Google announced plans to shut down Orkut, its first attempt at building a social network. The platform will be formally closed on September 30, 2014 after which users will be unable to log in or export their photo albums to Google+. Orkut grew out of Google's 20% initiative, which allowed employees to use a fifth of their working week on side projects.

Of course, the social network has since been supplanted by Google+, a more ambitious service that ties into many of Google's other products. The decision to close Orkut is therefore hardly surprising -the fact it took so long is probably more of a shock. Starting June 30, 2014, it will be impossible for newcomers to create a new Orkut account.

Existing users can access the service as normal, however; Google says the three-month period should 'give the community time to manage the transition.' Orkut enthusiasts can also export their profile data, community posts and photos using Google Takeout. Orkut has been around for a decade and to mark its legacy, Google will preserve all of the site's public communities in an archive.

It's a nice gesture, although users can choose to opt-out by decoupling Orkut from their Google account. The Orkut app will be removed from Google Play and the App Store later June 30, 2014.