The dawn of 2006 saw advent of a new revolution. A spark started in early 2004 had transformed into a raging fire and had started gulping the world at a dangerously rapid pace. Arguably the biggest thing to happen, especially in developing countries like ours, after the mobile phones, was online social networking. And leading the way was a giant Orkut. Started off by a Google Inc. employee and later taken over by Google Inc., Orkut made social networking easy, fun and fashionable. Orkuting was IN.
Though, social networking was not a new concept in the online world. MySpace already existed in the USA and by the time Orkut could spread its wings, Facebook had registered almost half of the US. But those sites were for US. They still are for US. They have a distinct US feel to them. I still feel out of place there. But not on Orkut. Orkut offered homely warmth, a cozy “feet at home” environment to Indian consumers. India, which was still coming to terms with swift pace of broadband internet, found Facebook a little difficult to catch up. Orkut was growing with the same pace of Indian cyber space. We had seen Orkut originate, learning to walk, stumble at times and finally run, maybe faster than us. But it’s fast pace never hurt, it felt good. It felt good to see the site we had registered in its early days going all around the world. Orkut was not only a website. It was a noun, a verb, an adjective. It became part of vocabulary and grammar. Social networking was not social networking any more, it was Orkuting. It swept the whole new computer aware generation off its feet.
I was also standing on my feet till the Orkut wave swept me off. Sending and receiving friend requests, leaving and reading scraps, updating personal profile and display photo every few days to remain unique, noticed and among thick of things…. Orkuting was becoming a way of life. So much so that if you are not on Orkut, you are not in the gang. Orkut was a harmless way to get in touch with so many school and college classmates. Well the female classmates to be particular. What I could never ask them in person, I could ask here without the “fear”. Just a click of a button and Orkut would ask it on your behalf… “Would you be my friend???” And for the receiving party also it was a no hassle way to both accept and reject the request. Even if you were not so impressed by the person in your college or school days, you could connect to him/her here… see if your perception was right, if the person is worth being your friend… if not you can easily “delete” him/her from the list.
Was it due to curiosity to know me, the ease deleting me from the list anytime, some secret feelings for me, people’s strive to have more number of friends in their list or just plain good luck… but everyone I dared my Orkut to ask on my behalf “would be my friend” they (she) accepted. O Orkut…!! Where were you all these years?? I wanted to ask this to so many people for so many years. But neither did I have courage nor a trustworthy friend who could ask it on my behalf. O Orkut… you are my best friend…
So the lady who used to sit next to me in the exams, the lady who used to wait at the same bus stop as mine, the lady who was good friend of one of my friends… all were in my friends list. More than anything else, what I rejoiced the most was the fact that they do remember me. That’s incredible!
The fear had no place and need in this online world. There was nothing called e-fear. The moment you find someone you think you know, might know, had ever known... you could, without any fear, ask, “Would you be my friend??” And they could, without any fuss, say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. fear was another shade lighter. But a permanent tattoo it was… so it was there. Very much there.
Amidst all these fear lightening modules, something more frightening had started.
It was early 2005. The mid semester exams of 1st semester of the post graduation had ended. Studies were light, moods were relaxed, and whole environment was casual. I was already a part of a gang comprising of girls, the fear had already started fading. An early January afternoon, the sun had come out after much deliberation and long wait, cutting through the thick January fog. We had bunked the class and were lazing in the sun. Playing some old school games or should I say old, school games. Someone called for Bhavna, one of the girls in the gang, from far. We all turned.
Sand blasted Lee Cooper jeans, Nike white sneakers, high neck white sweat shirt, unkempt hairdo, an “I don’t give a damn” attitude in the walk, a mysterious smile on face, hairs bouncing on shoulder with each step… Then there were doves fluttering, a long yellow duppatta swaying in the air, glitters filling the whole scene, DDLJ song playing in the background and the whole frame was mushy pink color tinted…
But it seemed like no one other than me could see the later half. As I could not see anyone who was dumbstruck, jaw dropped with non-blinking eyes.
Enters Niharika…
Though, social networking was not a new concept in the online world. MySpace already existed in the USA and by the time Orkut could spread its wings, Facebook had registered almost half of the US. But those sites were for US. They still are for US. They have a distinct US feel to them. I still feel out of place there. But not on Orkut. Orkut offered homely warmth, a cozy “feet at home” environment to Indian consumers. India, which was still coming to terms with swift pace of broadband internet, found Facebook a little difficult to catch up. Orkut was growing with the same pace of Indian cyber space. We had seen Orkut originate, learning to walk, stumble at times and finally run, maybe faster than us. But it’s fast pace never hurt, it felt good. It felt good to see the site we had registered in its early days going all around the world. Orkut was not only a website. It was a noun, a verb, an adjective. It became part of vocabulary and grammar. Social networking was not social networking any more, it was Orkuting. It swept the whole new computer aware generation off its feet.
I was also standing on my feet till the Orkut wave swept me off. Sending and receiving friend requests, leaving and reading scraps, updating personal profile and display photo every few days to remain unique, noticed and among thick of things…. Orkuting was becoming a way of life. So much so that if you are not on Orkut, you are not in the gang. Orkut was a harmless way to get in touch with so many school and college classmates. Well the female classmates to be particular. What I could never ask them in person, I could ask here without the “fear”. Just a click of a button and Orkut would ask it on your behalf… “Would you be my friend???” And for the receiving party also it was a no hassle way to both accept and reject the request. Even if you were not so impressed by the person in your college or school days, you could connect to him/her here… see if your perception was right, if the person is worth being your friend… if not you can easily “delete” him/her from the list.
Was it due to curiosity to know me, the ease deleting me from the list anytime, some secret feelings for me, people’s strive to have more number of friends in their list or just plain good luck… but everyone I dared my Orkut to ask on my behalf “would be my friend” they (she) accepted. O Orkut…!! Where were you all these years?? I wanted to ask this to so many people for so many years. But neither did I have courage nor a trustworthy friend who could ask it on my behalf. O Orkut… you are my best friend…
So the lady who used to sit next to me in the exams, the lady who used to wait at the same bus stop as mine, the lady who was good friend of one of my friends… all were in my friends list. More than anything else, what I rejoiced the most was the fact that they do remember me. That’s incredible!
The fear had no place and need in this online world. There was nothing called e-fear. The moment you find someone you think you know, might know, had ever known... you could, without any fear, ask, “Would you be my friend??” And they could, without any fuss, say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. fear was another shade lighter. But a permanent tattoo it was… so it was there. Very much there.
Amidst all these fear lightening modules, something more frightening had started.
It was early 2005. The mid semester exams of 1st semester of the post graduation had ended. Studies were light, moods were relaxed, and whole environment was casual. I was already a part of a gang comprising of girls, the fear had already started fading. An early January afternoon, the sun had come out after much deliberation and long wait, cutting through the thick January fog. We had bunked the class and were lazing in the sun. Playing some old school games or should I say old, school games. Someone called for Bhavna, one of the girls in the gang, from far. We all turned.
Sand blasted Lee Cooper jeans, Nike white sneakers, high neck white sweat shirt, unkempt hairdo, an “I don’t give a damn” attitude in the walk, a mysterious smile on face, hairs bouncing on shoulder with each step… Then there were doves fluttering, a long yellow duppatta swaying in the air, glitters filling the whole scene, DDLJ song playing in the background and the whole frame was mushy pink color tinted…
But it seemed like no one other than me could see the later half. As I could not see anyone who was dumbstruck, jaw dropped with non-blinking eyes.
Enters Niharika…
