Orkut founder launches new social networking app "hello" in India
Orkut Buyukkokten, the founder of the once-popular social networking website Orkut, has launched a new social networking app in India called "hello." The app was in beta mode for the past several months in the country with about 35,000 testers. Users reportedly spent over 320 minutes per month on the app and reflected the popularity of topics like sports, entertainment, devotion, and technology.
Delighted to say "hello" to India once again: Buyukkokten
"hello is built around interest-based communities where users with same interests can connect. When a user signs up, they are asked about five things that they are passionate about and then get recommendations that are non-intrusive," Buyukkokten said. "It's a social network built on loves not likes. We need a fresh start," he added.
hello already has a million downloads in Brazil
The app was first launched in Brazil in 2016 and currently has nearly one million downloads in the country. After India, "hello" would be made available in the US, France, and Germany.
Orkut lost to rival Facebook, was shut in 2014
Founded in 2004, Orkut was owned and operated by Google as Buyukkokten was a Googler back then. The trendsetter social network shut its services in 2014 after becoming unpopular due to rival Facebook which was also founded in 2004. Notably, the tables now seem to have turned as "hello" makes a comeback at a time when #DeleteFacebook is trending amid a major data leak controversy.
The difference between hello and Facebook
According to Buyukkokten, the app "does not have to sell user data to get revenues. We ensure that every advertiser has a profile on hello (for greater accountability)." He added that no user information is shared with third-party apps.
