having in Brazil. Google Inc. will now help Brazilian authorities identify individuals accused of using Orkut to spread child pornography and hate speech on the Internet.


Orkut currently has around 30 million registered users. With some 8 million users (about a quarter of all Brazilians who have Internet access), it is more popular in Brazil than in any other country. I have no idea why.


Although not very popular (or promoted much) in the US, Orkut seems to be gaining ground abroad. Is it an attempt by Google to gain a stronger international position?




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