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Log on to friendship

After blogging, it's now `scrapping'. Tracking the trend in cyber space

Once upon a time, canteens, shade of sprawling trees on the campus, neighbourhood tea shops ... were ideal places for students to hang out and discuss everything under the sun. Then came e-mails and extended chat sessions. Now, it is blogging and `scrapping.'

For those who logged in late, scrapping is like writing a message and posting it on a bulletin board in cyber space that can be read by members of a group. It is like chatting but the user need not be present.

Your friend can read your `scrap' at his convenience and reply through the same route. These online communities are where all the action is taking place now. From finding long lost friends, classmates and colleagues to finding a soul mate, these new sites provide them all.

"How many friends do you have in Orkut?" or "How many blogs do you post a week?" is the talk on campuses these days.

Orkut, Friendster, HI-5, Yahoo 360 are some of the popular sites. These sites are called social networking sites and it seems as if everybody wants to be a cyber socialite.

From a 13-year-old to a 40-year-old businessman, all of them seem to have been bitten by the cyber bug. For some it is a forum to share their hobbies, for some it is a space to rave about your favourite star, book, movie... or to rant about your pet peeves. Selecting an `avatar,' a visual representation of your character, to personalising your space is another favourite pastime of netizens.

Orkut, managed by Google, seems to be the most popular among youngsters and students. Their success mantra is the introduction of `scrapping.'

Says Kiran, an electronics student "One needs only an e-mail ID to open an account in Orkut. Once, you become a member of an online community, it becomes a kind of a craze."

In addition to scrapping, it allows you to upload photo albums, edit your profile to your satisfaction and choose your list of friends. It is possible for you to view your friend's friend list and send them requests to join your group, thus making it easier for the circle of friends to grow.

One can also join various communities on the site such as Archies Comics Club, Tom Cruise Fan Club, Jeffrey Archer Club, Ambrosia Lovers, Hindu Metro Plus Fans' Club... These are a few of the groups that are a craze among the youth.

A recent entry into the scene is Yahoo 360. If you have a Yahoo ID, you are part of the network. This site seems to put in a serious effort to create general awareness. On the menu are reviews that you can post on any subject, be it music, films, current affairs...

HI-5, yet another social site, offers music streaming, which helps you listen to music while you are on the site.

ARUN JOHN

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