Must Have Orkut Hacks (Coming Soon)

There are dozens upon dozens upon dozens of Orkut hacks, programs and everything in between that make "orkuting better," or at least that is what they say.

I originally did the first round of Must Have Orkut Hacks because I felt their were some programs that every user should download, and others...that could use some more improvement. ;-)

Months have passed and many of those programs have changed. Some of these hacks/programs have become better over time. Some of them have become worse. And a few actually have not changed at all.

I am going to do a new round of Must Have Orkut Hacks as there are some upcoming programs (that I have not highlighted yet) that claim they are not only better than all of the previous hacks/programs mentioned before, but are better looking too. (i.e. more user friendly)

I am going to display the top five programs/hacks that every Orkut users should have, (in my opinion) and if you think your program is great enough to take on Orkut Cute (the champion from last time) or Scrapboy (which has improved dramatically since I first encountered it) let me know by either scraping me or commenting below.

I See Google Ads...Do You?

Upon logging into to Orkut today (before it went down via donut errors) I came across a site I thought I would never see unless I moved to Brazil or India...Google Ads!



I was very pleased as to where Google put these ads, as I feared that Google would place them in my profile (which might get old after a while).

The ads seem to be showing up either at the bottom of the front page of a forum or on the right side of the discussion pages.

I did however notice that Google did not place any ads on the Orkut searches, which came across as very strange to me (as that would be the easiest way to match sponsors with customers).

I do not know if everyone is seeing ads (as Orkut was testing this earlier) but if you prefer to surf Orkut free (with donut errors to spare) you can remove them at your own discretion.

Note to Google: It looks like one of your ads inside Orkut provided some useful info that may seriously help me out in the future. Thanks!

Removing Google Ads From Orkut

A while ago Google began displaying Google ads inside Orkut.

Although I really enjoy Google Ads (mostly because they help me out whenever a Google search fails or provide information relevant to business) some users find them to be annoying and have been either scraping me, emailing me, etc. on if removing them is possible.

Well, Vijay over on Matrix Chronicle has developed a GreaseMonkey script that will remove the ads from your view.

This is for Firefox fans only (IE users are out of luck in this regard) so you may consider switching if you are either a Bill Gates or Opera browser fan.

Note: Removing the ads may violate Google's terms of service and can result in "evil things" happening to you. I'd advise that you install the script at your own (legal) risk.

Happy Birthday Google!

This week marks Google's eighth birthday!



Google has been a blessing to the internet, and whether you love them or hate them Google has changed cyberspace in a way that few companies ever will.

For those who are fans, today is a day to thank Google and highlight what they have done for you. (and if you are not, well, you can always use Yahoo! or the evil MSN search)

I would like to thank Google for creating:

• Gmail (the greatest email service bar none)
• Orkut (the current and upcoming version)
• Google Calendar (to organize my day)
• Google News (to keep me informed)
• Google Maps (so I won't get lost)
• Google Video (for hours of laughter)
• Froogle (because you can't find everything on Ebay)

And I would also like to thank Google for buying out:

• Picasa (so I can touch up my photos)
• Blogger (giving me a voice on cyberspace)
• Writely (a place to save my "works")
• Google Earth (so I won't get lost overseas)
• Google SketchUp (so I can design a house...and a space elevator too)

But last I would like to thank Google for creating Ad Sense, which will help pay for some (future) hosting bills. ;)

Note: I may be a little light on posting today and tomorrow, but I should be back to "normal posting" next week.

Orkut Inbox Messages Not Private?

I noticed recently that Google has recently changed the Orkut email interface. Unfortunately their seems to be a minor problem, with the fact that your Orkut email may be visible to outsiders, that is if they know the exact link).

Vijay, over on Matrix Chronicle details this on his blog, and provides a link for users to test this out.

This does not make me happy, and Vijay communicates the same feeling over on his weblog.

When I clicked the link, it opened an orkut login box. I expected that I will be able to see the message only if I logged in with the userid of the person to which this message was meant for. But I was wrong, it showed the message even though I logged in with my user id! This means that every information pertaining to a message can be accessed using the URL to the specific message. This is not SO private because URL alone should not disclose the content of a message. It should be accessible only to the person which the message is meant for, after password authentication.

I am going to notify Google about this, but in the mean time, I would recommend users to have their email sent directly to them instead of their Orkut account.

For those of you either new to Orkut (or lack the geek powers like us Orkut freaks) these three simple steps should help you resolve the privacy issue, that is until Google can make time to resolve this issue.

1. Locate and click on the Settings link near the top of the page.
   
   



2. Uncheck all of the messages boxes and check all of the email boxes.
   
   


3. Scroll down and click on the update button, and then you are done.
   
   

This should resolve some of the privacy concerns, although if you send email from your Orkut account, it may be visible to users. As stated previously, I am going to notify Google about this error, and encourage users to do the same.

Gee Google, Where's The Warning?

Props to the Feedburner for alerting me about this!

Apparently Google (without warning) decided to change all of the beta users feed url.

No email was sent warning all of us about this, and users of the new beta may want to change their feed url on their weblog (or inside Feedburner) as you will receive a "clunky" sound when trying to subscribe (okay, you will not hear anything, but it was really annoying).

Google better inform everyone on the Blogger Buzz because some have already started to vent.

Is Orkut Catching Up To MySpace?

That would be a good thing since it would put Google's social network on a path towards social networking king (as they enjoy being number one in everything).

Over on the Read / Write Web blog, Alex posts some interesting graphs showing Orkut sliding into the number two position.

Here is their summary of the competition between Orkut and MySpace:

From the charts we clearly see that Orkut is gaining, but why? The feature set and the user interface are not impressive. The answer has to be its affiliation with Google... [...]

But perhaps it is not just that Brazilian users dominate, but also the attitude and confidence of Orkut. [...]

MySpace is an undisputed leader on all counts, but Orkut is on the rise and it's moving very rapidly. [...] All and all it looks like the battle for the gold (MySpace, Orkut) and for the bronze (the others) is going to heat up.

According to Read / Write Web, Orkut has around 49 million users, which is almost half that of MySpace.

Although they still have a long way to go in order to catch up to MySpace, Google seems to finally be busy improving the Orkut servers, as one can tell by the growing list of dead orkut hacks and programs (hey, you either have to adapt or die).

Note: Google's rival Yahoo! seems to be jumping into the social network club and is considering buying out Facebook, a story that Inside Facebook is following very closely.

Update: Ionut, from Google Operating System posted on Google Blogoscoped that Alexa's numbers are flawed. Visiting HitWise reveals Orkut to be less popular than Friendster. Sad.

Phishing For Google Accounts

Yeah, more people finding ways to exploit Google! (note the sarcasm).

Over in IT World, Basav gives the details.

Learn to crack into orkut accounts, this is serious and worked fine for me, just login, take the control panel, and click show passwords, then goto ur friends profile, it shows the password, the recent visitors(full list), etc...If u select the red button(ignore me from this) it will make sure no one else using this site will see your password

http://www.orkuthack.r8.org/

Since Orkut is now requiring users to upgrade to Google accounts, this may not make the search king happy.

I decided to be "risky" and login with my Google account (don't worry, I changed my password after logging into the site). It seems to redirect to a Yahoo site after logging in, thus confirming my suspician that this is a phishing site (basically a cyber thief.

I encourage everyone here to report this to Google, lest an unsuspecting Orkuteer gets taken advantage of by this individual.

Google Suggestion: Orkut RSS Reader

What I enjoy most about Orkut is the vast range of ideas, culture, etc. you can exchange with people all over the world through their forums.

But what I do not like about Orkut is that it's very hard to keep up with what is happening within the forums, which can be a problem if you are a member of over 250 forums.

Although their are programs designed to alert you of changes within communities, (such as Orkut Cute) recent changes within Orkut are causing them to either not function correctly or implode.

Since Google has already integrated Google Maps inside Orkut, I was thinking it would be very helpful if they created an Orkut Reader, similar to Google Reader which I use to keep me informed with what is happening around the world.

I am going to suggest this to the Google team, and hopefully if enough people request this (or a similar feature) we can all benefit by being alerted about new posts within the forums.

President Bush Is The Devil?

I am surprised that this discussing is not in the United Nations forum, but over in American Politics community discussion is already picking up over Venezuela's President Chavez calling Bush a devil.

While some enjoyed the speech...

Wahab: haha omg, i just saw the news of the V. presidents bashing bush and how the white house has failed to comment. i just want to see what people think of this...

should the US bomb venezuela too? or should the US support another coup? or should the US simply stop importing oil from venezuela?

Mansoor (on page two): Hugo Chavez has insulted the devil by comparing him to Bush.

...others were not very impressed by it.

The Prophet: While Bush is an evil ****, Chavez' speech was childish and not worthy of the United Nations. It showed Chavez to be the lunatic **** that he is.

Charlie: As a Head of State, I would expect Chavez to show a little more class.I think he could make his point without being vulgar.

He's a low life.He should take a hard look at his own backyard before start talking about "democracy".Go to Venezuela and ask the folks there, and you'll find who the real Devil really is...

Bush is an idiot, but he's OUR idiot...

Later on throughout the post, Paul points out that Chavez may be on the UN security council and in frustration wishes he "could move to a different planet." (he will have to talk to LiftPort about that).

For those of you who have not seen the video clip, you can watch it over on Google Video.

Scrapboy Update: Select And Respond

(Hat Tip: Range)

Scrapboy has added a new feature to their program allowing users to select which individuals they want to reply back to on their Orkut scrapbook, which can be especially helpful if you receive multiple scraps from friends.



There is even a little window frame (not shown above) that lets you know when your scrap went through, which is very helpful as Google's frequent updates have killed many scrap programs for Orkut.

Scrapboy previously rolled out an online status indicator inside its chat program, although I have noticed that they no longer display those cool little ads they had a month ago (perhaps they should consider Google ads instead?).

Note: I think I am going to have to do another Must Have Orkut Hacks as some programs have changed (for the better or worse) while others have simply died off via the Orkut server updates.

Talk Like A Pirate...Aaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrggg!!!

(Hat Tip: Share Skype)

Unless you have lived in a box (or perhaps never heard about this until now) today is the International Talk Like A Pirate day (believe it or not, it's true).

Over at Clifton's Pirate Crew, Captain Clifton is leading his swashbuckling crew in the ways and mannerisms of piratehood.

heed this notice!
Come this morn, like the black spot caught up with ye at last, this date swabs all scuttlebutt with a touch of the maritime!

MATIES, it be TALK LIKE A PIRATE DAY! Accord the day's parlance with that of the corsairs and gulp rum, or walk the plank!

YAAAAAR!
-Captain Clifton

And you of course can not talk about Pirates without mentioning Pirates of the Caribbean!

Over in the CAPTAIN---> Jack Sparrow forum, R.J. leads off a pirates story full of rum, a girl and more rum (sound familiar?).

And you can not be a pirate without a real pirate name! Achin in the Captain Jack Sparrow community (these forums are quite numerous) can help you rediscover the pirate in you, and all you pirates (at least for today) can now address me as Cap'n Wade Jailbait.

For those of you looking for real pirate news, Captain Jack D has confirmed that Pirates of the Caribbean three's new title will be At Worlds End (thanks Karina for the link).

Note: Blast! Cap'n Wade Jailbait missed the boarding party! That's what you get when one eye ye have!

Orkut Alert Beta (New Orkut Software)

Abhishek has created a program that alerts you when someone sends you a new scrap.

Called Orkut Alert Beta, this piece of software not only lets you know the number of scraps that a user has received, but also comes with an online status indicator as well (something Google is considering adding to Orkut).



You can download the program from SourceForge.net and make sure you select the Orkut Alert 0.6 U1 Beta setup file (otherwise you may run into some problems).

Note: Adding this to the sidebar underneath Orkut User Tools.

Did Orkut Take Down Google Maps?

I posted about the new Google Maps within Orkut recently, and apparently it seems down, at least on my end.

I receive a "Can't display a map because no user locations are known." message whenever I visit the friends map site at http://www.orkut.com/Map.aspx.

Google may have turned this off in order to protect the privacy of members, as I found it was very easy to locate the physical addresses of members, even if they adjusted their privacy settings to exclude certain friend levels from finding that info.

Although I miss the Google Maps feature, I hope Google will make it a little bit more secure, or give users the ability to opt into having their locations displayed on a map.

Update: Why maps may not be available, via Orkut Help:

The "friends map" is currently only available for some orkut users while we work to improve this feature. We're glad to hear that you're interested in this new feature and hope to have it available to everyone soon.

They are probably working out the privacy issues. I hope they include the "opt out" part that I mentioned above (lest they face a similar rebellion that happened over on Facebook).

Google Maps Inside Orkut (New Feature)

The boys and girls at Google have been working hard tweaking the new servers, and upon logging in users will notice a new feature inside Orkut--Google Maps!!!

Upon logging into their home page, users should see an alert box (what else would you call it?) informing them of the new Orkut feature.



Upon clicking on the link you will be able to see where your friends are located around the world, provided they filled out their address details correctly.



Upon clicking on either a group or a person, you will be able to see your friends address, profile link as well as a pretty photo (that is if they have provided one).



The good thing about this feature is that it will help out businesses as they network their goods and services around the world (which is becoming more common, especially around Asian, Pakistani and Indian businesses).

The bad thing about this is that stalkers can know where you reside, so unless you do not mind showing off your physical address to "your friends," you may want to adjust your privacy settings (or simply delete that info on your profile).

I wonder what services they will introduce next? (=

Update: You can check out the link by clicking here (you must be logged into Orkut to see it)

Update (6:28 pm): I am having way to much fun with this, although I wonder if Google could provide something similar for the forums as it would be a great way for members to connect.

Here is another screen shot below.

Save Pluto?

A new forum has appeared called Save Pluto where users can (sarcastically) vent their feelings regarding Pluto's demise.

Boasting a little over 100 members, here is what some users had to say about Pluto's dwarf status.

Tanmay: Give us back Pluto... i grew up learning that pluto is a planet so no matter what they say pluto will alwayz be a planet for me

Amlan: [...] even the Plutonians now know that there is this group fighting for them, leave aside our planetmates, n keep fighting for our common cause, that is to save PLUTO before its too late.

HAIL PLUTO!!!!

Avadhut Das: You puny Earthlings may believe it or not, but at Charon, every 2 legged spider, 3 tailed lizard and Clean Shaven Plutonian Cockroach believes that Charon is going around Pluto, so Pluto is a Planet. [...]

We want our Pluto's planetary status back and we want it NOW!

There is apparently a petition still going around to save Pluto's planetary status, although I am doubtful on how successful e-campaigns are in the real world.

But for those of you who are still in mourning, a Canadian rock group made a song called Pluto Rocks which may help relieve some of the pain.

Another Orkut Blog...

...has appeared on the scene.

I have been following this one for awhile (although I thought it had died like this one) but Os Humanos do Orkut (or The Human beings of the Orkut) is a Portuguese blog detailing what happens inside Orkut as well.

I'm going to add it to the sidebar underneath Orkut Related and if you speak Portuguese I would recommend that you subscribe to its feed.

All Those Changes...

Google seems to be changing its servers faster than I can post (which would not be surprising since I've been away for a while).

Several users have reported problems using Orkut with a variety of hacks or programs, while I have noticed some upcoming hacks (some of them to rival the ones previously mentioned) are no longer working as well.

Here is a partial list of the ones that are broken within Orkut:

• Sorkut: This firefox hack is still up and running, although recent attempts to update this extension to "make it smoother" were foiled when Orkut updated their servers again. Rohit (the creator) has been working to fix this problem (so don't worry) although I am quite surprised this hack has survived all of the major upgrades to the Orkut server.
• Scrapboy: The online status indicator is working quite fine, although I am unable to scrap my friends via this "chat program." I am sure the Scrapboy team is aware of the problem (and are probably working on an update) which I'll let everyone know as soon as I get word.
• PlayStation Portable: Charlie is reporting that his PSP is no longer working on Orkut, as he is unable to submit scraps or post his thoughts on forums. I am going to see if other PSP users are having a similar problem on Orkut, and see if a solution can be found for this.
• GreaseMonkey Hacks: Please see Orkut.Ya.St for more details.

For those of you using Orkut Cute, unless you upgrade to the latest version (which is 7.8) you may experience many problems with the program crashing.

For those using the English version, the download link will give you an error, although if you visit the link below you should have no problem download the latest version:

http://www.avaliado.com/orkutcute/OrkutCute78_setup.exe

Visit the link below to download Orkut Cute. Thanks Alexandre!

http://www.avaliado.com/orkutcute/OrkutCute78_setup.zip

If anyone knows of any other problems regarding Orkut with a hack, firefox extension, etc. (aside from GreaseMonkey hacks) post here and let me know.

Update (9/22): Changed Orkut Cute download link.

New Searchbar Within Orkut

Upon logging in later on today I came across a search bar in the upper right hand corner of my screen above the my friends group box.



Since I was in the mood for some food (felafel's to be precise) I decided to do a test search and see where the "rabbit hole led me."

And to my surprise, the Google team has revamped the entire search arena as you can see below.



Users can choose to search all of Orkut or simply choose either the profiles or forums. You can also expand the search (within profiles) if you are looking for something a little more specific...



...as well as change the language settings of your search as well.



Although these are only cosmetic changes, they should make searching throughout the deep blue forums a little bit easier.

Now only if they could enable users to Google within the forums themselves.

Remembering September 11th

It's been five years since the attacks on September 11^th, and members of the September 11th "9/11" post their thoughts of where they were when they heard that the planes hit the towers.

Fahed: i was studying preparing for my mid term exams when a 5 year old kid from second floor of my apartment came to my door and said why dont u watch TV. A plane got Stuck in a building and they are trying to remove it..
i was like...how can a plane get stuck..i switched on my TV apparently to find one more plane hitting the WTCs that was terrible and SAD

Osama sucks. and yes m muslim

Gaurav: I was celebrating my B'day with my frenz here in India and it was late in the evening here wen suddenly i saw this news on TV channels which shocked me & i cut short my B'day party & celebrations & got hooked on to the news for 1 whole day....My condolences to all those who died in those terror attacks that day.

Candy: I was awakened by a phone call from work. I was told to turn on the TV. As I did, I saw a plane hit the World Trade Center. There was speculation that it was a small aircraft at the time. The footage I saw was a big plane.

I showered and sped to work. I work for United Airlines. We didn't have a TV at work, which was probably a bad idea! I never saw what the World saw. I only heard via word of mouth. I only saw the events unfold some 12 hours later.

Perhaps, this is why I can't seem to watch it on TV now.

Many Americans will be reflecting on what happened during that day, and where they were when they heard the news that the US was attacked. I, ironically first doubted the news, having visited New York many, many times throughout my childhood.

After friends pointed towards video being played on the news of the buildings crashing down, I was pretty much shocked by what I saw (as it is hard to imagine NY without those buildings).

The Google Video Blog has highlighted a video commemorating the event, which you can view over at the Google Video site.

Orkut Online Status Indicator For Scrapboy!

This certainly was a surprise!

Upon updating Scrapboy I soon discovered a wonderful feature inside this scrap chat program--an online status indicator that lets you know when your friends are online.



I am glad that the Scrapboy team developed this as recent changes to Orkut's servers knocked out a previous hack which made many users "not so happy."

Although Google is working on something similar, (not to mention a possible chat program) it may be some time before we see these changes within the Orkut forums.

Note: For those of you who have no clue what Scrapboy is, you can read a previous review over here.

Orkut Users Pay Tribute To Steve Irwin

On a personal note, I am rather saddened by the passing of this great legend. I am still coming to grips that I will no longer see new episodes of him, as he was one of the few people who made animals cool again aside from Jurassic Park (except in this case the animals were real).

Steve you will be missed greatly.

Members of Orkut have been expressing their condolences to Steve and his family, and here is what some of them had to say:

(From the Steve Irwin~The Real Hero forum)

Sujith: miss u man it is sad to hear we have lost great person like MR STEAVE IRWIN.it is huge loss to animal world. it is very difficult to find such humble and brave person like him. may his sole rest in peace.

Catherine: I am SOOOOOOOOOOO going to miss him :(

Thank you for making all of us aware and much more aware of nature and her animals. Thank you for being there and for supporting our planet.

(Over in the Steve Irwin RULES!!! forum)

Vastavika: steve was my one and only idol.. i actually started loving wildlife because of him..my favourite animals are crocs and snakes.. i've always watched him on tv and dreamed of meeting him next yr.. coz im planning to visit australia.. but i now i will just pay a visit to his grave.. may his soul rest in peace.. love u always mate!

Sandeep (on page two): He was Gr8, My Role Model.... Dont knw what to say... Im Crying.... Really missed him... I LOVED HIM AND STILL I LOVE HIM, There is no one on earth can stand upto him... He really was a HERO and 'IS ' a HERO........ STEVE i REALLY MISS U

Over in the Tributes for steve irwin forum, J. Mandy has started a game where everyone says one word in remembrance of Steve. And members of the Croc hunter Steve Irwin community remind each other that Steve will always live on forever in their hearts.

The Google Video Blog has setup a special tribute to the world's greatest conversationalist, which you can watch below.





Also, Wildlife Warriors is looking for donations to help continue the legacy of Steve and help preserve our environment.

Steve, you were one of a kind, and you will be missed. :-(

Orkut's Hidden Millions (And How Google's Losing Out)

I stated earlier in this blog that Orkut has the potential of becoming another major source of revenue for the search engine king.

Although half of these involve indirect ways Orkut could benefit Google (through integration of its various services) they would none-the-less help diversify Google's cash flow as it's too heavily dependent on Ad Sense and print ads.

Here are four ways that I see Google profiting from Orkut.

1. Google Checkout: Many users already use the Internet to order books, music, packages, paintings, etc. online and I would not be surprised if many users do this on Orkut.
   
   Unfortunately, there is no way for them to do business within Orkut, so the most they can do is say, "here's my paypal email address" or send in the check via snail mail.
   
   Orkut could remove this barrier by allowing users to use Google Checkout as a means of exchanging cash between the buyer and the seller.


2. Picasa Web Albums: Although Orkut already has an album, it is pretty ghetto in my honest opinion. Although Joga's is an improvement, limiting album size based on amount is probably the wrong way to go.
   
   Orkut could eliminate this by having users upload photo's to Picasa Web Albums and having their images display on their photo albums. Users could then decide if they want to upgrade, which would benefit both Google and its millions of users.


3. License Forum Technology: I am not aware of how much money NikeFootBall.com paid Orkut to develop and maintain their site, but it must have been a kings ransom as one can easily see how much better Joga is compared to Orkut.
   
   With all of the Orkut clones popping up (with more on on the way) Google could easily license these for about $50-$70 as some companies are willing to pay up to $1000 or more for an exact copy of Orkut.
   
   Perhaps if they included it as part of a future premium Google Apps for Your Domain they may find many small businesses willing to pay annually (or even monthly) to have the Orkut team build them their own community forums.


4. Premium Accounts: With all of the spamming going around in the forums, this last one could be used to help separate legitimate businesses from those who are evil not.
   
   Premium users could pay a monthly fee and be able to post items from their Froogle store (like images of their product) on their business profile. Tying this in with Google Checkout would be convenient, although allowing extra options for payment (via PayPal, credit card, etc.) would be recommended.

Although Orkut could make money easily off the Ad Sense ads, some users have become annoyed by them and have asked me if I knew how to remove them from Orkut (since I was able to help out with the Joga Ad a long time ago).

Note: I'll continue to update this list as more ideas come along, although if anyone else has any other suggestions you can either scrap me or comment below.

Your Friend Is My Friend? (Orkut's New Feature)

(Hat Tip: Fudge)

It looks like Google has added a new feature to Orkut, which allows users to see which friends they have in common with each other.

If you click on your friends profile, you will see a little window underneath their friends which reveals some of the individuals that you and your friend both (supposedly) know.

(Note: Names and faces hidden to protect the guilty innocent)

Not a major improvement for Orkut, but to quote Fudge, "[glad] to see that they are at least working on it and not ignoring it."

Now all Orkut has to do is install the rumored chat feature (which you can encourage them to pursue by clicking here).

Orkut Toolbar For Internet Explorer?

Some of you may have remembered the Orkut Toolbar for Firefox developed by Renato Rodrigues.

Well apparently Winrogs GlobalSoft has developed a version for IE users which you can download from Softpedia.com.

Here is a brief description or the Orkut Toolbar for IE via Winrogs GlogalSoft:

Free Orkut Toolbar is a toolbar that has a built in radio & chat, provides one click access to all orkut features & google search ,popup blocker, Uninstaller. It's free with no spyware or viruses, does not open pop-ups or hijack your searches, no personal information is required.

After downloading the program, I was not too impressed with the toolbar, as I think the Firefox version by Renato is better.

However, one thing that did stand out was the radio feature, which allows you to listen to radio stations while you are "orkuting," and you can even add extra stations (as they are available) online. Here is a screen shot below:



If you are an IE user, you will probably enjoy this tool (although it is ad supported although you may barely notice them on the toolbar).

Note: Adding this to the Orkut User Tools on the right left sidebar underneath software.

Update (10/06): Forgot to mention that this toolbar comes with an email notifier (Gmail, Yahoo or Hotmail) as well as weather forcasts in your local area.

Also switched Orkut User Tools from the right side to the left.

Featured Artist: Shweet Star

I am not sure if that is her real name (although I could be wrong) but today's featured artist is Shweet Star who can not only draw some fairly decent water drawings, but also create designs on vases as you can see from the image below in the bottom left hand corner.






Although her artwork is pretty good, I think Shweet should seriously consider selling some of her vases online, as you do not see too many artists in Orkut creating designs on pieces of furniture (or would a vase be considered a house decoration?).

Shweet is from Pakistan, and if you can check out more of her artwork on her album. If you enjoyed what you saw on her album (or are interested in hiring a vase designer) you can drop by her scrapbook and leave Shweet a message.

(Hat Tip: Water color painting lovers forum)

Update: Moved larger photo down slightly.

Death Of A President?

Over in the American Politics forum, there is some discussion relating to the upcoming controversial movie entitled the Death of a President (which will be premiering in Canada at the Toronto Film Festival later on this month).

Their are views on both sides of the issue, with some seeing this as merely a "future historical documentary" while others view it as a film that is crossing the line by mixing fiction with reality.

A member goes on to share their thoughts about the upcoming film by saying:

Menno: I believe the movie is trying to portray the fall-out that would come from such an event. [...] It's about the global reactions such an event would cause.

I think it will make for interesting TV.

Although some do not enjoy the current President, they do seem a bit troubled by the film's appearance as this member goes on to explain below:

Dan: The standard way of approaching these things is to set it in the near future with a fictional president. Excessive tangling of reality and fiction only serves to muddy the waters. [...]

I'd be delighted if Bush were no longer president, if it weren't for the fact that Cheney is next in line.

But as much as I despise Bush, I do not want to see another american president assasinated. I'm quite fond of regime change via election.

I doubt a film like this will make it inside US theatres as the Secret Service are (understandably) anal about protecting the president from all threats, whether serious or imaginary.

Related: A forum dedicated towards killing Bush? I bet the secret service are going to love that.

If Orkut Is Blocked, Try This

It seems in a world full of political correctness, a few nations have decided that Orkut is unfit for their society and have therefore banned the forums from their citizens.

Although this prevents criminals from using the forums, it also hurt millions of others who were using it for legitimate purposes such as business and networking--that is until now.

Neel over at Geeks Desk posts about how to get around the Orkut blocks. Here is a snippet:

Using a free web proxy : This is the simplest way to access the blocked site. E.g. In the search box of website kproxy, enter the URL of the social networking site you want to access and it will display the login page of the specified social networking web site. The page contains the list of all the free web proxies you can use. Most of these web sites ask for the various options (especially for anonymous browsing). Always allow client side scripting while browsing for the social networking sites.

There is more listed on his site, but if none of these work let me know and I'll try to hunt down another solution for you. :)

Google's Orkut To Brazil: Make Love, Not War

Update: Published on The Blog Herald

(Hat Tip: MichaelZimmer.org)

After being threatened with fines from Brazil, Google has agreed to hand over personal information regarding criminal activities stored on Orkut's servers.

(Washington Post) "What they're asking for is not billions of pages," said Nicole Wong, Google associate general counsel. "In most cases, it's relatively discrete -- small and narrow."

Google released a statement yesterday saying it was complying with the Brazilian court orders following a ruling Thursday by a Brazilian judge that threatened Google with a fine of $23,000 a day for noncompliance.

Orkut, a social networking site designed by one of Google's employee's was facing legal action from Brazil who was furious over Google's apparent refusal to release info that could identify child predators, racists and those promoting homophobia.

For law enforcement officials, this is a victory over cyber crime, but for privacy experts, this is yet another sign that Google is becoming more evil and a continuing trend of major Internet companies giving into "big government."

Update Complete...

I've uploaded all of the posts, although I am still in the process of "tweaking" the site and getting use to the new code.

Should be back up later on today or tomorrow. ;)

Note To Google...

Just in case you come across this post, I want to let you know that this is NOT a spam blog, as I am importing posts from Inside Orkut to the new beta because is ROCKS!!! (okay, enough with the caps).

Thanks for coming out with this feature...now to finish importing these posts!