A Farewell to Orkut

Ten years ago, Orkut was a rage. I, too, had created a profile on what was the 'in thing' that time. Of course, due to time constraints, I was not so frequent a visitor. Still, when the news came that Orkut was closing down, I felt like I was losing something. The sense of loss was more intense when I received a mail titled 'A Farewell to Orkut'. Here is the text of that mail, as it is:

 

After ten years of sparking conversations and forging connections, we have decided it's time for us to start saying goodbye to Orkut. Over the past decade, YouTube, Blogger and Google+ have taken off, with communities springing up in every corner of the world. Because the growth of these communities has outpaced Orkut's growth, we've decided to focus our energy and resources on making these other social platforms as amazing as possible for everyone who uses them.

We will shut down Orkut on September 30, 2014. Until then, there will be no impact on you, so you may have time to manage the transition. You can export your profile data, community posts and photos using Google Takeout (available until September 2016). We are preserving an archive of all public communities, which will be available online starting September 30, 2014. If you don't want your posts or name to be included in the community archive, you can remove Orkut permanently from your Google account. Please visit our Help Center for any further details.

It's been a great 10 years, and we apologize to those of you still actively using the service. We hope you will find other online communities to spark more conversations and build even more connections for the next decade and beyond.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Chanda boy Dr Vipin Itankar is UPSC topper in State

Image
12-06-14 * Efficiency and effectiveness are the keywords for the topper * Nagpur lads Aawesh Titarmare, Arpit Gudadhe, and Ankur Meshram also bring laurels to the region in UPSC examination results By Kartik Lokhande  “I am blessed. Vipin is extremely hard-working, dedicated and a confident guy I have ever met in my life. He was always at top since college days. I was confident that he would be in top ten in the UPSC examination as well.” (Centre) Dr Vipin Itankar, who secured 14th rank nationally and topped Maharashtra in UPSC Civil Services Examination-2013 results, celebrating with his family members in Chandigarh on Thursday. This is how Dr Shalini, wife of Dr Vipin Vithoba Itankar, reacted on learning that Vipin had emerged as the Maharashtra topper in Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. Talking to ‘The Hitavada’ over telephone from Chandigarh, where Vipin and Shalini work in Government Medical College and Hospital in Sector 32, both exp...
Read more

Hinganghat: Here rests the great surveyor of India...

Image
  By Kartik Lokhande  Often, the work of explorers lives on but they get buried in the history. This is exactly what has happened in case of Lt Col William Lambton. The man credited with initiating one of the greatest scientific activities in the world -- The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India -- lays buried at a place now known as ‘Kala Gota’ amid a crowded locality behind Bus Stand in the town of Hinganghat in Wardha district. Sadly, the memorial of this great surveyor, whose work led to measuring the highest point on Earth 50 years later, has become a victim of neglect. And, surprisingly, not many know about it and the great significance of Hinganghat in the landmark survey.  Lambton Memorial, known locally as 'Kala Gota' in Hinganghat. (Pic: Kartik Lokhande) Lt Col William Lambton The benchmark stone of Great Trigonometrical Survey, in the courtyard of a house behind Bus Stand in Hinganghat. (Pic by Kartik Lokhande) Lt Col Will...
Read more

Eknath Ranade, the man with ‘Rock’ solid determination

* November 2015 marks the culmination of birth centenary celebrations of Eknath Ranade, a son of Vidarbha who made it the cause of his life to realise the dream of Vivekananda Rock Memorial at Kanyakumari By Kartik Lokhande  It was 1962, a year that had stirred the atmosphere in the country owing to several factors including a war with China. In January 1963, India was to celebrate the birth centenary of Swami Vivekananda. In down south, in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, tension was in the air over Swami Vivekananda’s memorial. There were attempts by some to claim the Rock off the shores of Tamil Nadu where Vivekananda meditated. A firm leadership is required to navigate through little storms in the journey towards realisation of a goal. Eknath Ranade, a man born in village Timtala in Amravati district of Vidarbha region in Maharashtra, was destined to be that firm leader as far as Swami Vivekananda’s memorial at Kanyakumari. Born on November 19, 1914, Eknath Ranade was the ...
Read more