Orkut Helper (Making Orkut Life Easier)

(Hat Tip: Firefox Pro)

With all of the Firefox hacks (plus software programs) coming out for Orkut, it's very hard for a developer to come out with a new feature without overlapping previous ones mentioned in the past.

Although Orkut Helper allows users to watch video's, see images, and place a link to your scrapbook on the Orkut menu bar at the top, the three features that I find useful are:

1) The ability to right click on a profile and visit their scrapbook, album or (in the case of spammers) mark them as bogus (something that is very helpful indeed).

2) Animated smileys (an item that will make us Sanguines happy)

3) But the best feature about Orkut Helper is that it eliminates the need to login to Orkut if one has already signed into their Google Account (something I felt was a bit redundant).

This hack is for Firefox users and you can install the hack by clicking here (if the file is not working, you can also download it from Anish's Google page) visiting Anish's Firefox page.


I do not see an official forum to post problems to, although if you are experiencing technical difficulties then you may want to try posting on the Firefox page.

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

Update: Silly me! I forgot to credit Anish for creating this hack. If you have time during the holidays, feel free to email or scrap him about this hack.

Update (1/12): Forgot to update new link for hack. Thanks Anish for letting me know!

Update (2/1): Updated link to download this hack. Thanks again Anish!

Saddam On Orkut

Aside from dating, hacks and discussions around technology, Saddam Hussein seems to be one of the major topics on Orkut.

With the execution of the former dictator of Iraq, some members are expressing joy or sorrow over the news of his life ending before the year was over.

Over in the United Nations forum, TicTac informs everyone of the news that Saddam is no more and calls for a beer.

Kristina disagrees, saying she would rather have Saddam rot in his cell than be executed. Sehtareh provides an interesting view of Saddam death and trial by saying:

I have vivid memory of Saddam's bombs dropping. I saw them first hand. I remember how enraged I was when I heard he had made a war memorial from the helmets of dead Iranian soldiers.

I wished him dead many times. But I would have been a lot happier person if he was hanged after a fair trial that exposed him for who he was. I dont want history to have any doubt about how evil he was, and the kangeroo court might just remain excuse for history to judge his fate.

There is also some discussion regarding Saddam's execution over in the American Politics forum, in which Brent thinks this event has made Saddam a god (note: Really?) in the eyes of the terrorists.

But the most interesting discussion seems to be in the International Relations community where Hugo has posted a humorous obituary (by Mario Benedetti) celebrating his death.

Interesting Note: I wonder what the Don't Kill Saddam forum is going to do now that their hero is gone?

Will Google Merge Orkut With JotSpot?

(Hat Tip: Googling Google)

It looks like Google has some major plans for Orkut in 2007, as the company may be planning to integrate JotSpot within Orkut.

(Internet News) "This year has been about getting our toe in the water. [Next year] will be about taking a lot more steps forward," said Girouard. [...]

Girouard also indicated that Google may use the fruits of its acquisitions of Web 2.0 companies such as wiki-builder Jotspot and social-networking site Orkut to build the framework for a collaboration platform.

For those of you who don't know, JotSpot is a wiki company (like Wikipedia but better) who allow users to create "rich web-based spreadsheets, calendars, documents and photo galleries." (via JotSpot FAQ)

Google bought out JotSpot awhile ago, and may be using them to help unify all of the Googlie services (Calendar, Picasa Web Albums, Docs & Spreadsheets, etc.) within Orkut.

If this is true (as the article is hinting) then Orkut may quickly become a favorite tool for businesses, artists and web geeks like me. ;-)

Note: I wonder if these added features will be enough to dethrone MySpace in the US?

Are Orkut Ads Really That Annoying?

(Hat Tip: IndianPad)

Jerry over on Orkut Plus! (a cool blog listing Orkut hacks) has posted a GreaseMonkey script enabling users to remove Google Ads on Orkut.

Now this is not a new hack (as other users have created similar scripts) but I was wondering if Google Ads are really that annoying? After all, most Blog*Spot bloggers (including Jerry) have them on their sites, not to mention many social networks as well.

I don't really mind the ads as they help Google cover their costs and keep the infamous donut errors at bay, but it seems that some (or perhaps many) people find the ads to be a bit irritating.

What do you guys think? Do you find the ads to be helpful, or annoying, and if the latter, why?

Are You Having An Orkutie Christmas?

I think the one thing I like about Christmas is that almost everybody (at least everybody that I meet) tends to swallow their pride and smile to complete strangers. The second thing I enjoy about Christmas is the presents! (although I enjoy giving out presents more than receiving...unless its a gift card of course!)

Speaking of presents, one cool thing I like about Orkut is that I can see what my friends want thanks to the wish list underneath their profile (and everybody knows finding the perfect gift is half the battle).

Aside from the materialistic part of giving, some Orkut members have started preparing for the holidays and here is what I noticed while surfing the forums:

• Over in the I LOVE CHRISTMAS community, Wences Laus started a holiday countdown early last month and it seems to be winding down as Christmas is approaching. (note: I wonder who will be the first to post Merry Christmas?)



• Wences Laus also seems to have started a Carol of the day in the SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS forum, although I am not sure if his friends made it all the way through this month.



• Over in the Christmas Birthday forum, it seems users are discussing the age old irony of being born on December 25^th, and how they are celebrating it.

As for me, I've finished buying my gifts (although I do have to personalize them) although I may be blogging light as I prepare for the coming holidays.

For those of you who celebrate it, Merry Christmas! (and for my Jewish friends, Happy Belated Hanukkah!).

Personal Note: Since Google is already celebrating early, do you guys/gals think Orkut should do something similar on their front page?

Help! My Friends Don't See Me!

(Hat Tip: nAvEen)

Some users have been reporting that they are either unable to view their friends inside Orkut or that their friends are unable to view them.

Before you send off an email yelling at Google (note: from personal experience, I can say this doesn't help out your situation) you may want to check out the Orkut Help section to see if Google is already trying to solve this problem.

(via Orkut Help) Some users have reported problems with friends not appearing on their friends list. We're aware of this problem and we're working on a solution. Thanks for your continued patience [!]

Google is already working on several other problems such as correcting Orkut's math count (for friends, scraps, etc.) to making sure the current price for using Orkut remains the same. ;-)

From experience, Google has fixed most (if not all) of my problems, although you must be patient with them (after all, they are supporting 40 million plus users with probably less than 100 employees).

New Orkut Software (Meus Amigos Mercem)

(Hat Tip: Elektra)



A new program called Meus Amigos Mercem (or My Friends Deserve) seems to be gaining some popularity for Brazilian speakers, although there currently does not seem to be an English translation of the program.

The basic function of this software is to scrap all of your friends at once, which may be good or bad depending on who the mass scrapper is (i.e. spammer). Here is a description from their site via Google translation:

The program was developed for proper use, but as soon as I discovered that it has people that it charges for such bobagem, [?] I decided [distribute] it gratuitously.

This program serves you to interact with orkut and to send scraps and depositions to all automatically its friends!

(note: briefly edited for clarity)

This software reminds me of a very lite version of Orkut Cute, although users may prefer this program if scraping is their main reason for being on Orkut.

I think this software would become a serious competitor to Orkut Cute if it included a way to post messages to all of your favorite forums at once (but then Google would probably then shut it down as spammers would love that feature).

Users can download the program over here, although there apparently is no official forum for this piece of software. Sigh.

Forums Of Note (Those Interesting Communities)

When I first started this blog, one of the things I enjoyed doing was highlighting the various interesting forums that users could find within. I started posting about them frequently, but then it became too much to update about them every week.

After checking out blogger's description of Blogs of Note (and actually being selected as one) I thought this would be a great way to highlight these interesting communities of Orkut without burning out.

Since Orkut is a big playground to explore in, I was wondering if any users came across any interesting communities while surfing Orkut? If so, let me know and I'll start featuring these forums underneath Forums of Note (on the sidebar) for all to see.

Scrapboy Updates Their Chat Program

For those of you who contacting me previously about Scrapboy not working, (via scraps and email), I just wanted to let you know that the latest update has rolled through.

Simply launch Scrapboy and it should update by itself. If you are still having problems, I would recommend downloading a new version at their site.

Note: For those of you who use alternative software programs to check your scrapbook (as well as reply), which one do you prefer? Scrapboy? The new Google Talk? Orkut Cute? Easy Scrapper? Did I miss any?

Another Hole Within Orkut...

(Hat Tip: Ha.ckers)

It looks like another hole inside Orkut has been discovered. Credit goes to Rajesh Sethumadhavan for discovering this.

1)Orkut Invite XSS:

The flaws are due to improper sanitization of inputs passed to
'continue' parameter in GET request
---------------------------------
http://www.orkut.com/Invite.aspx?continue=javascript:alert(document.cookie)
---------------------------------

Demonstration:
Note: Demonstration leads to your personal information disclosure

- Login to your orkut account
- Paste the above URL
- Click on BACK button
- Orkut Cookies will get displayed

I've forwarded the exploit to the Orkut team, as this can be potentially used by phishers and scammers (and may explain why so many forums were being stolen, something Google has corrected).

If anyone else discovers any other potentially harmful exploits, you can alert Google by clicking here.

Indian Police: Hacking Orkut Is Too Hard?

It looks like law enforcement in India are having a tough time hacking through Orkut in order to find the real identities of terrorists and criminals. Is it me or does this strike you as a bit...ironic?

(Indiatimes Infotech) Indian security agencies are having a tough time in catching criminals and terrorists who are members of Google-owned Gmail or Orkut sites.

According to security officials, since Google servers are based in US and their IP addresses are masked, it takes a long time to get the real IP addresses and log details of culprits. Moreover, Google demands a judicial order to process the request which further delays the arrest of the accused, who may even have fled by then.

You would think that they would realize Google (probably) hires the best hackers around the world. Although I wonder if anyone inside Orkut would be willing to offer their services to the cops for a small fee?

Is Google Winning The Scrapbook Spam War?

When it comes to fighting spam, Google has done an excellent job within Gmail, Blogger and even Google Groups.

But when it comes to Orkut, it seems that spammers have found a new way around the word verification system. This probably explains why I keep getting various scraps attempting to improve my "love life" through various forms of physical touch. (I think these spammers need to get a day job)

I discovered this after talking to one of the members of the Orkut Underground (whose forum keeps getting deleted by Google) who showed me a simple GreaseMonkey script that allows a user to post a link and bypass the word verification process altogether (note: for obvious reasons I will not post that script here).

Over in the What should Orkut do? forum, Randi has a great suggestion on what Google could do to combat this.

scrapbook should have 3 options.

1 open to everyone
2 open to friends only
3 open for those who speaks same language as you

and you can choose what's best for you

Google is already working on this suggestion, as it is within the top five feature requests, although it wouldn't hurt to submit that request again.

India Censors Orkut...But Users Have A "Key"

This is really a sad day for India. A step back for the worlds largest democracy.

I have been following the story of whether or not India would censor Orkut, and it appears that India has taken a baby step away from freedom of expression.

Abdul Qabiz confirms this on his weblog:

I am not able to access orkut.com, it seems it has been banned in Maharastra (the state I stay) or entire India? [...]

I can understand the government's concern about different hate-communities on orkut but I am wondering, why can't Indian government give a list (URLs) of such communities to ISPs so that selective ban can be done instead of entire orkut.com.

Since I am not a legal expert (especially regarding Indian affairs) I would have no clue how the nation of a billion people could go about and resolve this via courts.

However, just because the door to Orkut is locked, it does not mean that there is not a key.

Users may be able to access Orkut via proxy sites, such as Math Tunnel (hat tip: Orkut Guide) until this problem is resolved. There are other resources being developed by users as I type, and if anyone knows (or is creating) access points elsewhere, post a few of them here (and spread the word to your friends inside Orkut via email).

Note: It's days like these that I wish an Indian ACLU existed.

Update: Users in Maharastra seem to be able to still access Orkut. It looks like the ban was in discussion, but not actually used (Thanks Rahul D, DK/SarDaar, Ajay D'Souza, and Vivek for the heads up on this).

Orkut Cute Adds Google Talk

It looks like a new version of Orkut Cute has rolled out (now at version 8.7.2) and has included with its numerous tools the ability to contact your friends via Google Talk.



Although not a major deal (as Google added this to Orkut previously) one thing that makes this unique is that users have the ability to contact all of their online friends at once.

The feature is located underneath the Cute Talk tab (if you don't see it, select the Manager tab first, then Cute Talk).

For those of you who are not familiar with Orkut Cute, here is a brief recap of what this software (developed by Alexandre Pires) can do for your Orkut life:

• Scrap all of your friends at once


• Change your Orkut background


• Forum notifier (updates you on the latest community posts)


• Scrapbook notifier


• Anti-Virus center (very much needed)


• Last, Google Talk (with built in online indicator)

Alexandre has also developed several other programs for Orkut, although I am not sure if those are free ware and you may have to contact him directly for more details (as they can be misused).

You can find more information about Orkut Cute, as well as support over in the official forum.

Is Google Really Funding Terrorists?

It seems so. According to the Search Engine Journal, which only reports the truth, especially on Wednesdays (and Loren Baker posted this yesterday on Wednesday). Here is what they had to say:

(Search Engine Journal) The specific Google properties which are serving these ads are housed on the Google Orkut social network. Orkut groups which were serving these Google Ads were set up by Hezbollah, Iraqi insurgent and other terror oriented groups.

I took it upon myself to perform some searches within the Orkut network and came across multiple Hezbollah and Al Qaeda groups, associated forums and member profiles which are serving Google AdWords contextual advertisements. [...]

Sure the argument can be put together that Google is not responsible for the content which is created by members of their Orkut community, which lets registered users set up their own forums, blogs, and groups to connect different users over the Google network.

I am shocked, I tell you shocked! Ionut, over at Google Operating System has vowed to never blog about Google again. But why should he?

After all Google is responsible for so many evil things, I can't post them here because they will delete my Ad Sense account.

Is this the end for Inside Orkut?

Disclaimer: I am totally joking, and no Google is not funding terror according to the Search Engine Journal. Matt Cutts (from Google) has already debunked this both in the comment section as well as on Digg.

I actually found this story to be quite funny...until people started taking it seriously. Ah well, we are all human and we all make mistakes...at least I do.

Watch YouTube On Orkut

Eduardo [ NewZeek ] over in the Orkut Scripts forum has pointed users towards a useful GreaseMonkey hack that allows you to watch YouTube video's on Orkut (something Google should give users the option to enable).

Unfortunately this only works for YouTube video's, although I will ask him to see if he can develop one for Google Video (as the previous Orkut changes have knocked out the video viewing hacks).

You will first need to install Firefox and GreaseMoneky in order to use this hack (sorry IE fans) after which you can download the YouTube script over here.

Note: Will add to sidebar underneath Useful Orkut Tools.

Update: Fixed code author's name, and apparently he has a version for IE users (lets all celebrate!) so I'll see if I can locate it and post it here for fans of Bill Gates.

Also, an anonymous tipster has alerted everyone that Google will be adding this feature within Orkut soon.

Google will add YouTube and Google Video to Orkut soon. I saw this when i was taking part of Google in Your Language. Translations had many hints about that.

Thank you friend!

Inside Orkut Brazil (Belated Launch)

There appears to be another blogger focusing on Orkut on Blog*Spot! Introducing Inside Orkut Brazil!

Started by Luis Builherme, this blog focuses on Orkut (just like mine) but is in Portugese (which is helpful for our lovable Brazilian friends).

I came across this when Luis first scrapped me about the site, but have not had time to highlight about it until now. After coming across my blog over here, he was inspired to start an Inside Orkut for Brazilians.

And it looks like he is already providing some very useful information, warning users to beware of this Orkut copycat site that will actually upload a virus on your computer (perhaps Google should check this out).

I encourage everyone to subscribe to his feed, and if anyone know of any other Orkut related blogs out there, let me know by post here below.

Note: Adding this weblog underneath Orkut Related on the left sidebar.

Orkut Underground, And Why Google Keeps Deleting It

(Hat Tip: My Nick Iz Sick)

For those of you who do not know, Orkut Underground (now at version 4.0) is a forum where users can learn many hacks, tips, and tricks on how to make their Orkut experience even better.

Unfortunately, the forum keeps getting removed by Google, which means users have to start all over again recollecting tips and tricks from around Orkut (as well as the web).

I think one of the reasons Google removes this forum is that it keeps giving out ways for users to flood each other scrap books and communities, which generally counts as spamming in Google's book.

Orkut Underground is a great place to collect useful Orkut tips, but they may want to filter out these hacks (as rejoining this forum after it gets deleted can get old after a while).

What's Your Orkut Story?

One of the cool things about Orkut (that is if you live in Brazil or India) is that you can find long lost friends and relatives, and perhaps even strangers of interest.

Oormila Prahlad has posted her Orkut story over on her weblog. Here is a snippet of her post below:

I have suddenly become severely addicted to Orkut. Initially it was a twice-a-day fix but over time, the frequency of my addiction has drastically increased. Now I need it on an hourly basis. It is the natural fallout of being holed at home in a predictable routine with minimal links to the outside world. One discovers a small release that gives a definite high and before long, one is hooked. [...]

16 years back, while in exile in India during the Gulf War, I made it to the finals of the Kerala State Youth Festival Art competition. There, I was introduced to the art prodigy of our generation, Kavitha Balakrishnan. She of course, won first place and I was placed fourth, I think. Over the years, both of us were featured in the media quite often: she was the art prodigy and I was the writing prodigy. Kavitha Balakrishnan and Oormila Vijayakrishnan. Nice alliteration. We never met after that competition. Till two days back. On Orkut.

There are some other funny parts to her Orkut story which made it a great read (hint: read the whole thing). Stories like these are common in the US (well, at least with MySpace anyways) and I was wondering if anyone else had a similar story regarding Orkut?

Inside Orkut Just Made Blogs Of Note!

I just received a tip from Anand that I made the ever coveted Blogs Of Note (well at least for Blog*Spot users anyways).

For those of you visiting from the front page of Blogger, welcome to Inside Orkut, a blog focuses mainly on Google's bluest (and coolest) social network, Orkut.

Of course, if you do not use Orkut than this blog is of no use to you, but then you would be missing out on all the fun that happens inside.

For my American Friends: Orkut is basically the MySpace of Brazil, or the Facebook of India (not to mention a host of other countries).

If you ever needed a crash course on international culture, Orkut would be the one place where you could interact with people from various cultures, faiths, philosophies and meals (via cooking recipe's).

But in order for you to really understand Orkut, you'll have to find out about from the inside.

Note: If this is your first time on Orkut, be sure to check out the India Pakistan Friendship Club and see what all the cultural exchange is all about!

World AIDS Day (Orkut Style)

Today many of you may have noticed the (RED)^TM word underneath your Google search bar.

Well, if you click on the link you will get a little preview from Bono explaining that today is World AIDS Day with some instructions on how you can help. (via YouTube)

Orkut users are already getting involved in the effort (some have been for a while) and here is a brief summary of what is happening within the English speaking forums.

• Over in the AIDS (HAPPY WORLD AIDS DAY) community, members are helping out Vickey on a project she is doing on the virus, giving her tips and info to make her presentation better.


• In the Red Ribbon -Fight Against AIDS forum, Parul has started a questions and answers thread, where users can post question such as how long can hiv survive in the air, and where did the [first] person who was HIV positive get it from?
  
  Also within the same community, Luv... reminds everyone that HIV infected people should not be kicked out of society but rather cared for.


• Putting my study in the fight against HIV/AIDS forum asks an interesting question by wondering if HIV can spread thru articles used inn Barber's shop (as in scissors or other tools that barber's use).
  
  The answer seems very reassuring.


• In the Heed-HIV community, Alicja points members towards this video in which a reporter interviews a person who received AIDS through no fault of her own.


• Last but not least, if any users have questions or concerns regarding HIV/AIDS you can visit the HIV/AIDS Professionals community where self-professed experts can advise you on what to if you have run into any "unhappy situations" (and it looks like they have already calmed down one person's fears).

You can find out on more ways to help by visiting the Join RED Blog or by visiting the main site for more details.

Update: I know I'm a little late in the game, but the Official Google Blog is also mentioning the (RED)^TM campaign.

Also, Blogger Buzz has a cool button you can add to your weblog in order to show your support. I would highly recommend adding it (which is great if you are unable to Buy Red due to Christmas shopping).