Finally..

After months of adding small and barely noticeable features,Orkut the social networking site from Google has finally added  third party Apps,like Facebook. Apps are based on the Open Social platform.I tried iLike - I  couldn't get to add favourite songs or artists and yes if you are in office, be careful before starting the game.For me, it started a loud rock song much to others' surprise. May be I will try later.

In general it is a good development. Orkut is the most popular social networking site in India and for almost a year Indian users of social networking have been deprived of the state of the art in social networking- i.e a Facebook like experience. At some point of time one gets pretty much bored of seeing his/her friends' faces on the profile or their pictures from a vacation.Sometimes you just want to throw a strawberry cake or poke then or smash a bottle of beer on their heads and then tickle them.

And for all those desperate single guys who think Orkut is a dating site just because women put up their profiles,there might be light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a dating app.The much (ab)used scrapbook  pickup line "Wanna be friends?" may see decline in usage. Although given the opinion women have of strange guys on Orkut I am not sure how successful it will be.

The way they have promoted the apps interesting. No friend invites for apps so far.Just a link to announce the Apps with the hope that it will catch the attention of Orkut fans. Overall the apps have a long way to go before they match the  Facebook application platform but a good start  and it was about time.Over the last few months more and more Indians have been experimenting with Facebook, and if left unchecked, there could have been an en mass defection from Orkut. Hopefully the apps will make life in Orkut more interesting and worth sticking around.

The young and the senseless

 

Whatever appreciation I had for the lead actor in TZP greatly diminished when I heard he had refused the best child actor award. He may be a great actor but nevertheless a child actor. It is tough to imagine if it is this 10 year old who really has an ego of a 30 year old or it is his parents making him do such things.Still,for the benefit of doubt I  ignored his tantrums,be it his parents speaking through his mouth or may be it is his childish immaturity. But not for long. Yet again the kid has surpassed himself. Whatever he lacks in age, he makes it up with  his larger than life actions. According to recent reports the  boy who has no doubt been flooded with offers,wants nothing to do with directors or actors who he hasn't heard of in his lifetime of 12 years. So he will not hear anything until the movie has Shah Rukh  or Hrithik or Akshay and of course not to forget a sum of about 1 crore as compensation!!

Now, I am all for talent and recognizing it early, but at this age kids must not try to grow faster and bigger than what their age allows. It is harmful and I wouldn't be surprised if attitude causes the actor in question to burn out too quickly after a few 'big budget' films. With due respects to the neo liberal ideas of child upbringing and pedagogy sometimes the good old smack on the buttocks is what is needed to put astray kids back on line.

He is not the first kid to have tasted success in films. There have been others before him and insisting on big budget films and big money is not what made them fine actors later in their careers.Success has gotten into his head unfortunately  and its known to mess people up in strange ways.