Invite Yo DamnSelf To Orkut & Try out Gmail For Free

Update 9/24/04: If you would like an orkut invitation, use this to contact me.

Invitation to Orkut: $11

Get your own Gmail Account: $150

Login & Password to Gmail Account & Orkut with Ability to Invite Yourself to Orkut: Free

gmail & orkut Login: trygoomailandorkutfree
orkut pwd: yourcooltoo
gmail pwd: youarecooltoo
(orkut had a max character constraint)

First Off, Orkut, Gmail and Google Overall Rock. They are great services and google is a great company. I don't want to knock them. However, I believe everyone should feel comfortable questioning company's practices, especially ones as powerful and important as google.

All that said, I question their motive and the precedent they are setting by allowing only exclusive access to their services when they are first launched.

For example, you have to beg people to get an orkut invitation. And you have to know someone or use google's other services(namely blogger) heavily to get a gmail account.

I am a member of Orkut and I have a gmail account. I wasn't the first one to get an account at each of these services, but I am certainly not the last. In fact, I was amazed at how many people that asked me for an orkut invite when I wrote about it last week.

I think it is purely a marketing ploy: Scarcity breeds Desire. I am not saying it isn't smart and I am not passing moral judgement. I just don't like it when people are excluded.

It reminds me of being excluded from the cool kid's lunch table or being picked last for a team at the playground. I am sure that the google geeks remember what it was like when those things happened. Maybe now that they are the 'cool kids', they are getting their revenge.

They could say that the reason is technical due to scalability of a service or because code hasn't been refined. However, they have adequate resources (cash, computers, and de-buggers) to avoid these issues when they launch a new service.

I just think it is a marketing ploy. Hell, they got me to talk about it. You too probably.

So, If they really believe in inclusiveness, (which I believe they do) why are they doing this?

Show your Support for Inclusiveness
- Link to this
- Leave your name in the comments.
- Invite trygoomailandorkutfree@gmail.com to be your friend on orkut.
- Join the InviteSelfOrkutTryGMailFree group on orkut.
- Send an email to trygoomailandorkutfree@gmail.com. They're definitely reading it.

Keywords for Search Engine Traffic: Orkut Invite. Orkut Invitation. Free Orkut Invite. Free Orkut Invitation. Get GMAIL account. Free Google Email. Free Gmail Account. GMAIL Invitation. GMAIL Inviation FROM blogger. Buy GMAIL account. Sell Gmail Account.

Update: 5/1 2PM I sent the following email to a bunch of people that have gmail accounts for bid at ebay.

>Subject: Question from eBay Member: Gmail Google email 1GB Beta Account Invitation
>Date: Sat, 1 May 2004 10:06:45 -0700
>
>Dear [removed],
>
>I'd like to buy your gmail account. I don't want to wait for an auction to close nor do I want to bid.
>
>I already have my own, but I want another for this reason:
>http://worcester.typepad.com/pc4media/2004/05/invite_yo_damns.html
>
>What's your price? Email is [removed]. I'll send cash via paypal. Thanks, -Pete
>
>To view the item, go to: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=[removed]
>
>>

The first response:

I would end it for $200.

And Mine to Him:

haha! Greedy Bastard.

Response #2

I've watched some go over 250. If you give me 250, I'll sell to you.

And Mine to him (I'm not shocked anymore):
No Thanks.

These people are worse than scalpers.

Update II 5/1 2:20PM
Responder 3: The greediest one of all. He's got two for sale. But, he abides by the rules, atleast.

I can’t forfeit the auction. It is against Ebay policy. However, there is a third invite that I have that I am willing to share that I am not auctioning nor is it listed. I need to double check on the policy. For a third invite I have, I can sell it to you, but it will not be cheap. The difference between gmail and orkut is that gmail will be public. So, you can pay a high price to get one now, or you can wait. $150.00 and it’s yours.

And he's trying to sell me on it because it will eventually be public. Weak! My response: (I am now being polite.)

No Thanks. Thanks Anyways. Appreciate the Response.

Responder #4 Isn't a Greedy Bastard.

I'm open to offers on the account. All my friends who wanted a GMail account already got one, and I figured this was a chance to get some money to pay off some school expenses. You say you already have a GMail account, did you get any invitations with it?

Also, as a side note, I can't believe that invitation went for $200. Wow.

Of Course, I no longer need one, now that I know I have two free invites to send out. I used one of them to create an account and have posted the password above.

And I now have a new revelation. We all can have an account without buying one, if more of us aren't greedy bastards. Since everyone gets two invitations, everyone can now have an account.

In order to make this happen, everyone has to create an account and post the id and password to their weblog. The first person to log in can use one of the invitations for themselves and one to post to their weblog.

Don't waste your invites. If you don't have a friend to send it to, post it online.

Update III 5/1/2004 3:20
Responder #5: (I am starting to piss people off, now.)

soooo....you want me to give you material to put up on your website to make fun of me? How about this: $250 right here and now, and it's yours. Otherwise, go back to creating your own economic theories and leave me alone. I'm a broke law student, sorry for trying to make an extra buck so I can make rent at the end of the month.

My response:

haha

The tough life of a law student. That would make a good reality show. I have his email for the producers at FOX.

Update IV 5/2/2004 The orkut account was deleted and the gmail account is no longer accessible.
I guess they intend to enforce the exclusivity? I have no proof that google authorities deleted these accounts. If they did, a little comment on why would be appreciated.

Comments

[L]

Damn.. invites gone, and no one linking back.. now isn't that just sad. Just when I tought I'd gotten my hands on a gmail account :)

Anyone care to invite me? ;)

[Peter Caputa]

that is very sad.

[Bart]

I think someone at gmail is already onto this. The gmail login doesn't work but the orkut login does.

[Tom]

Bart: someone probably changed the password. Care to reset it by answering the secret question, Peter? (if that's not changed as well, that is)

[Peter Caputa]

secret answer doesn't work either.
the answer was poopoo.

i don't understand why google would change it.
I could see whey they'd make the orkut one invalid, but not the gmail account, unless there is something in the terms of use about it.

maybe somebody was desperate enough for an account that they took trygoomailandorkutfree@gmail.com as their own account.

[Adam]

I respectfully disagree with your arguments and suggestions.

I *LIKE* that both Gmail and orkut are invite-only, and frankly, I wish they'd stay that way.

This creates accountability and helps prevent or prosecute illegal behaviors.

For instance, if someone uses a Gmail account to send out illegal phishing schemes (to steal credit card numbers), Google only needs to trace the account to the person who invited that jerk. Oh, the original person auctioned off an account on ebay? Too bad, so sad! Hope they both get punished heavily.

Same with orkut. You invite someone who ends up being a spamming jerk? Well, then, it's pretty easy for Google to kill both accounts, and then the spammer can't simply sign up a new account right away, can he?

Whereas if the systems were completely open, then spammers could use bots (or underpaid workers) to simply open up thousands of accounts with no accountability.

I think Google's really on to something.

Are there unfortunate side-effects of this? Certainly! For those who are less connected (geographically or techwise, etc.), they're likely to get accounts much later than others, and I think this is not good. A way for Google to mitigate this would be to reach out to 'underserved' areas of the 'Net and distribute 'seed' accounts in that way.

But right now, especially with regards to Gmail... if you're an active blogger and blog reader (on blogger.com or otherwise) or you've been an active Google translator or you've participated in Google answers or you have friends in high tech... you're likely to have scored yourself an account already.

No system is perfect. But I like the way Google is doing things.

[Sandy]

You know I disagree a little with you...but in a slightly different way.
I got into gmail yesterday, when somebody invited me, even though I was a complete stranger.
do a search on gmail+invite on feedster and see how many people are offering gmail invites for a poem, a picture or a song.
Is google trying a community building effort here? Or did it turn into unconsciously.
Serendipity is a good thing. I have made friends out of people who would rather give away their invite for a song, than sell it off on ebay.
So here's the deal, when I get additional invite capability, you get one of them.
S.

[Peter Caputa]

wow. excellent and thoughtful comments. thanks adam and sandy with gracing my blog with them.

Adam... I fail to see how exclusivity or invite only schemes keep out bad seeds. Your argument is that by making the systems invite only, then spamming using gmail or spamming in orkut, wouldn't occur.

I think this is a false assumption. That is like saying you can prevent a terrorist crime in the US by policing the borders with Canada and Mexico better. There is no way you can control human behavior in a group by policing the gates.

Also, you argue that spamming wouldn't occurr because the person who invited the person would get their accounts cancelled by the "google administrator". They aren't doing this now. What makes you think they'll start?

Also, should I be accountable for a friend that isn't aware of the community's rules? Or is aware and snaps one day and decides to break them? Guilt by association isn't an appropriate way of discouraging bad behavior, unless you want a pure police state. I don't think this is a good approach. This is akin to holding a parent accountable for their 30 year old son's crime. That isn't kosher with me.

You do bring up a good point about spam, though.
After playing around on orkut for a little while, I do think it is susceptible to spam. There are too many group mail functions in the system to avoid that. And just by hooking up with someone or joining a community, I can receive those. If the spam picks up, which it will, I'll be forced to limit my group and community involvement.

Sandy... I do think that Google is leveraging the blog world. I doubt their goal is to "build" community. I believe that you found a few friends, is rather incidental to their goals.

Rather though, I think it is a marketing technique. Seth Godin advanced the idea of viral marketing, or marketing through connectors in his book, IdeaVirus. To create an ideavirus, you make your product worth talking about and then you get your customer's to spread the word about it.

Google has always done this with the search engine. Make it the best and people have talked about it. With orkut and gmail, I now think that they are just building it into their products.

The fact that people are finding clever ways to give away accounts and make a few new friends or online acquaintances is incidental.

The more I think about it, the more I think the 'exclusivity' isn't a bad thing. Google is
creating good products and offering them to us for free. If they want to scale up to a billion users this way or use us to market the products through click of mouse, then that is their perogative.

It is pretty damn smart!

[ian]

hi,

i tried the login to perpetuate the idea of a continuous loop of invites. why is it not working? I realize i am coming a little late to the party but would really like a gmail invitation....
inc@georgetown.edu

[Peter Caputa]

Update IV 5/2/2004 The orkut account was deleted and the gmail account is no longer accessible.
I guess they intend to enforce the exclusivity? I have no proof that google authorities deleted these accounts. If they did, a little comment on why would be appreciated.

[Hetal Patel]

I would love to get a gmail account if anyone has a spare invite. Thanks in advance.

[Avi]

Also looking for a Gmail and Orkut invite. Sigh, I guess I was a little late getting here as well. Oh well, if anything changes, love to be included on this.

Take care!

- Avi

[Bez]

who doesn't want a gmail account including myself.
It sure is nice of all these people that are giving away free invites, but me and tons of others only dream of having one.
All the hype over this thing... ehehe. =)

[Kaczmarczyk]

Just wondering if you might be able to send me an extra invite for Gmail...I could really use one since I live 8 hours from my family and we are constantly sending pics back and forth...I need the storage!

Thanks in advance!
kaczmarczyk@hotmail.com

[Peter Caputa]

this is what I am sending people that clutter my comments with requests for gmail. link

I am also signing you up for spam. (Just kidding.)

[Emanon]

Anyone have an extra invite? Please send to RL_Langley@Yahoo.com

[Mikenotmike]

I'll trade a mikeisgod.com or guessmyrace.com email account for a gmail invite :o

just kidding.. but i do really want one

please

[Rob]

I'm one of the many that's also looking for one. I will make this agreement - if I get two invites, I'll give one to a friend and one to someone else on this list. Sound good? I'm at Rob_Erickson_1@yahoo.com (c'mon - help me out with a lame e-mail address like that!).

[ck]

I need an ivitation too. plz send one to ck2sb@yahoo.com and I'll give out both invitations to the people here. thx.

[Josh]

If possible, send me an invite and I'll keep circle going as well?

joshpalmer@mailexcite.com

[Nathan Adolph]

I would like to get an orkut invite.

Name: Nathan Adolph
email: nathan0@gmail.com

[Nathan Adolph]

I would like to get an orkut invite.

Name: Nathan Adolph
email: nathan0@gmail.com

[Windy]

Please invite me to join gmail

my email: windyswonderland[at]yahoo.com

[Ket Sia]

I would like to get an orkut invite please.
onethe@catcha.com
Thanks!

[Atif Jalal]

I would like to get an orkut invite please.

atifjalal@yahoo.com