Exclusivity of a Network - Free Orkut Invite

Update 2/15/2005:  [removed] has rescinded her offer. Apparently, she had Bill-Clintoned the memory of saying "sure" in response to my question: "would you like to volunteer to send invitations from people that find my blog?" So, I will ONLY send invitations to people if they agree to let me post their email address so that people can ask them for an invitation. Isn't that fair?

Update 2/14/2005: [removed] has offered to send out invitations to orkut. Her email address is [removed].  If you'd like to send out invitations, I can add your email address here.

Update 2/12/2004: I am no longer sending out invitations to Orkut. I receive a minimum of 10 requests per week and it is a pain in the ass. Given all of my responsibilities I have decided that this is not a wise use of my time. I suggest you find some bloggers that work for google and ask them. Then, maybe they'll eliminate this stupid invite-only policy.

Update 9/12/04: If you would like an orkut invitation, use this to contact me.

So, I finally received an invitation to orkut. Thanks Merrick.  It was actually the 3rd one. The first two from Dan Keldsen and Mitko  Gerensky-Greene bounced because my hotmail service is always at about 95%.  I know I should clean it out, but its low on the priority list since I only use that for friend's and networking online, not any urgent business, which I transfer over to my WhizSpark account. And I have a gmail account too now, since I was previously a heavy blogger user.

I initially was pissed that I had to beg people to send me an invite. I had a few people that I talk with online, pretty much ignore me. Which is no big deal. I am used to the blog rejection. However, It still doesn't sit well with me that it is an invite only network. I think this is going to be a trend that we see, especially from google that: you have to qualify to try out their services when they are new.

From a marketing perspective it is pretty smart. Everyone wants to be one of the "lucky ones" to try it first. The people that try it first want to tell the whole world about it
because then they'll get the glory. At the same time they are telling the world about it, they have to be thorough in their review, so they are in effect, giving google all the feedback they could ever hope for for free from the early adopters.  Therefore, it is pretty damn smart from a product design and improvement perspective too.  It is also good from a scalability issue. Having launched a social networking site (on MS technology), we have the thorny issue of how many servers to buy and when.  Although, google doesn't have the same issue because of their massive scalable infrastructure (that they may be using for orkut, which is built on ms's asp.net) , they can control the flow of users a lot easier.

However, I don't like that someone has to deem me worthy to be invited into the network. I know that eventually, that'll cover everyone cause we are all only separated by a few steps, but It isn't very democratic.  Growing up, I think we've all encountered groups that weren't very inclusive.  I think the web has a chance to change that - breaking down barriers - destroying cliques - being friendly - letting people control their own destiny.  I may be getting a little philosophical here and the powers that be at google may have not even thought of this issue.  But they may have, and instead, weighed the marketing and technical benefits over the benefits of being democratic. 

So, If anyone wants an invite, I am glad to send you one, whether I know you or not.

I thought of also creating a gmail account and publishing the id and pwd so that anyone could play around with it, but it was after I chose the handle that I wanted. And I don't want to risk losing that one. Unfortunately, I can't create another gmail account from my blogger invitation.

Comments

[Ivan Liang]

Appreciate for giving me an invitation to join Orkut !!Thanks!

[Ron]

i'd love a gmail invite, pyroguy002@yahoo.com

[Peter Caputa]

I bet you would.

[D]

can u send me a gmail invite. Im sick of AOL

djgfuq50@aol.com

[Peter Caputa]

b4 more people ask me for a gmail invite, read the blog. you'll see that my scheme for free and unrestricted gmail and orkut accounts for all hasn't worked. I am recommending that someone who needs some side cash, follow this scheme. Then there'll be gmail accounts for everyone.

So, if someone follows that scheme, I will gladly point to them.

[Koh W H]

Can I have an orkut invite, please? I emailed you about it, but it seems that you haven't replied. Thanks.

[Josh]

Hey i know this is a long shot but if anyone has any free gmail invites left will you please send it to me

thanks

[speed1001]

Any Chance or getting an Invite to Orkut? I'm not saying I'll give you the old reach around, but I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks,
-Steve
>)))º>

[Marc]

I'd be grateful for an Orkut invite. Thanks much!

[marcus]

GMail, Chocolate Nazis and fashion tips for the season
Uhhh,
puhh, well, I hurried and here I am, begging to get a G-Mail account! Why? Because I wanted to dress up and drink coffee with a bisexual friend of mine in the shabbiest place on earth called the rendez-vous. That's why. I just don’t have a life, I'd like one, so if you don't have any invitations left, just send a life. I won't send you paypal, because I don't know what that is, if you accept international credit cards there might be a way (but there is none, still). You have none left? Well, listen anyway, I’m just bored. One month and a half left, then I'll be back in Germany. I'm an exchange student (here, USA), just so you know. Frankly, I don't even know you, but guess what, I'll beg anyway, because it's such a humane thing to do. Am I humane? Certainly not, I keep bothering people about things they probably don’t even care about. People then always come up with those stupid associations, like that I were a communist spy. And what’s in for me? Well, a mail address like redspymarcus@aol.com, just to please the people that hate me anyway. It’s sad if you actually think about it, so please don’t. Just concentrate. What are you doing next? Where do you want to go today (uhh copyright problems!)? Maybe you should eat something, just because eating is awesome. Trust me, I know, and I already look like a wise man. No, just kidding, I’m not too fat, I guess. Don’t ask my thighs, they’ll lie. That’s what thighs usually do, they also complain (wait till they here about the chicken I had earlier!). What was I saying? I don’t really know. Do I care? Certainly. Definitely maybe, I guess. Have you ever wondered, if anybody would survive a nuclear holocaust? Okay, it wouldn’t be called holocaust, if people would survive. But what would be there? Cockroaches I guess, and probably Cher. Uhh and another thing. Since when do girls know, that guys have urinals in there bathrooms? When do they find out, how? But more troublesome, what do girls have, we don’t know about?

Bye. Marcus von Gruenberg-Schmidt (a name I’m destined to have, later, I guess)

[jazmon]

im hoping you can offer me an orkut invite too. i've send you an email. thanks in advance.

[Anuj Jain]

Hi dude,

Can you send me an Orkut invite at orkut@jainanuj.com? Thanks a lot :)

[robbie]

Wow. You're very generous. I'd love an invite to anything! I'd literally do antyhing to get involved with the gmail scene!!!

[windy]

I would like to try gmail, but nobody I know can send me an orkut invitation (so I can sign up for gmail). Can you spare me one?

Thanks a lot.

[Debbie]

Wow, do you think you have any more spare orkut/gmail invites? If not that's fine; I still think you're really cool for offering that.

[ghurl]

hi! I was kind of confused with the name of your blog and your email address. I'd like to be invited to Orkut, so maybe you could invite my email ad? Thanks a lot! I'd really appreciate it if you invite me ^_^

[al]

I am sure anything restricted or forbidden is appealing,And after passing the gates the things are at best ordinary

[Scott Allen]

Everything commoditizes. Now people are giving them away to people they don't know. As of day 3, they were selling for about $15 on eBay.

[alex]

hi can i get an invite for orkut

thanx

rksprst@msn.com

[Nicholas]

Hello.
I sent you an e-mail requesting an orkut invite. Hopefully you can help me out, thank you!

[Cesar]

Hi,

It would be great to get an invite. Can you? Would you? Please :D

Thanks

[Brian]

I'd like an orkut invite please.

[David W. Quinn]

I would love an Orkut invitation!

[Kyjo]

Please send me an invite if you could, I would be extremely grateful.

[Ehsan]

hello.
Please send me an invite if you can, I would be greateful.
thanx
ehsan