Lagging behind in the virtual world

Do people still log on to social networking sites like Orkut and Hi5?

And now, there is not a single youngster who is not on Facebook and most of them are quite active even on Twitter.

Orkut and Hi5 almost seem old world when compared to these newer networking sites. Does the youth still go on Orkut and check its ‘scrapbook’ as much as it checks its ‘wall’ (on Facebook)?

Pradhan, a graphic designer, is highly fond of social networking sites. Like most people, Pradhan joined Orkut in 2006 and progressed to Facebook two years later.

“Though I use more of Facebook, I log on to Orkut daily. I check my messages on it and see who has been viewing my profile,” he says. He admits that not many people come on Orkut anymore. “In fact, most of my friends have deleted their Orkut accounts,” he informs.

Sukanya, a BCom student, checks her Orkut account once a week on an average.
 “Earlier, when you met people, they would ask you if you were on Orkut but now, everyone asks if you are on Facebook,” she says.

“But there are a lot of things that I like on Orkut, when compared to Facebook. For instance, you can choose between old Orkut and the new one, unlike Facebook, where changes are just imposed and you have no choice but to use them. So if you wish to go back to the older Orkut, you can do so,” she notes. “Plus, one more thing is on Orkut, you can see who has viewed your profile. Even the communities of Orkut are much nicer and you tend to have a lot of choices,” she adds.

However, not everyone thinks like Sukanya. A majority of Facebook users check their Orkut accounts once a month or even lesser.  Sudheer Sagar, a professional, is one of them. “I hardly check my Orkut account but am on Facebook pretty often,” he says.
“I hardly go on Orkut. I probably log on to it once a month and that too, only if I need some particular information or want to find old friends who are not there on Facebook.” 

Ask him why Facebook has taken over as everyone’s favourite networking site from Orkut, and he answers, “Indians like going for new things. Some people start one trend and the rest just follow. Also, in terms of security and user-friendliness, Facebook is much better. Orkut was good a few years ago but now it needs to be more updated.”

First Hi5, then Orkut followed by Facebook and now Twitter and Google Plus.  We wonder what’s next in the world of social networking.