Orkut and the fine art of socializing

I just realized. Sitting in the train and jabbering down your thoughts on the laptop isn't sucha difficult thing after all. I did this today.

Its funny how a piece of technology manages to take over our social lives. Yes, I'm talking about Orkut.

We live in a globalized world. And the World is Flat. And we have friends scattered all over the planet. Friends, with whom we would like to get back in touch with.
Friends, brothers, sisters, cousins, crushes, seniors/juniors from school/college/playschool :-), the neighborhood gundas, the gal-next-door... you name it! All of them can be accessed with a click of the mouse! Good na!
I myself have found so many old friends through this... (and I'm sure its the same case for everyone else around)

And Orkut is spreading like wildfire... Have been on this site since almost 2 yrs now, but never bothered to check it out much. But the last 10 months or so, its exploded!
This July when I spent 12 hours at the Mumbai airport (thanx to the annual floods occuring) I noticed at least 3 ppl in different places, sitting with their laptops and... Orkutting!

Welcome to the world of online socializing!
Of course nothing can beat the charm of meeting the person for real, but this is a workable delight sitting thousands of miles away from each other.


And how could the discussion be complete without the an eulogy to the never-ending list of DFSs (aka Desperate Friend Seekers)
Wow, I love this part....

There are loads of DFSs crawling all over the internet... loads. And if you just happen to mention in your profile that you are a female between 18 to 28 there will be loads of them wanting to make 'franship' with you and scrapping the nuts out of you....
Ya... female - thats enough. A sweet-sounding name and/or a pic that is remotely feminine will multiply the 'franship' offers almost-instantly. Uploading a few more of such pics on the album will result in exponential increase in the friends requests and scrappps!

I mean I know from a few of my gal-friends that everyday when they log on to their orkut, dozens of 'franship' requests stare them in the face on the homepage.... and it gets so irritating to click on 'NO' for each of them, one by one. Aha, the pleasures of being a guy... you don't (usually) have to go through this, he he!
As if the 'franship' requests are not enough, there are the scrapyards! Aha, welcome to the free arena of oh-I'm-so-cooool scraps, where each DFS comes up with one cheesy line after another (some in bold, italics, eastman color) - just to grab attention. (remember the Joey, 'How are u doin?' thingy'?)

I dunno how some people get kicks out of seeing more and more gals in their friend's list, even if they have no clue whatsoever about them or about their lives. Ah, maybe they think, the way to a gal's heart is through her 'Friend's list' :-) Someone pls educate me.

Here are some of the cornier examples:
(names have been withheld to protect identity, including mine ;-0 )
(Consider the responses in brackets below to be that of a PAL - Pretty Annoyed Lady)

Hi how r u?
(PAL: Hello, am i gonna tell random strangers how am I doing - whether I feel on top of the world or down in the dumps or both?)

hi, cute pic / nice pic / what a blah-blah pic!
(PAL: Well for starters, Thank you, but don't expect me to scrap you back. Its not a 'I scrap... err scratch your back, you scratch mine' thing)

Would you like to make franship with me?
This one takes the cake mann! I mean, if this works with a gal whom you've has never met/talked/chatted in life before, I could myself fancy my chances of using this line successfully with with Catherine Zeta Jones! Ah!
And the Engleees is just.... Subhaanalla...!!
more cornier versions of this:
'Would you like frenship with mee?'
'Hi I'm Narayan Kumar Babu from Rajpur, pleees freind me...'

Hi I'l w8 4 scrp, tc, by!
(PAL: This guy is having an SMS nightmare)

Waiting 4 your screp, byeeeeeeeeeee... !!!!!!!!!!!!!
(PAL: Hey, why was the 'byeeeee' for...? Aaye, scrap kiye, aur chal diye...? And sochte ho ki ladki patt jaayegi?? ha ha)
Still beats me why the extra e's and the hordes of exclamation marks added - was this guy having an orgasm while writing this? :-P

(And here are the try-again till you drop types...)
I screp yu but yu had not respond me so care to replay
(HA HA... ROTFL !!!)

And finally... this - yes, I've seen at least 2 such scraps in other ppl's scrap books. Laughed for 9.5 minutes non-stop!
Hi I woud like u as frend, pls send me a massage!
(Need I say more? :-) )
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