Orkut introduced a new redesigned homepage at the end of October 2009. The new Orkut as its users like to call it is currently invite only meaning that only those Orkut users who received an invitation to join might do so.
Update: Google retired the Orkut social network.
Everyone else is left with the old Orkut page for now unless they can find a way to get an invite for the new Orkut page. Fortunately for them, there is a very simply and straightforward way of receiving an invitiation for the new version of Orkut.
All they need to do is to join the new Orkut community at Orkut which will hand out an invitation to the redesigned Orkut interface to the user after the joining.
The new Orkut community page can be accessed here. Just log into Orkut first and click on the join link in the left sidebar afterwards to join the Orkut community.
Some Orkut users might be wondering if the redesign is worth out trying right now, here are the main changes in comparison to the old Orkut design:
- * Fewer pages, faster browsing: We’ve concentrated orkut’s principal actions onto your homepage, making it a one-stop-shop for nearly everything that you’d like to do. Now you can chat, watch videos, and browse and search within your full friends and communities lists without ever having to open a new page. See a photo, video, or status message in your activity stream that you’d like to comment on? Just start typing away. After all, fewer pages and a GWT interface mean less time waiting for things to load and more time doing what really matters– hanging out with your friends!
- A clean, simple interface: We’ve reorganized the most important activites on orkut so that they are easy to find and even easier to use. Look out for larger pictures, easier to access notifications, targeted friend suggestions, and key updates closer to the top of your homepage. Now you can even use your friends’ profile pages to keep up with their most recent activities and leave them scraps.
- Greater personalization: Make your orkut profile and homepage truly your own by choosing the color that best fits your style. Have a personality that’s too unique to be captured by words? We’ve also made it possible for you to customize your “about me” section, adding video, OpenSocial applications and much more to your array of options.
The request to join the new community is pending until a moderator of the community approves it. This can take a few hours, sometimes even longer. It is still one of the fastest ways of being able to access the new Orkut design unless you know someone who could send you an invite directly.