For a while, mobiles were a rage, and then came the broadband boon with the likes of Orkut, MySpace, Linkedin and Facebook. Today, however, the trend on the e-street is all about Twitter. A website using almost a global chatting platform to help people connect to others they would not have known otherwise. Companies’ market jobs, teens talk about their days, and others just ramble.Hypothetically speaking, let’s have everyone living in an urban city active on some social networking site. In this case, let’s focus primarily on the Twitter and Facebook concept. The idea may seem far-fetched but it will change the way we go about our daily routines.
For instance, what if the sabziwaala, the dhobi, the dhabawaala, the raddiwaala, and your safaiwaali, all create their accounts on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Let’s call these folks ‘Twelpers,’ and let there be Hemant, a single, middle-class man, living with his elderly parents in the city. All these Twelpers have been added to his personal networking account.
Here’s how Hemant’s routine would follow: When he gets up in the morning, he can see Facebook and Twitter updates from the ‘Twelpers,’ followed by super pokes from his dhobi and a tweet from him saying ‘@Hemant Clothes ironed and washed. What time is good for delivery? @Dhobi.’ He could revert to his message from his Twitter berry application ‘@Dhobi arriving home by 5:30pm @Hemant. Send clothes then.’
If the safaiwaali (a) can’t make it, she/he would Tweet him ‘@Hemant Will be late today. Daughter unwell @Safaiwaali.’ Only moments later, he’d be tweeted about the rates of groceries, for that day, by the sabziwaala, who’d even click pictures of fresh fruits — from that morning in the grain market — with his iPhone and upload them to his Flicker account — so he could see what looks good for the day. He would also use Google Maps on his iPhone to let Hemant determine his location and route. This way Hemant could be at home when the sabziwaala is around. A typical tweet from him would look like: @Sabziwaala #fresh #tomatoes today. #low prices on #onions @Twelpers26.
The raddiwaalas would be the most active Twitter users. They’d tweet the daily rates of ‘raddi’ (similar to stock updates on the news) such as: ‘Newspaper Rs 5/kg: Bottles Special Rate today Rs.2/bottle.’ And they’d even give special prices to their followers.
After partying at a local disc — during the wee hours — Hemant can send a tweet to the dhabawaala: ‘@Dhabawaala Arriving with 5 #drunk friends. Prepare 20 #aloo paranthas immediately. #very hungry @Hemant.’ The dhabawaala would also send aloo parantha pokes, sabzi pokes during the lunch hours to his Facebook account. In fact, there would be a Twelpers’ group for every sector on Facebook and Twitter. For example: @Twelpers26 and @Twelpers43.
So, if one were to move in from another town, all one would have to do is add the respective Twelpers’ group for that sector. Thus, finding a maid, groceries, a dhobi and aloo paranthas would become a cakewalk.
There would also be reviews on Facebook on which safaiwaalis are bad and which sabziwaala has the choicest groceries. All the women of the locality or sector could even hold regular Tweet-Ups (Twitter folks get together for coffee, usually once a week). Tweet-Up topics can range from blacklisting to endorsing the right people (and this platform would also act as an additional point of gossip).
And finally, apart from the Twelpers, one could also have: @Pooja-Paath (for all news and updates of temples) and even @Geri-Route (that will give instant feeds on the happenings of the city). This way one could ensure that all spoilt brats would pray before they head out for a day of
eve teasing.
