Reason Magazine: Building Communities

Just in case those of you who're members of the social networking site Orkut care, I see someone recently started a Reason community there—population: 2, as of this posting. I'm not sure what one would do in this community, since the Hit and Run comments section seems to work pretty well as a forum for discussion about pieces posted here, but it's there if y'all want it.

Comments

[Douglas Fletcher]

Might be a nice place to visit but I wouldn't want to live there.

[Jennifer]

Steven-
I'm already the Token Chick Commentator on my boyfriend's Website comments page. Once in a lifetime is enough.

[Xmas]

I dunno, this blog isn't all that good for chit chat like "Ohmygawd! Did you see that new picture in Julian's photo album?"

Now it has three members!

[James Joyner]

Heh. Maybe it's a breakaway faction of the Libertarians community.

To be honest, I haven't quite figured out what to do with Orkut. Some people apparently get quite addicted to it.

[Highway]

I'd join, but I like using the pseudonym on here, which is not how I'm registered on Orkut.

I think I'm with James, that I don't really know what to do with Orkut. I'm not looking to replace my wife, and I'm not looking to change jobs. Any other points to it?

[Marc]

Sanchez,

When has utility ever been a component of libertarianism?

[garym]

Orkut is great, if you like signing over your soul. They're pulling the same sneaky stunt that Yahoo did when it took over Geocities. Quoting from their terms of service:

"By submitting, posting or displaying any Materials on or through the orkut.com service, you automatically grant to us a worldwide, non-exclusive, sublicenseable, transferable, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right to copy, distribute, create derivative works of, publicly perform and display such Materials."

The "derivative works" provision is especially interesting. Say you post an excerpt from an upcoming novel of yours; if your novel is subsequently successufl, Orkut can now hire a hack to write a sequel to it without paying you a cent. Or if you post a song, they can record and distribute it without paying you.

If they stated this up front as the price of the service, I wouldn't have so much of a problem; then people would know they shouldn't post anything with market value. But they bury the clause deep in the TOS.

[ron hard]

Friend,

An English scientist seems to have discovered a cure for breast and prostrate cancer.

All it requires is that a person give up all dairy products.

If you would like the complete story e-mail me.

Yours,

Ron Hard
[e-mail]

[miles long]

Friend,

When I want your advice on prostate cancer or dairy products, I'll ask for it.

Not yours,

Miles Long
[e-mail]

[Joanne McNeil]

Update: Population of 4!

Well, why did you join Politech on Orkut, Julian? The communities have a purpose in addition to the message board function by identifying and grouping fans of certain things. Sometimes it's nice to put a face to a screen name

[Neb Okla]

Well, so far the Orkut community serves as a dinky little billboard for Reason.

From what I've seen, communities in an Orkut profile are like bumper stickers on a car.

...except you don't have to stick stuff to your car.

[garym]

Spammer Ron Hard has a cure for "prostrate" cancer?

Let's not take that lying down!

[Joanne McNeil]

Not true Neb. There are plenty of active and interesting Orkut communities, you just haven't been looking hard enough

My favorites:
http://orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=65402
http://orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=7158
http://orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=3542

[Joanne McNeil]

But I think Julian's only linking to Orkut so that people will notice his 90% "Sexy" rating

[Steven Crane]

I think we're forgetting the most important thing here:

ARE THERE ANY CHICKS? Jennifer, maybe? 😉

Nobody likes a sausagefest. Well, maybe the Reverend Honorable Mr. Santorum (R), PA.

[Neb Okla]

Jese Joanne, you left out "White Trash Objectivism".

It's got a nifty picture of an El Camino on Atlas's shoulders.

[crimethink]

Maybe the comments post faster... :p

[Amy Phillips]

Okay, I'll bite... what's Orkut?