This a translation of the original by
Cassia Cruz. Orkut enchanted. It has arrived, attained and
recruited thousands and thousands of followers. In Brazil, it has broken users' records. The page appeared as a form of reviewing friends from childhood, ex-teachers, former-lovers, ex-neighbors, famous artists, etc. I have signed up Orkut and I access it everyday and leave
messages everyday for my siblings and friends. I have an album of pictures and testimonials by people who like and admire me. I also visit profiles of people that are not my friends and are not in my contact list; in this case, I am as many people... just curious. There is also a community called “Eu vasculho o Orkut alheio “(I spy other people’s Orkut), where many guys pronounce they are do curious. Until this point everything’s all right, the real problem is that this network not attracts good people only. It also catches the attention of ambitious, profiteers and wicked people. For those people Orkut became a source of obtaining
information about people's private life. In less than a couple of minutes a person accesses your profile and is aware of your civil status, age, e-mail, where you work, the name and your children's face, your car, your motorcycle, and through your communities it is aware about your habits, sexual preferences and things that you love or hate. If this person accesses your scrapbook it is aware where you were, where you may be, if you are cheerful or sad, finally... many, many information about you. In Brazil, there are over 10 million users. Let us confess it is a dangerous exhibition of the private life, in a country that breaks all records of kidnappings, assaults and extortions.
Some days ago, Brazilian people were aware of a father from São Paulo who accidentally forgot his 1-year-old son inside the car and who has died suffocated in it. A fatality indeed. In “Fantástico”(TV program) it was broadcasted the page of the child's father at Orkut, and at that time I was on line, and, of course, I entered in his profile. I saw the baby's pictures, his wife’s, and his scrapbook. In the later I could see a dozen messages of unknown people saying a lot of things. In fact, they were people who lived abroad and had seen the news on internet. After more or less three hours, I have accessed his profile again and non-surprised, I saw that there were already more than two hundred messages not only from Brazil, but Brazilian people who lived in China, USA and Japan too. There were all sort of messages; some comforting and some offending, a complete absurd. As if it was possible to console that man at that time.
A police officer and a judge have given an interview on TV and they said they were sure it was an accident, a fatality caused by the day-by-day stress of the people from the cosmopolitan São Paulo. In fact, that father, besides losing the son, he will blame himself during his lifetime. What a sad and lamentable fate. In the same day, after some time his page was deleted, and maybe this was the best thing that should be done.
Orkut is a phenomenon, a habit, a blog, a diary, an album, whatever, a wonderful space that allows our friends to share information, emotions and everything else. Nevertheless, it is also a window for people’s life, allowing strange people to take information about us with every sort of intentions. Therefore, keep “orkuting”, but with attention and limits. It is for the safety and happiness of all.