Orkut a new site pitches a more human social network built around people and communities

A website at orkut.com is asking people to help build a more human internet. Its message is short: you deserve better from social media, and the focus should return to people, communities and genuine connection.

The site is tied to Orkut Büyükkökten, the creator of the original Orkut social network. His profile on the site says he has an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University. It also says he launched his first social network, Club Nexus, while he was at Stanford.

According to the site, he has built four social networks: Club Nexus, inCircle, orkut.com and Hello. The page says orkut.com gathered more than 300 million users worldwide. It also says that at its peak the network accounted for over 50% of Google's page views.

The profile describes him as a social media expert and social entrepreneur who lectures around the world. It says he lives in San Francisco. It adds some personal details too: he likes boxing, sci-fi and comics, and he is a certified bartender and massage therapist.

There are limits to what can be said here. The source page gave only a small amount of text, and the claims about his background and the network's size come from the site itself. The material does not say what the new project will look like, when it will launch, or how people can take part.