In a statement, the creator of the social network says he is preparing something new and that the news will appear “soon”
The question that doesn’t want to be silent: will Orkut come back? As far as the site creator, engineer Orkut Büyükkökten, is concerned, yes. That’s because he reactivated the social network on Wednesday night (27), with a statement that promises news “soon”.
Orkut was launched in 2004 and has gained over 300 million users with its communities, testimonials and games, such as Happy Harvest and BuddyPoke. In 2014, a decade later, the closure of the social network was announced.
The possible return of the social network comes at the same time that Elon Musk announced the purchase of Twitter, for 44 billion dollars, on Monday (25). The news generated a great repercussion in the networks and some people even asked for the return of Orkut in the meantime.
In the statement, the creator of Orkut said that hard work was done to make the social network “a community where hate and disinformation are not tolerated”.
Still in his statement, the engineer even went so far as to snipe at other social networks, saying that the site’s team was “dedicated a lot to make orkut.com a community where you could meet real people who shared your same interests, not just people who liked and commented on your photos”.
Büyükkökten ends the five-paragraph statement by stating that he is building something new and that the news will arrive “soon”.
Read the full statement:
Hi!
I’m Orkut. 17 years ago I created a small social network while I was working at Google as a software engineer. In just a few years, this social network became orkut.com with over 300 million users.
I believe orkut.com has found its community because it has brought together so many diverse voices from around the world in one place. We worked hard to make orkut.com a community where hate and misinformation are not tolerated. We worked hard to make orkut.com a community where you could meet real people who shared your interests, not just people who liked and commented on your photos.
The world needs kindness now more than ever. There is so much hate online these days, and our options for finding and building real connections are few and far between. I’ve always believed that a friendship is more than a friend request, and I’ve dedicated my life to helping millions of you build authentic connections with your neighbors, family, employees, and the beautiful strangers who enter your lives.
Our online tools should serve us, not divide us. They must protect our data, not sell it. They should give us hope, not fear and anxiety. The best social network is the one that enriches your life but doesn’t manipulate it. I want you to be able to be your true self, online and offline. I want you to be able to make lasting connections. I want to help you do this with all my heart.
I am an optimistic person. I believe in the power of connection to change the world. I believe the world is a better place when we get to know each other a little more. That’s why I created the world’s first social network when I was a graduate student at Stanford. That’s why I brought orkut.com to so many of you around the world. And that’s why I’m building something new. See you soon!
