Most computer-using Indians are well versed on the social networking phenomenon. The rise of Orkut has proven that Indians recognize the importance of being networked. One can argue that such social networking websites helps to maintain relationships. You can be updated readily on the antics of your friends and perhaps find new friends on the internet. Indians are well aware of the first generation of social networking websites. What will the next generation of such websites bring us Indians? The success of Orkut is a tragic tale. The website has attracted over 30 million users, some 6 percent of which are Indians. The site was bought by Google and the Orkut creators have integrated Gmail with Orkut, a powerful combination. Scraps and communities are all part of the parlance of India’s youth.

But increasingly, there is something that comes with such wide spread success: spam, abuse, fraud. Indian courts have handed down orders for Orkut to disband anti-India communities. Because anyone can join, fraudulent accounts have creeped into the cyber network. And the privacy settings of Orkut pale in comparison to others. Not to mention Orkut does not boast the rich features of Bebo.com, a popular website in New Zealand and the UK. India is rich with IT talent and energy. Why should we settle for a first generation online tool?

Perhaps the next generation of social networking in India will be more intelligent. Once I connect with my friends, now what? DostPost.com tries to answer this question by turning students into a wealth of knowledge, sharing research, class notes, and lectures. Exclusive scholarships and stringent privacy settings allow users options not found on DostPost.com. The one downside to DostPost.com is that it is only offered at twenty-or-so universities. But it is growing.

Indians ought to look at websites like Bebo.com and DostPost.com to be ahead of the curve.

This is a guest column by Samanth.