Awkward
isn't it?
Made
worse by the usage of a small o - always a problem for us when
used on a proper noun.
What
is an orkut? What does it mean or stand for? Is it a variation
on "or cut"? Is it a new flavor of Orkin - the famous
termite removal company?
Since
this is a Google-affiliated site, it is to the Google chat forums
we turn for the answers. Some point out it is close to the Finnish
word for orgasm (unverified)! Viewing the latest links and blogs
on the site under the Media tab, make you think this might be
right, given all the sexual commentary fed up for the media.
Plus
they are facing major child-pornography lawsuits.
Eventually
people figure out that it is the name of a Turkish programmer
who works for Google, and started this as one of his independent
projects. Today it runs as a never-ending beta from Google Labs.
Apparently this social networking site has spread to a base
approaching 10 million users, almost 80% of whom are in Brazil!
Some
parents give their children very unique names, and there is
no problem with this. When your name is so different no other
references to it exist on the internet, then the trademark lawyers
are probably very happy for you to use it for a product or service.
But that doesn't mean it is a good, or even halfway decent name
for a site in the Western World! 
In
our opinion, the logo and look and feel of the site are attempting
to give it a feminine skew. No problem with this, and we even
applaud the use of some 3D characteristics. But we do not buy
into the lowercase first letter (even though it is popular with
some branding agencies). It just gives too many practical English
language problems downstream.
The
trademark orkut is registered, incidentally, to orkut.com LLC
and not Google. Perhaps there is some desire for separation
in case of liability here? Too late in many cases, as Google
has already been sued by Affinity Engines who claim Orkut Buyukkokten
took the code with him when he left to join Google. They base
part of their claim on the fact that the site has many of the
exact same bugs.
For
more information on this developing social site, please visit
www.orkut.com
or just Google it!
