A few weeks ago i became a part of Orkut, at the invitation of Dan Hughes (theyblinked.com). I am not pushing the idea to anyone since i want to see where it goes (organically), but i should be honest and tell you that since then, about 7 people have asked me to identify them as "friends" which i have, since i know them all as friends.
Well today, i took a look at some of the thousands of communties that have grouped up through this site, and i have to admit, i am a little tempted to jump into a community or two and road test them. Dan, (who has 38 "friends") is a member of quite a few of these communities, and the Bloggers group has 2345 members - that would make a pretty large Christmas gathering!
Anyway, it could be a really good tool for creating community online. And it could also turn out to be another time waster. And worse case scenario, it could turn out to be a goat-sacrificing satanic cult and my photo will get in the paper ( . . I didn't know . . . I swear . . i had no idea . . thats not blood, its ketchup!!!), but my sense of hesitation and interest in it tells me that Orkut (does sound like a cult, doesnt it? - ORKULT), or some derivation, will probably be a significant player in the way we conduct communal life on the internet.
i have not yet filled out all the details on myself yet - i am shy - and i am waiting to see how long i can stay in the corner of the room.
Another reason i think it could take off in the Christian/Theoblogian world, is because some of my 7 Orkut friends include big mouths like Jordon (and Wendy) Cooper and Spencer Burke of TheOoze.com, and those guys really dont know how to keep a secret.
[UPDATE: MARCH 25]
Check out Kristen Rudd on her 10 reasons "why i refuse to be a part of orkut"