I've been checking into the options available for an alternative to MySpace for church. As of right now, the options are pretty slim. There are a few sites toting the title of being a Christian MySpace alternative, but they are lacking in options and customization features that would make it appeal to the younger crowd. There's nothing that really jumps out that makes you want to rush and sign up.
So what's wrong with MySpace? I've commented on this in the past, and for those of you who have spoken with me in the past know how I feel about the subject. A bit of background info here would help explain better. Having a background in website design, I've been taught certain principles and standards that normal designers try to adhere to. Some of them being form, function, usability, and some sort of order or semblance. All of which MySpace users throw out the window. It's like building a house and using 20 different colors of paint and roof tiles. Putting doors where they are not supposed to be and so forth. It's chaos. And slow, good grief some of the pages take FOREVER to load. It goes against every development ethic I have.
So the future looks bleak, right? In steps Orkut. Orkut is a new tool provided by Google. Yes, those same people who brought you Gmail, an online office suite, calendaring system, and a slew of other helpful gadgets. Google is really getting into the social networking software ring and not just one foot either. Google is set to change the whole face of how people interact online. It's a good thing too. Along with their entry comes development and encouragement for community participation. Google wants not only to get involved, but to bring people together to encourage development of cross platform utilities.
Orkut is kind of plain right now, but the potential is definitely there. One of the most requested feature is the ability to customize colors and themes. I look for it to be very customizable, but allowing some sort of “normalcy” to prevail. Call it ordered clutter if you will. I can deal with a little clutter. Keep Orkut in your sights as 2008 approaches. I am expecting big waves to be made soon and Orkut in the center. Why? Facebook is a major competitor in this field. Who is a major backer of Facebook? Microsoft. For those of you who don't know already, Google and Microsoft don't play together all that well to begin with. So who's also sided with Google? MySpace for crying out loud. Let's just hope Orkut has a better influence on MySpace then the other way around.
