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Raise a toast to e-friendship

E-communities have not only generated a new wave of credible social networks but also enables you to expand your social circle, writes NIVEDITA GANGULY

PHOTO: K.R.DEEPAK

FRIENDLY BANTER Friendship still has the charm that makes the world go round

They sit together and chat about the good old days. The college banter is still intact as they reminisce about bunking afternoon classes and the horrifying crowded bus journeys together.

Just then there arrives a message from another long lost school friend from a remote part of the world and she joins in the nostalgic conservation. All this happens just at a click of the mouse.

Welcome to the world of e-communities where hundreds of friendship bonds are made, nurtured and celebrated.

Never mind the fact like `love', friendship is another commonly abused word in our times, when relationships are treated business-like. Yet, many vow that friendship is still the thing that makes the world go round. And what better time to raise a toast to friendship than on August 6 - the day specially marked for it?

In today's world of make-believe and smart marketing in all departments (including relationships), the advent of e-communities have generated a new wave of credible social networks by not just the way you make and maintain friends or find dates, but also enabling you to expand your social circle in an unprecedented scale.

You become a `friend' to someone by simply sending him/her a quick friend's request.

So now, besides all existing forms of friendship, there are these Internet acquaintances. People who one has not seen or heard or hugged but is a good friend.

He/she exists somewhere in front of a PC and `reads me' out. He/she is there at weird hours when one feels low and dejected. This invisible aid is fast becoming a good friend, though sometimes it backfires.

A social network like Orkut works like this. First, you need an invitation to sign in. No gate-crashers.

Once you get someone to invite you, you get a space in the network where you can put up your social, personal and professional profiles, photos and contact information and invite friends to do the same.

Your friends, in turn, will then get a chance to invite their friends. And the world of friends seems to increase by every minute and every second.

"My personal experience with online communities like hi5, Orkut has been great. I met all long lost friends online. And the communities available on these sites are also a good place to exchange views," says Bijita Banerjee, a software developer in Bangalore.

Networking

While old friends come together through such communities, it's also an effective space for networking.

Madhulika Kamjula, a management student in Hyderabad believes that e-communities indeed forge a bond that can go much beyond the conventional forms of friendship.

"In my field networking is very important to stay in competition. I made many friends on Orkut who helped me in many of academic projects with their valuable inputs," she says.

Siddhartha Ganguly, a Computer Science student, had a similar experience through e-communities.

"I accidentally met a few seniors of my college through the online communities who help me with my projects. Without Orkut it would not have been possible to meet them so easily."

Scrapbooks

Here is a space that is as vibrant as a college canteen. Gossips, anecdotes, general chit-chats - it's just like message boards where friends can scribble on the scrapbooks. "It's like a small window of your life which is kept open for your friends," says Shibabrato Sil, a business executive.

But sometimes, it might lead to interference into one's privacy, he agrees.

Privacy

"Scrapbooks zip open our lives in front of other people, so privacy is a big issue. But I think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages of e-communities," adds Madhulika.

Each of these sites is growing at a speed that astounds even their founders. But judging by how fast people are connecting online, the lines between real life and cyber friends are likely to blur into oblivion.

Here is your chance to reach out to your old friends, make new bonds and give a new meaning to friendship.

All you need to log in is an ID and an invitation.

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