The V3 Column

IT bugs

Shaz, Ruwi and Sachi

V3 had to take some time off the usual hectic schedule to discuss the column. Sachi is on the swivel chair, toying with the keyboard, when Shaz and Ruwi join in.

"Just give me your ideas. I'll key them down." Sachi calls up to them.

"It seems you are addicted to the computer. That's bad." Shaz has a peek on what Sachi is up to on the screen. Ruwi adds fuel to Shaz's comment: "Yeah, I have never seen him using a notebook. He is always with his mobile phone or the computer. I wonder how he'd survive if a day comes when all those gadgets do not function."

Sachi is within an ace of losing his temper, but suddenly he realizes the wisdom behind their words. "Anybody can read my text no matter how fast I may key them. I can't do the same with handwriting. Still I wish I could use pen and paper more often," he says.

"But, Sachi..." Shaz trails off as she spots his eyes following something far off. It's him - the tea man making his round at 10 in the morning. The tea man is a sight for sore eyes for our Sachi who ranks tea as one of the number one addictions on his list. Come on, Sachi, no denial, please! Everybody knows that.

"I am a little sick of putting coffee down on every piece. Anyone would think coffee is the only source of our inspiration," Ruwi states the obvious because even though V3 coffee sessions revive team spirit, when the chatting starts, the ideas overflow making us discuss every subject on earth.

"Don't you feel like writing on a piece of paper with a hot cup of tea around? Awesome, isn't it?" Shaz takes the first sip - oh and that tempting flavour of ginger mixed plain tea!

"Well, that's my father's teacup. He needs at least one before lunch. My father is someone who does far better with pen and paper," says Sachi.

"Speaking about your father what do you think about our antecedents? Ernest Hemingway... Picasso... Martin Wickramasinghe...?" With more such literati added to her list, Shaz goes on: "They didn't work on computers but they gave us the finest works of literature of the era. Know what? They always inspire me to pen down on paper."

Shaz has a habit of taking down notes wherever she goes. This is one of her jovial moods that bring back those good old days at advertising. "We were trained to write on paper because our bosses told us that 90 per cent of creative ideas flow onto paper, not on the computer."

"Shaz is correct. There are some articles I write on paper and hand over to be typed. Sadly, I can't do all the time without the computer, especially for those 1000 word articles which need to be edited, reedited and the paragraphs exchanged to suite the story to my taste." Ruwi admits with a shrug.

Shaz adds: "I have the deadline issue coming up often. Whether like it or not, I have to use the computer. I wish I could use pen and paper more often though." She writes to both the daily and Sunday papers often so she has her hands full nearly all the time.

"To tell you the truth, I have been using computer only for 10 years or it must be even a much lesser period." Sachi tries to bailout now that his mates have taken him in as a keyboard victim going on: "I mean, it's very convenient when you edit a copy. Plus you don't have to take prints."

Shaz nods her agreement. "That's a good point. Computer is a good solution for global warming. The lesser we use paper, the more we contribute to a healthy climate. You don't have to burn the papers, and you are no longer guilty for polluting air. I have seen institutes like the British Council mention 'do not take a printout of this email, unless your really have to and do not waste paper' at the bottom of their emails."

Global warming is one of her pet subjects, though it's a little better than Greek for Sachi. However Ruwi latches on. "There are some companies that hardly use papers. They have inter-communication systems. Everybody has an email account. Memoranda, minutes, whatever you name are corresponded over a system called intranet. Imagine how much paper you save by keeping up system communication with hundreds of employees!" Ruwi says.

A surprising look comes over her mates' faces and Ruwi hardly voices on techno stuff - well, pigs should have a chance to fly! "That's what Adobe Acrobat is for. You know it's an e-book format." Sachi hastens to add, not wanting to be left out of a subject he is less familiar with.

"He is talking about e-books. You can buy and read e-books online. I know some people do that," says Shaz. Technology is changing the way we perceive things and V3 agree.

"Well, I can't do that. I can't read on the screen, unless it's an email," Sachi notes.

"But as Shaz said, we are saving paper that way, aren't we, Sachi?" asks Ruwi.

"Hm... that's correct, we must give it a thought."

"Hey wait up. What are we getting at? Just a while ago, we were talking about writing on paper, and now it's saving paper, eh? So what's our conclusion? I am confused!" says Ruwi.

"Eureka Ruwi, you are bang on target. I think V3 have just stumbled upon the subject for the column. Better let readers choose the conclusion."

Shaz stares at both her mates in astonishment for a while, but cannot agree more with Sachi for that matter.

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