Remember Orkut? Its founder wants to bring it back

A popular social network from the early 2000s may return with a focus on human connection instead of algorithms.

Orkut Büyükkökten, the founder of the defunct social networking platform Orkut, has launched a campaign to revive the service. Büyükkökten, who developed Orkut as a side project at Google in 2004, is urging former users to visit Orkut.com and register their support to bring the platform back. Orkut was once highly popular in India and Brazil before being shut down by Google in September 2014, reportedly due to a shift in focus to other platforms like Google+ and YouTube. Büyükkökten expressed dissatisfaction with the current state of social media, citing the intrusive influence of algorithms and AI-generated content, and stated his desire to rebuild an internet focused on authentic human connection and community. This is not his first attempt to return to social networking; he previously launched the app Hello in 2016, which shut down in 2020, and hinted at another venture in 2022. Details on whether a new Orkut version is in development remain unclear.

Büyükkökten's appeal directly contrasts with the current social media landscape, which he argues is being diluted by AI and algorithmic curation at the expense of genuine human interaction. His effort to revive Orkut signals a potential market opening for platforms that prioritize authentic connections over engagement metrics driven by sophisticated algorithms. This could resonate with users disillusioned by the impersonal nature of mainstream social networks and searching for more meaningful online communities. The success of this revival would depend on its ability to capture the original Orkut's appeal while navigating the vastly different digital environment of today. Previous attempts like Hello, though smaller in scale, suggest Büyükkökten's ongoing commitment to this vision. However, the lack of concrete details about the new Orkut's development or its underlying technology leaves its future uncertain. The current call to action is primarily a gauge of public interest, with no guarantee of a launch. Investors and competitors will be watching to see if this grassroots movement can translate into a viable product that challenges the dominance of algorithm-driven platforms.

The founder's critique of AI and algorithms on social media highlights a growing user concern about the authenticity and value of online interactions. If Orkut successfully revives with its stated focus, it could create a niche market for 'low-tech' social experiences. This might pressure existing platforms to reconsider their reliance on algorithmic manipulation to drive engagement, potentially leading to more user-centric design choices across the board. The return of a platform known for its community-building capabilities could also inspire a wave of new social networking startups aiming for similar goals.