A twitter bee in JLF bonnet

The ever-growing popular tweeter handle @JLFInsider that comes alive during the Jaipur Literature Festival is like a bee in JLF’s bonnet. It gratifies our yearning for masala stuff by tweeting gossip, faux pas, trivia and facts wrapped in sensationalism and satire. And it does a good job of it by being anonymous and crowdsourcing live tweets that have a ring of truth around it. Like citizen journalists, we now have “citizen twitteratis” who help keep the handle’s curiosity quotient high.

With 7,180 followers and counting, @JLFInsider is like chilly flakes. For many, it adds to the taste. But too hot for others. It has become one of the most engaging voices of JLF since its arrival during 2014.

This twitter handle reminds me of the controversial anonymous blog called Fake IPL Player, which was started in 2009 with the IPL series. By narrating sordid stories and giving uncanny names to players, coaches and team-owners, the popularity of the blog shot through the roof. Everyone started guessing about the person behind the blog. All this was put to rest when a marketing specialist Anupam Mukerji, who had never met a cricketer in his life, revealed himself on television and newspapers as the person writing the blog by making up stories.

I remember many bureaucrats used to bookmark and follow a website called whispersinthecorridors when it started. Many of them said that it doled out inside information that turned out to be true. The initial anonymity added to the site’s credibility.

In the same vein, people are trying to guess names as to who runs this JLFInsider on twitter. Of course, journalists, public relations outfits, authors and disgruntled members of JLF management team are the ones whose names naturally come up first. But the concept of crowdsourcing seems more plausible.

The ‘Insider’ is certainly synonymous to sarcasm. For instance, the tweets from Manisha Koirala’s session – ‘Healed: Life Learnings from Manisha Koirala’ poked fun at her alcoholic tendencies. At times images with funny captions by people are put up. Some people think ‘JLF Insider’ is the bold voice of the people and their activities at the festival. They could be standing behind you, attending sessions, sipping wine at the bar or trying to be within earshot in the most unlikeliest of places as citizen twitterati.

For tickling our comic senses, ‘JLF Insider’ is certainly here to stay. Few authors friends have asked me are you the one? No way- me techno handicap! Yet others think it is a PR person and his team stationed at the Diggi Palace or perhaps someone close to Sanjoy Roy’s team. Few also point that it may be the organiser’s publicity gimmick, which I don’t believe.

On a serious note, the world has seen the Snowden effect and encouraged many to become whistleblowers and insiders. How does it matter as to who is behind the @JLFTwitter handle as long as what they tweet isn’t libellous? The mainstream media is by and largely subservient to the ads they receive. Let the social media have its say. We should take it all in our stride.

Let me share another fact- the organizer's move to stop online registrations during the holidays on January 26 and 27 has helped manage the crowds and spared the Litfest from the maddening rush of visitors. From a security perspective too, it was a step in the right direction. Surprisingly room 111 had less visitors on January 26-27 than on January 24-25.

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