Must Have Orkut Hacks (Round Two)

When I first started blogging about Orkut, I came across many programs and hacks that made it easier for me to use and enjoy Orkut, which made using the forums a lot more fun.

After testing dozens of these user made hacks/programs, I created a list called called Must Have Orkut Hacks in order to share my discoveries with other users who often visit the forums.

Many months later, new programs/hacks have emerged, while others were destroyed by the Google updates on the Orkut servers.

After reviewing too many programs/hacks (and several in different languages) I decided that these were the ones that stood out among the rest. I judged each Orkut program/hack by:

• Simplicity: How simple the program would be for new users to install and use.


• Usefulness: How many different ways it could help users (forums, scrapbooks, etc.


• Innovation: Solving a problem on Orkut by building a "Google feature" (basically an item Google needs on Orkut).

Without further delay, here are the results:

In 5^th place: Free Orkut Toolbar 1.1 (for Internet Explorer)



Developed by Winrogs Globalsoft, the Free Orkut Toolbar provides the basic formatting features. What makes Free Orkut Toolbar interesting is the fact that it includes an email notifier (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.), a local weather forecast and a free radio player.

Suggestions: Create a Firefox version as well as incorporate XM Radio within (supported by ads or a non-ad version with a low monthly fee).

Crowing features:

• free radio player


• Local weather forecast


• email notifier (Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, POP3)

For a more in depth review click here.

In 4^th place: Sorkut



Sorkut was originally developed by Rohit Kumbhar for Firefox users. Despite suffering through the various Google server updates, this hack enables users to "google" forums for keywords within conversations. Why Google has not developed this within the Orkut forums themselves is anybodies guess.

Suggestions: This hack has a few bugs in it (thus the reason it has dropped two spots from last time) although if these were resolved this would probably be in second place, as this is desperately needed on Orkut.

Crowing feature:

• search for keywords within Orkut forums

For a more in depth review click here.

In 3^rd place: Scrapboy

Scrapboy has improved dramatically since I first encountered it, and has moved up a spot from last time to the number three position.

Created by Assaf Koren, Scrapboy allows users to scrap their friends without logging into Orkut (very handy when Firefox is down) as well as being notified of not only your scraps, but your friends as well.

Equipped with a built in online status indicator that lets you know which of your friends are online (the only program/hack with this thus far) as well as the ability to choose which friends to scrap while receiving multiple messages.

Suggestions: Give users the ability to choose different skins of for Scrapboy layout. Also give users with Google accounts the ability to send scraps within Orkut's cousin Joga.

Crowing features:

• online status indicator


• send and receive scraps from desktop


• real time scrapbook notifier

Support forum: Scrapboy

For a more in depth review click here, here and here.

In 2^nd place: Orkut Cute



Designed by Alexandre Pires of APC Software, this program requires very little "geek knowledge" making it a favorite on and off the Orkut world.

Orkut Cute might as well be called the unofficial Orkut browser, and allows users to do everything from change their background colors, to send mass scraps to all of your friends and favorite forums and comes with not only a scrap notifier, but also lets you know when a new topic has been posted on your forums.

Orkut Cute also goes the extra mile and provides anti-virus software resources for users, just in case they click on the wrong link and their computer is infected with an evil virus (a huge problem on Orkut previously).

Suggestions: Create something similar for Joga and perhaps create a Firefox version of Orkut Cute (to create a smoother version between features). Also an online status indicator would sweeten the deal.

Crowing features:

• mass scrap your friends


• post on several forums at once


• change your background colors


• virus protection software


• scrapbook notifier


• forum post notifier

Support forum: Orkut Cute


For a more in depth review click here.

In 1^st place: Orkut Scrapper 2.0

After suffering a brief outage due to changes on the Orkut server, Orkut Scrapper came back with not only all of its bugs fixed, but adding many necessary features that neither I (or Google) may have thought of before.

Created by Binny, this Firefox hack is already being declared a favorite by many inside Orkut (at least the messages that I can read in English) and provides a host of tools for users to use.

Orkut Scrapper allows users to not only send scraps instantly to those who have left messages on their scrapbook but also allows users to send secret scraps as well (which is a great feature as Orkut has yet to announce plans on creating privacy settings within Orkut).

Orkut cute also comes with a scrapbook notifier, an online friend notifier, translation post tools (a Google must!), the ability to view images and Google video's (a Google must!), a live preview of your scrap before you hit send, and the ability to change your Orkut background to a picture. Did I mention a shout box too?

Suggestions: Allow users to adjust the colors of their Orkut background, integrate (if possible) Gtalk within Orkut instead of a shout box (like in Gmail), insert more language translation tools within.

Crowing features:

• translation post tools


• secret scraps


• shout box


• online friend alert


• ability to view images and Google videos


• live scrap preview tool

Support forum: Orkut Scrapper 2.0.1

For a more in depth review click here.

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Well, those are the Must Have Orkut Hacks for this round. I am really impressed with the developers of these programs themselves (as this type of thing takes time to develop), especially with the last three as they have improved themselves over the months to meet the needs of Orkut users everywhere.

Now if only we could get Google to see the potential of Orkut that these guys see, then maybe Google would grant access to Orkut for everyone to check out for themselves.