Orkut - Some Thoughts

It's different in different countries, somewhere it's Facebook, someplace it's Orkut, some even like the graphic horror MySpace and the classic 'minimalist web-design' gone wrong Hi5. Anyway, I shut down MySpace because I get turned off by its layout and I shut down hi5 because it reminds me of Orkut, so why not use the real thing?

For the ones who are uninitiated - you would be surprised how many there are, conversations go like so:

GuyLookingtogetrisquepicturesofgal: Hey, so you on orkut.
Galmutlitaskingtosearchpresentablepicturesofherself: No, what is that.
GuyLookingtogetrisquepicturesofgal had logged off. -

Every social networking website worth its webtemplate will have profiles of people. these profiles will have their names, nicknames, the names of their pet dog, etc etc.. and basically help people recognize their friends. Now, this gets my goat.. allow me to elaborate:

IWhen, for the love of God will you understand that your profile photo and your name is the only way that your friends would be able to understand that it is YOU who has made a profile. For what joy do you put a photo of cats, kittens, dogs, kids, babies, filmstars, etc in your profile? If I wanted to see these photos I would go to sites offering that to me!

Another idiotic concept is the ASCII code. it looks good, but why in the name of everything pious do you use it for your profile name! Try searching for your ASCII code named profile and you will know how irritatingly disgusting it is!

Celebrities, why the hell do you put a celebrity's photo as yours? I don't want to gawk at a celebrity's face when I search for your profile, I want to ensure that the friend I am adding to my list is the same I drank like a fish with

Of course, this article will be seen as just another criticism of social networking websites!