Chilligavva

Last week, I was excited to send a gazillion amount of invites to my email contacts asking them to join me on twitter.

“Did you develop a new product called twitter” was the question I encounter in a phone conversation in response to my “join me on twitter email”. I was shocked into silence. Especially since the person asking me this Q was a MCA and working in Oracle products in the USA, and not an average dude by any standards.

I immediately switch to Telugu. “Kaadu, adi social networking site.” [no its a …]
I get a “Ardham ayyindi, nuvvu edo chesavemo ani” [I figured it out (that it was a social…), but thought that you developed the site.]
I stop this disgusting conversation with “Antha scene ledamma naaku..” [I dont have that kind of scene.]

Naturally I was hopping mad, as I didnt expect this dumbness to emerge from a facebook generation. But I’m trying to come to grips with dealing with “people who dont get it..” After reading Matt Balara’s article on Stowe Boyd’s site “Why aren’t you talking to me”, I realize I am not alone.

Update as on 22 June 08: I accidentally thought the article on /message was Stowe’s as it was on his site. But i soon realized that it was Matt Balara’s article as a guest blogger. I visited Matt’s site, and liked the site and the articles he has been writing. So am giving him a honor mention here..

The article also made me reflect on a conversation I had with a local Indian at the Indian store. We both realized we were on orkut which is big amongst Indian circles, in the social networking scene. We promptly encountered “What is orkut” from another person at the store. I turned and said “Its a social networking site”.

But deep inside, I was flabbergasted. Why? If my dad asked this Q I would understand, or if a non IT person asked ditto. But a wife of a software(s/w) person and even a s/w person asking this. Too bad!

Out of sheer disgust combined with frustation I quipped to the person “If you are not on linkedin, twitter or on a social network such as facebook you are lower caste! Now you know what to do if you want to be identified as a forward caste”, hoping this would drive the point across.

I saw the face of the other person blanche a little. Believe me I am not this aggressive normally! The caste analogy was crude as well, but most Indians get caste faster than technology!.

But personal opinions aside, I think very soon, we shall face a big social divide. Of people who know technology and trends, and leverage the same, and people who claim to be s/w enggs. because they want technology based high paying jobs. A clear case of a new kind of social haves and have-nots!

And I do agree with Matt’s observation of being able to continue a conversation reference in in the web 2.0-meatspace continuum.