The Untold History of Social Media

I gave a short presentation on "The Untold History of Social Media" at a national seminar on  "The Role of Social Media in Democracy" in Hyderabad. The seminar was organized by Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, MICCI, COVA & Dot Now Social. 

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process right from the preparation to the intellectually stimulating discussions by distinguished participants which included professors, journalists of high repute and media researchers. Unlike several conferences which often degenerate into marketing spiel for Social Media, thanks to orgasmic numbers thrown everywhere on users, Social Media Nations et al, I felt this seminar critically examined this emerging medium, warts and all. Going by the live tweets during the conference and the feedback I received from fellow participants and audience, I thought my presentation was well received.  While I have uploaded the deck with a rough transcript of the talk in slide notes, I thought I would post a detailed account of my presentation here with reference links for further reading. 

The voice of my Kabir: Aaj to Hajaari hanso paavano

I find it puzzling why music hasn't entered my blog home yet. Kabir, in his beautiful songs refers to the body in diverse, powerful metaphors which, upon silent reflection, opens a brief moment of awareness when the words transcend their limited nature to reveal the seed of truth. While the body is a tampura in Yeh Tan Thaat Tamboore ka, with strings that can be tuned in unison with nature and grace, the body is a bustling city in Gura to Jine where the true master resides in a private bungalow, unbeknownst to all the inhabitants of the city. 

What does Kabir say here? Or to be precise, what can I see?