The trend on the e-street is now 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, lets have everyone living in Chandigarh active on some social networking site- In this case, lets focus primarily on the Twitter and Facebook concept. The idea may seem far-fetched in, but it will change the way we go about our daily mundane routines. Allow me to elucidate.
Let’s take the Sabzi-Waala (the guy who brings the groceries), the Dhobi (the guy who irons and washes your clothes), the Dhaba-Waala (occasionally where you head for Aloo-Paranthas), the Raddi-Waala (the person who collects all your old newspapers and bottles), and your Safai-Waali (the men/women who keep your house clean). They all build their Facebook and Twitter pages. Lets call these folks ‘Twelpers,’ and we’ll be Hemant (a single, middle-class man, living with his elderly parents).
Now all you’d have to do is add these Twelpers to your personal accounts and follow them. Here’s how your routine would follow in Chandigarh: When you get up in the morning, you’d see Facebook and Twitter updates from the ‘Twelpers,’ followed by Superpokes from your Dhobi and a Tweet ‘@Hemant Clothes ironed and washed. What time is good for delivery? @Dhobi.’ You could revert to his message from your Twitterberry application ‘@Dhobi Arriving home by 5:30pm @Hemant. Send clothes then.’
If the Safai-Waali(a) can’t make it, she/he would Tweet you ‘@Hemant Will be late today. Daughter unwell @Safai-Waali.’ Only moments later, you’d be Tweeted about the rates of groceries, for that day, by the Sabzi-Waala. He’d even click pictures of fresh fruits – from that morning in the Sector 26 Grain Market – with his iPhone and upload them to his Flickr account – so you could see what looks good for the day. He would also use Google Maps on his iPhone to let you determine his location and route. This way you could be at home when he’s around. A typical tweet from him would look like: @Sabzi-Waala #fresh #tomatoes today. #lowprices on #onions @Twelpers26.
The Raddi-Waalas would be the most active Twitter users. They’d tweet 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.
As well as, when you’re done partying at a local disc – during the wee hours – you’d send a Tweet to the Dhaba-Waala: ‘@Dhaba-Waala Arriving with 5 #drunk friends. Prepare 20 #aloo-paranthas immediately. #veryhungry @Hemant.’ The Dhaba-Waala would also send Aloo-Parantha Pokes, Sabzi Pokes during lunch hours to your Facebook accounts.
In fact, there would be a Twelper’s group for every sector on Facebook and Twitter. For example: @Twelpers26 and @Twelpers43. So, if you were to move in from another town, all you’d have to do is add the respective Twelper’s group for that sector. Thus, finding a maid, groceries, a reasonable dhobi and aloo-paranthas would become a cake walk.
There would also be reviews on Facebook on which Safai-Waalies (maids) are bad and which Sabzi-Waala (vegetable seller) has the choicest groceries. All the ladies of the 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, we can also have: @Pooja-Paath (for all news and updates of temples) and even @Geri-Route (get instant feeds on the happenings of the city). This way you’d ensure that all spoiled brats pray before they head out for a day of eve-teasing.
Check out the complete article in The Tribune – Saturday Extra 28 November 2009.
