I’m pissed off with orkut. Having been a loyal user for three years, I’m now very pissed off. Scrapbook was one place where you wouldn’t find much spam. Now, thanks to some “scrap all” feature that some idiot has developed, the scrapbook is full of it. Full of happy new year messages, which I know aren’t really intended at me. From a lot of vague people. Even if it’s from someone i’m reguarly in touch with, I’ve lost respect for that person.
Unless this “scrap all” menace can be aborted, I’m going to leave orkut. I don’t care that I’ve built up a network of 800 friends there. I’m in touch with most of them through at least one other medium so it’s ok.
It doesn’t stop at orkut. I’ve received thousands of SMSs wishing me a happy and prosperous 2008. The problem with SMS is that you don’t know who all have been copied on the message. Nevertheless, most of these appear extremely impersonal. Even a few of them coming from close friends. I haven’t bothered to reply. Doesn’t seem to be worth it at all.
I’ve received a few wishes on IM, and on the phone. All of them have been religiously acknowledged and replied to. IM and phone are “high involvement” media. Makes a whole lot of difference.
My mailbox has also been buzzing. Some people have shamelessly copied a hundred people on the mail (thankfully no one has reply alled). Well left. Others have been more thoughtful and put everyone in BCC. Well left again. There are a few personal mails. Duly replied to. Not too many of these, though.
One “use” of festivals is that it helps people get back in touch. Suppose I haven’t talked to you for ages. Wishing you on new year’s is a good excuse for me to call you up. And we end up enquiring about each other’s health. And talk about a few more random things. And thus “keep in touch”. It need not be a phone call. It could be a mail, or a letter, or an SMS. Or, hell, even an orkut scrap! Usually helps keep in touch.
Anyways, I guess by writing here I’m not really spamming everyone (spamming RSS feed doesn’t really count as spam right?). So I hereby wish all my readers a happy and prosperous 2008.
PS: What did the chemistry teacher tell his class on Jan 1? Wish you all a happy and phosphorus new year.