Would you believe it if I said that Twitter was once a happy place to hang out in?
Possibly the most ‘social’ of social medias that I have come across. Modern day Instagram would be close, but Twitter was even better and had more of a cross border and cross discipline impact.
I am talking of what is wryly referred to as ‘old Twitter.’
For me this was the period between 2010 to 2012. The era of 140 character Twitter. There was no like button. Or facility to put photos or videos easily. It was all about conversations. Not necessarily very meaningful ones. Often just a welcome burst of fresh air.
Twittering away like birds in a flock.
Woke up too late. Or woke up too early.
Managed to get ones omelette right before leaving for work. Or landed with a Saki Naka like disaster on the pan.
Got stuck at Saki Naka while going to a client meeting. Reached the meeting early with no sight of the client.
Had a vada pav after the meeting. Burnt ones tongue while having it.
Called in for food and waited for ages. Met up with friends at a bar and waited for ages for ones order.
Sleepy Twitter. Happy Twitter. Drunk Twitter. Angsty Twitter. Sly Twitter. Friday follow Twitter. Warm and fuzzy Twitter. Sycophantic Twitter. Enthu Twitter. Scholastic Twitter, Hungry twitter, Hungry Twitter… there was space for all.
It was a place on the internet where one could share whatever came to one minds. Whatever was happening in ones lives. Without strategising much about it.
‘Work’ happened elsewhere then. In the ‘real world.’ Not the ethereal space.
A bit like the early Olympics, when it was an amateur sports meet. Or when cricket was a gentleman’s sport.
Twitter was a place where you made connections. With those from your own suburb, city, country or planet.
It could be with regular Joes like yourself….or with really famous folks.
At times these encounters would spill into the physical space and you would end up meeting each other.
Either through semi-organised tweet ups or through one on one rendezvous’. Through chance encounters at an office elevator or the local corner shop.
Conversations would start with, “oh so you are @whateverquirkyhandle you thought of,” and then continue.
Friendships were built this way. Usually with no stake. Professional or otherwise. Some met soul-mates too.
Twitter began to change from around 2012 or so I feel. Coinciding with when people began to understand the importance of social media and its ability to influence others. For commerce. And for power snd politics.
The hobbyists got lost in the heat and dust of ‘new twitter.’
With the good comes the bad and the ugly. People began to get more purposeful here, taking things…and themselves … a bit too seriously.
From a place to release steam, twitter had morphed into a pressure cooker.
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| With Anaggha Desai, Adarsh Munjal and Ranveer Brar |
That was also the time when I had began my move away from a career in market research to try my luck in the world of food. Twitter played a big role in helping promote my first professional venture as a freelancer, the Finely Chopped Food Walks. Twitter (and my blog) was core to the first brand endorser contracts that I got. Occasionally the sole medium involved.
Ironically hardly anyone asks for Twitter quotes these days when it comes to food brand activities!
Twitter lost its charm for me when I was suddenly subjected to some rather constant and rather personalised trolling, often by egg heads (anonymous accounts) who headed food bloggers, in 2011-12.
Like any good Bengali, I had read my Shakespeare in school. I remembered what he had to say about the anatomy of a mob and began to distance myself from Twitter.
I come to Twitter now to share news of new blog posts or articles that I might have written, podcasts or videos that I might have done. Or copy paste posts I might have done for Instagram.
I do not come here for small talk anymore. Twitter is no longer personal. Just business.
Why am I flogging a dead horse, you ask?
I thought of writing this post after a rush of memories came back when I logged on to Twitter a few days back and came across a tweet that cut like a very sharp knife. That of the passing away of Anaggh Desai @anaggh.
To many of us from ‘old Twitter,’ no-one encapsulated what Twitter was all about the way he did. Many referred to him as ‘God’. Specifically, #AnagghIsGod. He was elder than most here. He would network vociferously and with people from all walks of life. He would happily introduce people to each other if he sensed that they had something in common.
Be it tweet ups at KC Bar (if I have got that right) or undhiyu parties at his house, Annagh would be at the centre of most Twitter socialising of note in Mumbai. He came from a corporate background, had varied life experiences and interests and could have a conversation with anyone.
If he sensed that you were lost then he would proactively reach out to you to help. He had an impish sense of humour and came from an era where sarcasm was a way of life. He didn’t shy from stirring the hornet’s nest though at the end, like a teacher in a school camp, he would try to break the fight that followed and try to make all parties cool down.
Yes, Twitter was very social back then and Anaggh had its pulse.
There were various initiatives that Anaggh ran on twitter. The one I remember the most was his annual AD lists where, through tweets, he would introduce you to myriad folks on Twitter. Some famous, some popular here. Many lesser known. To feature in the list, meant the world to me and to many others too. Then there was the time when he weighted in with practical advice based on being a housing society secretary himself when we wanted to put our apartment on rent and faced opposition from the housing society folks where we lived then.
There was a spontaneous outburst of sorrow from many handles that one remembered from ‘old twitter,’ the day Anaggh passed away.
I learnt from a fellow old Twitter denizen, that Anaggh was suffering from poor health before he passed away.
“We never what is going on in people’s lives do we,” I asked the gentleman who gave me the news.
“Have you heard of the news of Anaggh,” messaged another friend that night. “f@#k…don’t know what to say…feel very vulnerable…I know I should not be thinking of myself but its so scary…f@#k…”
I sent my friend a virtual hug along with some light hearted banter to cheer him.
I knew exactly what he was feeling though. And I had known Anaggh for longer than he did.
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| Anaggh’s house, May 2012. From the blog. |
‘Vulnerable’ is the word I was searching for that evening. After all it was just a couple of few weeks since one got the news of the passing away of Delhi based Surekha Pillai @surekha and that had shocked and saddened me no end. She had passed away from Covid one learnt.
One did not know that she was suffering, till she passed away. Those who were in touch with her till the end did of course. As was in the case of Anaggh.
I knew Surekha from old Twitter too. Surekha had once reached out to me and encouraged me when she sensed I was going through a rocky phase. This was when a sense ennui had set in my life as a market researcher and I was desperately seeking answers on what to do next. She would patiently hear me out like an elder sister and then share her words of advice through DMs. We finally met one afternoon and had a lovely meal at Jai Hind opposite Kamla Mills.
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| Surekha on DM |
We had lost touch after that for a bit till a Twitter mob had set off on me one day after a review on my debut book had come out. Surekha suddenly surfaced out of nowhere and defended me here. The only other person to do so was my friend Dr Kurush Dalal. Surekha’s kindness touched me and I reached out to her and thanked her in private. I had decided to not react to the issue in public. Ignore bullies and they will get tired and leave you, as we had been taught in school.
Surekha and I remained in touch on Twitter since then. Bonding over tales of ilish machh and mutton curry and most recently, tales of my kitties. Staying clear of political issues which she would often tweet about. Respecting each others space.
The passing away of Surekha and Anaggh in such close succession made it seem as if the final nails had been hammered in to the coffin of old Twitter.
Then it struck me that thinking so would be the biggest disservice that we could do to them.
That they would love to listen to their Twitter bird friends tweet away instead. Smiling at us indulgently from up there.
Perhaps we owe it to them to bring back old twitter. What do you think?
