The dot com world that we are all part of caters to all our needs. From “khane wala” apple to “chalane wala apple”. The conventional “karyana wala” is replaced by fancy merabaniya.com. The maid my mother used to keep threatening to sack now threatens my mother because she is on bookmybai.com. From Pizza to Palazzos nothing escapes the “wild wild web” but there is still scope, scope for a brilliant dotcom idea,my agony aunt.com. Someone who would listen to all the complaints you have to make about the world. Ok, disclaimer for any ardent followers of any God man of these days, please don’t dust your gyaan about “how not to complain”
It is healthy to vent out. Think of a day in your life, let’s say a not so good day.On a bad day, when your maid is sick and you boss is sicker and your cab driver is late, you have guests coming over, you have a deadline to meet and suddenly you log onto facebook where every damn person looks so happy! you get into your witch mode. Every man or woman who comes your way has to face your wrath. The frown on your face, the smirk on your lips, the nasal tone of your voice, which is even annoying to yourself. I don’t know why the vocal chords take it so seriously when I am angry, they completely change the voice and make me no less than sound like shashikala or lalita powar . So coming back to that one moment when you are in a complete mess and someone tells you, “have you heard about this new start up, brilliant idea yaar, Duniya kya kya soch leti hai” you think if only you had someone to vent out!
long back, there was study conducted in rural punjab and there was an analysis derived that most people dial customer service just to hear “press 1 for english” with the idea of someone listening to them, so there were people who would just talk to that computer on the other end for close to twenty five minutes!so one of the leading mobile networks started a service, where you would dial a number and talk to the person on the other side, No sleaze involved, not a ‘Hot call’ service. Just someone to listen to you on the other side of the phone, amazingly, it was mostly men and that too above 60 who wanted to be heard. They would talk about how their crop failed this year, how the water supply to fields is an issue,how they feel left out in their own house among their families. Just very basic issues that no one gives importance to but the issues that weigh heavy on their head. Everyone wanted to be heard, they had huge traffic of calls coming in everyday even though when the cost per call was slightly dearer than regular call.They just wanted to be heard and no one wanted any advice coming from the other side, not even empathy, just the assurance that they are being heard.
Soon the service had to shut  because of some legal hassles and because this ran for a very brief time, it never got noticed. Now that’s rural areas where you feel people have less exposure to the malicious dot com world and they have real friends and not just facebook friends, where you assume everything is nice and cosy. Venting out is as natural as wheezing or coughing, you have to do it to get the “keedas” out or the bloody germs will soon make you sick.
Back in times of my mother, there would be that one person, be the lady in the village, or the “general store” guy, who would give expert advice on everything, from which school is the best for your kids to what is latest trend. He would be that friendly one point contact all the woman would just go and vent out to. We are in better times, we have had Zukerburg;s greatest discovery in our times to connect us to the lost friends. We have Google to answer before we even finish the question, we have twitter to know what is trending.Even our PM talks about “Man Ki Baat” I think he knew the power of listening is much greater than power of speaking up.Even in times of trending hashtags and information being thrown to our face with speed of light, we don’t have the patience to listen or to be heard.
I wish there was a dot com service where I could lift the phone, dial a number and just talk about how bad my day was and why I feel evil calling my maid for work even when she is sick and why I hate my boss for doing the same to me. The other side would only listen, very patiently and say “I understand, you are having a bad day.” The service where I would be a voice and not a face. That will not just save me from being judged from my facebook friends but will save so many people who are to be suffered by my wrath for no reason including the cabbie who was late and got to hear words as close to abusive from a woman, nearly half his age and size.
And before I conclude, thanks to the cabbie who patiently heard me while driving and not looking at my ghastly expressions and just when I finished my trip he said “have a day good ma’m” and then I think sitting on my desk working on the dot com service I own..would there ever be an online service to replace the human experience?