Google Rolling Out Adsense Upon Orkut Forums Again?

(Hat Tip: Kaushik from Ortuk)

It looks like after testing Ads on Orkut profiles, Google is slowly experimenting with AdSense within a few Orkut communities.

Here are several screen shots from the APPLE : iPhone now with 3G :) forum...



...the India Pakistan Friendship Club forum...



...the United Nations forum...



...and a personal favorite of mine the Brain Teasers forum.



I came across numerous other forums with Google Adsense being proudly displayed, although a high number of them seemed "broken" which may be more on my end since I am using the latest beta of Firefox 3 (which has yet to support GreaseMonkey and Google Gears).

Google previously included Adsense within Orkut, before mysteriously removing them (which may have been due towards users blocking them with GreaseMonkey hacks).

Although there is no word on whether or not Google will share Adsense revenue with forum owners, they have allowed users creating Orkut Apps to display adds alongside their application pages.

Hopefully Google considers sticking with the ads (or even sharing revenue with users), as they could help not only reduce the cost of running Orkut, but help pay for new features for the site as well.

Sweet! Insert YouTube Directly Into Orkut Video Favorites

It looks like Google has introduced a feature on YouTube that allows users to directly insert their favorite videos from YouTube directly into the Orkut favorite video list.

(Official Orkut Blog) Have you ever been watching a funny video on YouTube and decided halfway through that you must share it with your orkut friends? Previously, you had to go to your orkut "favorite videos" page and copy-and-paste the video URL to post these clips. Now you can share videos on orkut directly from YouTube! Click on the orkut logo under the video you are watching on YouTube, and you'll be taken directly to your "favorite videos" page on orkut. The URL of the video you're watching will already be loaded, so all you need to do is hit "add video" to post. Now that it's easier than ever, go ahead and share videos with your friends on orkut.

In order to access this feature, users have to simply log into YouTube (and Google account, if they are not already connected) and click on the share button.



Next, locate the Orkut icon and click on it.



A new pop up window should appear showing your Favorite Video List page with the YouTube url already filled in.



Last but not least, simply hit the "add video" button and your video should be imported within your Orkut video favorite list.

Note: Here is a video that I have just added to my Orkut favorites list, which may be familiar to those of you who saw Steve Job's WWDC conference.





This feature is definitely a time saver (at least for me) and Orkut users will probably love this feature since half our planet is on YouTube anyways.

My only request for the Google team would be to figure out a way to insert all of our YouTube favorites within Orkut in a single click, as some users may dozens (if not hundreds) of videos listed as their favorites within their profiles.

Orkut Geolock? (Plus Nation Status Restrictions)

After logging into Orkut recently, I came across this message on my Orkut home screen:

(Orkut) New! Now you can select the countries from which you want to accept friend requests and profile visits. Your profile country is set as your default preference. To add countries, visit privacy settings or change your home country in edit profile.

Users can simply visit orkut.com/PrivacySettings.aspx and scroll down towards "my network."



Once there, users can simply select all countries (to accept friend requests from everyone, as well as profile views) or add select countries to their list by hitting the "add country or region" button (which will open up a drop menu).



While I am unsure whether or not this feature will enable users to "hide" their profiles from most of the public, the feature will allow users to only accept friend requests from users of certain countries.

Speaking about countries, it looks as if Google is only allowing Orkut users to change their nation status (or where they live) once a month, which seems to be an unusual move by Google.



While Google may have valid reasons for doing this (whether its to help keep the servers humming or to ensure that the Orkut Demographics are accurate), this move may not be a good idea for users, especially if they live inside a hostile area that is not friendly towards freedom of speech.

This is the first time I have actually seen a social network do this, as Google's rivals (Facebook, MySpace, etc.) allow users to edit their status whenever they want.

I wonder how users will react towards this?

New Orkut Domains For India And Brazil (And England Too?)

(Hat Tip: Rahul from Devils Workshop)

While there has been no official announcement regarding this, it looks like Google has rolled out international versions of Orkut for Brazilians and Indians on Orkut.

Users from India can visit www.orkut.co.in
while those in Brazil can login over at www.orkut.com.br.

This comes to no surprise as Brazil and India make up Orkut's largest user base--at least according to the Orkut demographics:



Google has also registered Orkut domains for the following countries (although these all redirect towards Orkut.com):

• England: www.orkut.co.uk


• Australia: www.orkut.com.au


• Canada: www.orkut.ca


• Germany: www.orkut.de


• Portugal: www.orkut.pt


• Israel: www.orkut.co.il


• New Zealand: www.orkut.co.nz


• And probably many more!

Note: Ironically, it looks as if Google was not quick enough to register the Pakistani domain (www.orkut.pk), although it looks as if one user is using it as a proxy to bypass filters and allow people to log into Orkut (not to mention several other Google products).

I wonder if Google is willing to buy that domain from them? ;-)

Google Launches Orkut Themes (But None For Me?)

(Hat Tip: Gaurav from Orkut Plus!)

It looks as if Google is rolling out Orkut themes (also called "skins" or templates) for Orkut users in order to help them spice up their profiles.



(Image: An Orkut beach theme, Credit: Demonoid via Orkut Plus)

This is a smart move by Google, as it will enable most of their users to customize their profiles without the need to switch to Firefox (as most Orkut users are fans of internet explorer) as well as speak geek.

Previously users were able to temporarily customize their profiles for Diwali (a major holiday in India).

There is no word on when Google is going to be rolling this feature out to the rest of the community on the Official Orkut Blog, but hopefully the word is "soon." :-)

Note: For those desiring to check out these Orkut themes before they go live, you can visit Orkut Plus! for more details...

Exit Question: While these themes are beautiful, I was wondering whether or not it would be better for Orkut to allow its users to design submit some more skins for the site? (with a directory provided, similar to the recent Orkut Apps)

Google Testing Orkut Status Updates On Select Profiles

It looks as if Google is selectively testing out a new feature that allows users to post their status updates for their friends to see.



(Image Credit: Pramod of Tech Alert)

This feature looks very similar to what Facebook has, with the only exception being that you can add emoticons (i.e. smiley faces, etc.) to the status bar.



(Image Credit: Pramod)

Pramod's profile seems to be the only one that I have seen this on, so if any other users are seeing this pop up on their accounts, feel free to comment below with a link towards your blog and/or image.

Note: I wonder if the Orkut team could find a way to connect this feature with Twitter, as I would hate to have to update three different sites at once.

Update (5/3): Just received this yesterday! I wonder if Google has rolled this out to the rest of the Orkut kingdom? Also, as far as somehow connecting this with Twitter, I am going to see if HelloTxt would consider adding Orkut status to their "mini updates" page, as it would make it easier to update all of these sites at once.

Google (Quietly) Launches Orkut For Mobile Phones

(Humorous Hat Tip: Rahul of Devils Workshop, see Note below)

After many months of waiting, seeking and pondering over whether or not Google would develop a mobile version for Orkut, it looks as if my wish has come true.



In order to access the mobile version of Orkut, users simply have to point their phone's browser over to m.Orkut.com and login using your Google account.

The mobile version includes most of Orkut's key features, allowing users to access their scrapbooks, check out their profiles, accept/deny friend requests and search Orkut via the Universal Search (adapted for mobile viewing of course). You can even flag profiles, a feature many spammers will probably loathe.

Unfortunately you can not view communities which is a bummer, as every attempt brings up the infamous "bad, bad, server" error pictured below.



Hopefully Google changes their mind in the future, as adding forums to the list would make Orkut much more fun place to surf (especially on the iPhone).

Launching a mobile version of Orkut is a smart move by Google, as it will help thwart users from having their passwords stolen by logging into a third party site from their cell phone.

On a side note, Google's launch of Orkut mobile probably explains why Orkut decided to launch a "low bandwidth" version of their site, an item that Jerry from Orkut Plus go into more detail about.

Humorous Note: I "accidentally" discovered Orkut mobile after reading this post by Rahul over on Devils Workshop regarding Orkut's low bandwidth version:

Orkut could have done this better by creating a dedicated mobile version like m.orkut.com or wap.mobile.com.

After pondering what would happen if I typed in m.Orkut.com, I was delighted to see a mobile version of Orkut instead of the dreaded donut error. So thanks Rahul, I owe you one! :-)

Update (4/16): It looks as if Google has finally acknowledged Orkut Mobile over on their mobile site (hat tip: Born to be Wireless).

(Google Mobile) Fret no more -- if you have a web-enabled phone and a data plan, just point your mobile web browser to m.orkut.com, and stay connected to your friends anytime, anywhere.

We understand that often your phone's data network isn't as fast as your computer's, so in designing orkut for mobile we focused on offering the features that are most useful when you're on the move, instead of replicating all the desktop features.

I am still waiting for the ability to surf forums via Orkut Mobile. But until then, it will hopefully save time reading the latest scraps via iPhone.

Google To Orkut Forums: HTML Formatting Now Included

(Hat Tip: Orkut Plus)

A feature request long over due, it looks as if the Orkuteers have given their blessing on allowing users to finally display video's, images*** and hyper linked text within community forums.

In order for community owners to activate this feature, they have to first click on the "edit profile" link...



...then select the option to have your forums moderated instead of allowing anyone from Orkut to join your community.



Note: Users may also notice that by allowing their forums to be moderated, Google allows members to send "mass emails" to everyone in the forum, an option I WOULD NOT recommend admins selecting.



After that, scroll down to where it says Community Feature Settings (in bold) and check mark the box that says "allow HTML posts in forums."



After that, click the update button at the bottom of the screen, and your users should be able to display video's and post hypertext words without using Orkut's funky formatting tips.

***Note: For some strange reason, images seem to be able to show up in preview mode, but not actually post towards the forum (at least with me). Is anyone else seeing this minor Orkut bug, or is it just me?

New: Google Suggest Invades Orkut

(Hat Tip: Rohit Srivastwa on the Google Blogoscoped forum)

It looks as if Google Suggest, a feature that helps users narrow down what they are searching for online has been included within the Orkut search bar at the top, which you can see from this screen shot below.



Note:Rahul's email (along with mine) were removed for obvious reasons, as neither of us enjoy reading spam).

Unfortunately Google does not include the Google Suggest feature within the general universal search bar, which is a bit odd.

Exit Question: With Google suggest being added, are Google ads on Orkut not that far behind?

Deja Vu: Google Testing Ads On Orkut (Again)

(Image Credit: Rahul Bansal of Devils Workshop)

Rahul of Devils Workshop has recently spotted Google ads on an Orkut profile of another user.

If this sounds like deja vu, that's because Google previously rolled out AdSense on Orkut, before removing them from their social network.

From the images (provided by Rahul), Orkut seems to be placing the ads in a much better position than Facebook (who places them at the very bottom of the page), without the "overkill" that one often sees upon MySpace.

While I realize not everyone enjoys viewing these ads on Orkut, I do think that having them is a good idea as it helps cover the cost of hosting our content (which translates into Google launching even better services for Orkut).

Placing ads on profiles however may be "slightly controversial," and it may be wise for Google to instead place ads next to orkut's universal search, a feature they launched last year.

Google should also consider sharing the revenue with forum owners (although they should give them the option of whether or not they want ads displaying in their communities).

Hopefully Google keeps the ads this time, as I have found them to be quite useful, especially when Google fails to find the item you are looking for (cough, refurbished iPhone, cough).

Note: If anybody else is able to view these ads, let me know by blogging about it and providing a link below in the comment section for "the rest of us." :-)

Did Google Renouce Orkut's Little Brother Joga?

A long, long time ago in a place not so far away, Google (along with Nike) created a site called Joga.

Joga, unlike Orkut was a forum dedicated solely to the sport of football (or soccer as it is called in the US). Google even promoted it on Orkut, although many users found the Joga ad to be annoying and thus found ways to block it from view.

While the site had both the cash and resources to make it attractive to the outside world, it was unable to gather a large crowd and it looks as if the site has quietly shut down.

Upon visiting Joga.com a user will encounter this image...



...with the phrase "coming soon" as if the site will relaunch again in the foreseeable future.

Even though Joga never gained the fame of its older brother Orkut, it did provide a unique testing ground for Google as most of the features previously inside of Joga (video's, large albums, etc.) were implemented within Orkut later on after the site was relaunched with a brand new look.

Whether or not Google brings Joga back only time will tell. But if Google ever does finally decide to dust off this web domain, hopefully they will bring back some of the humorous videos that populated the site, like this one below.

New Orkut Developer Blog?

(Hat Tip: Official Orkut Blog)

It looks as if Google has launched a blog site to keep the developer community (aka geeks) updated on the latest changes to the Orkut sandbox.

This is good news for users interested in either writing code (or playing around with Orkut apps), as it will help keep us all informed when problems are resolved by the Orkut staff (example: IE and Orkut are friends again).

Users can visit the blog site over at OrkutDeveloper.blogspot.com and be sure to subscribe to their feed (as FeedBurner is reporting zero readers as of this post).

Orkut Privacy Forums: Good For Users, Bad For Cops

It looks as if the boys and girls at Google have finally allowed users to create communities that are hidden from public view.

Previously users could only restrict access to who could join a forum, although the entire orkutsphere could read what was posted inside. Now it looks as if users will be able to setup their own secret forums, which may be both a blessing and a curse.

(Official Orkut Blog) Based on your feedback, we've decided to go even further to empower the owners of communities to choose whether to make their community content private or public. The additional privacy control we've added allows you to make your community an enclosed entity so that you can discuss whatever you want within its walls (of course, content must abide by orkut community standards and policies), resting assured that only members can view your discussions, forums, and events.

In order to turn on this feature, forum administrators need to click on the edit profile link...



...then look for the content privacy section and select the "bubble" (or rather circle) next to the hidden - only members can view the contents of the community text.



While the forums will be hidden from view, there is no word on whether or not these communities will be removed from the Universal Search index (note: hopefully Google will update their post regarding this).

Regardless of whether or not the forums are still indexed, these privacy settings should make it easier for orkut hacker forums to thrive as there will be no one around to report them.

On a side note however, cops will probably hate this new feature as it will allow child predators and (to a lesser extent) a few terrorist groups to thrive without being noticed (as you would have to be invited to even know that these groups existed).

Looking on the bright side of things however, schools, clubs and family members will be able to create their own private forums, which should make invites inside certain groups much more appealing.

Adsense For Orkut Forum Owners? Good Idea, Bad Idea?

So with the first month of 2008 just about over, and Google eagerly taking suggestions for Orkut, I was wondering whether or not it might be a good idea for Google to give community owners the option to insert Google Adsense (or any ads of their choice) on forums that they manage.

While this idea probably has been discussed before (back in the day when Orkut had ads before they removed them after users found them to be annoying) it might make sense as an option for Google, especially since the social networking wars are starting to heat up.

Since Google already shares ad revenue with YouTube users (not to mention users of Blogger, Google Pages, and the future Google Knol), why not do the same thing for forum owners?

I think the only reason Google may hesitate in doing this would be because of spammers (who have a habit of ruining everything), although they could set the bar very high by allowing forums with 10,000 plus members and heavy traffic to opt in (sort of like what YouTube did).

So what do you guys (and gals) think? Good idea, or bad idea?

Happy Birthday Orkut! (Four Years Strong)

It looks as if Orkut has turned four years old this day, and has come a long way since launching its very first forum.

(Official Orkut Blog) You may have noticed that the orkut logo looked a little different when you signed in today -- and if the four candles on the cake didn't give it away already, it's our fourth birthday. That's right, 2/5ths of a decade ago, orkut launched. It has grown up pretty fast, with many more features, communities, friends and photos since it first opened as an invite-only community. Whether you've been with us for years or days, thank you for being a part of the orkut community!

Excluding blogging and usenet forums (such as Google Groups), Orkut was the very first social network that signed onto, way back in the day when social networks were generally seen as merely the "geek thing" to do (blogging was just catching on back then).

While I have also signed up with dozens of others, ranging from MySpace to Facebook, Orkut still remains one of the most user friendly social networks out there, and probably one of the major ones that still has not "maxed out" (or reached its full potential).

Anyways, congrats to the Google Orkut team! I am looking forward to an improved Orkut for 2008.

Note: Hopefully I'll be able to pick up the posting frequency (not to mention respond to everyone's messages) once I rearrange my schedule due to work, other blog duties (elsewhere), and politics (they are campaigning like crazy in my area).

Since I am going to be purchasing an iPhone in the future, perhaps Orkut could create an iPhone friendly page? (like iphone.orkut.com or something to that affect).

Google Drops Orkut From Home Page (Where's The Love?)

It looks as if Google has either forgotten to add Orkut to the link list on the drop down menu of its international homepage (assuming they updated their search engine), or has decided to treat Orkut as the red headed step child of the Google family.

After logging into Google, I use to be able to enjoy opening up the Orkut without typing in the domain. Now alas I have discovered that they have removed Orkut entirely, along with a few of its other siblings as well.

Fortunately the Gmail team still has a link to Orkut, so I guess I'll have to make that my default page from now on.



Now I know this may come off as simple whining, but Google should reconsider adding Orkut back to the homepage. After all, they still give their "I feel lucky" button some space on the page, despite the fact that it may be costing them millions.

Hopefully a Googler (or perhaps even a Noogler) can contact the search team to reinsert the link back, as it would be sad for my non-geek American friends (who are curious about the social network) to miss exploring what Orkut is all about--especially since Google gave it a fresh new look not to long ago.

Can Hyperlinks And Snap.com Make Orkut Cleaner And Safer?

A long, long time ago in a place much, much bluer than it is today, Google allowed users to hyperlink text within any orkut forum.

Unfortunately, due to the massive spam wars, Google disabled hyperlinked text, only to make it up to everyone by automatically linking to any web address pasted in fully.

While seeing the entire web address can help users determine whether or not the link is safe, it has also made posting information to articles outside of orkut look extremely tacky, making orkut less beautiful.

One way Google could bring back beauty as well as maintain security to the orkut universe is by integrating Snap.com (or Snap Shots) within their forums and scrapbooks.

Note: For those of you who don't know, Snap Shots allow users to preview a site before visiting it by providing a screen shot (in a "bubble") that activates once a users scrolls over a link.

I have added it to this site, after first hearing about it over on TechCrunch a long ways back.

This would give users a heads up on whether the site is safe for work or even inform them if the link will take them to a page off site.

Orkut could customize the code to place a bubble around non-Google properties, which would help cut down on users clicking on fake orkut sites stealing Google accounts through phishing.

Google is already using snap shots on one of their sites, and installing it within orkut along with hyperlinks would probably make reading scrapbooks (as well as forums) much more enjoyable.