Google’s hugely popular social networking platform, Orkut has added a new feature Ask Friends that will let users ask Questions and get Answers. The Questions can be directed to specific friend in your network or Google’s way of doing things intelligently is to let the system decide who should take the question, it will weigh on various parameters and then send the question to selected friend/s in your network.
As the battle for supremacy in Social Networks get hotter, expect more and more features to be rolled out by orkut apart from the Open Social initiative. Also orkut has opened APIs for developers.
In related new, Social Networking startup promoted by Northgate Technologies, BharatStudent.com is gaining traction in India. Data suggests that the company had 1.6 million+ registered users at the end of Q3-2007 with user base growing at the rate of 8,000 per day . The portal gets more than 1 million page views per day. The company’s Advertising is managed by group company Axill. Other means for monetization is other than advertising are revenue streams from Overseas Education; Students Loan Processing; Market Place, etc. Student market places are a revenue opportunity to deliver student products and services. Sales by student sales force that can earn commissions.
