BABA UMAR
There is a whole new class of enthusiasts cropping up in the valley whose lives revolve around social networking sites (Orkut, Facebook) these days. And they may be better called as ‘Kashmir’s Orkutians’. Young people who would earlier make friends in the school corridors or college canteens are now befriending people out in the open on the net. “It’s a mania! And I love it,” says Farooq Ahmad, a 25-year-old Copy Editor, who has become addicted to Orkut over the last two year.The social networking sites like Orkut, Netlog, Tagged, Zorpia, Wayn, MySpace and Facebook, are websites where you can place your picture, profile, videos and hook up with the friends online. You can send requests and reject requests. These online networking sites are the much loved things for the present generation of internet freaks. And it’s a growing trend among the youths here.
“I have made friends in middle east and Europe,” says Tamim Ahmad, who has built up a network of more than five dozen friends. “It’s an eon of multi-tasking and this is the least time-consuming way to keep in contact with friends.” The 'friends' — a blend of a few real pals, many temporary acquaintances, foreigners, and even people he hates in the real world.
“I have made friends in middle east and Europe,” says Tamim Ahmad, who has built up a network of more than five dozen friends. “It’s an eon of multi-tasking and this is the least time-consuming way to keep in contact with friends.” The 'friends' — a blend of a few real pals, many temporary acquaintances, foreigners, and even people he hates in the real world.
In some cases, the addiction goes to such an extent that users feel locked in whenever the server crashes. “I get very disappointed when all of a sudden the internet stops responding,” Ali Malik pursuing Bachelors Degree in Computers says. “Then I keep on waiting till it starts again.” No matter how much the net café charges, these freaks stay till the connection is back. “Internet shops around Lal Chowk,” Malik says, “charge us 20 rupees an hour, and sometimes it stretches to three hours.”
And as for the so-called fairer sex, they have also started to show their panache in the art of scrap (Orkut term) and making friends online. They declare they would overtake their counterparts very quickly. “We would outnumber boys in Orkut very soon,” chuckles Nadia Khan, a post graduate student in the Kashmir University. “Orkutting is my time pass where I hook up with my e-friends.”
Then there are more than 800 communities moderated by these users, wherein they discuss sundry issues mostly about Kashmir and their political opinions.Among the top ranked community moderated by any Kashmiri Orkutians is ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ having 4555 members followed by ‘Kashmir India and Pakistan’ signed in by 1526 members. ‘I love Kashmir’ is having almost 1441 members and the list goes on. Even there is separate community meant for Kashmiri scribes called ‘Kashmir journalists’ with 125 members in it.
But what is making such websites popular in Kashmir?
“People are stressing more and more on individualism, and the other reason might be the lack of time and space in a place ridden with conflict where people scarcely hang out with friends, discuss problems, and, give vent to their miseries,” opines, Dr Arshad Ahmed, a Psychiatrist.
About the communities created by Orkutians, he says, “these communities are the ingredients of modern societies and a part of neo culture run on the internet.”
And as for the so-called fairer sex, they have also started to show their panache in the art of scrap (Orkut term) and making friends online. They declare they would overtake their counterparts very quickly. “We would outnumber boys in Orkut very soon,” chuckles Nadia Khan, a post graduate student in the Kashmir University. “Orkutting is my time pass where I hook up with my e-friends.”
Then there are more than 800 communities moderated by these users, wherein they discuss sundry issues mostly about Kashmir and their political opinions.Among the top ranked community moderated by any Kashmiri Orkutians is ‘Jammu and Kashmir’ having 4555 members followed by ‘Kashmir India and Pakistan’ signed in by 1526 members. ‘I love Kashmir’ is having almost 1441 members and the list goes on. Even there is separate community meant for Kashmiri scribes called ‘Kashmir journalists’ with 125 members in it.
But what is making such websites popular in Kashmir?
“People are stressing more and more on individualism, and the other reason might be the lack of time and space in a place ridden with conflict where people scarcely hang out with friends, discuss problems, and, give vent to their miseries,” opines, Dr Arshad Ahmed, a Psychiatrist.
About the communities created by Orkutians, he says, “these communities are the ingredients of modern societies and a part of neo culture run on the internet.”
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