TechNOlogic

Have you ever experience a moment when you feel so overwhelmed with the communication technology that all you want to do is to switch off the device and break free?

Yes, we are blessed with smart phones, android, iPad, iPhone, Blackberry, Tablet, you name it, that come with so many useful applications that are supposed to help to make our lives much more easier. Almost everything that we need is now literally under the finger tips. Eerr or is it thumb? I guess that is depending whether you are an Apple of a Berry person =). But somehow, it is the people (some) who are using it that is not so SMART.

Hands up who get work-related calls/SMS/e-mails after office hours, on weekend, during holidays and even to the extreme when we are actually on medical leave? I am not talking about once-in-a-blue-moon situation. I am talking about having to be on our toes 24/7 even if we are not under the very critical service like doctors, police or when there is no life-threatening situation involved and the national security is not at stake.

Of late, I feel that the advancement of the communication technology somehow 'suffocating' me. I tend to look at it now one way or another as an 'invisible inprisonment' to do user. What I mean was whether we realize it or not, now we are 'available' for everything 24/7. People can just bug you anytime, anywhere that is convenient for them and I seriously think that it is very annoying to be 'unnecessarily' disturbed, unless, again I repeat myself, it is about a life-threatening situation or involve national security.

Recent instances that I experience was during the third Aidilfitri. I got this text message from this particular person (who was not my boss anyway) saying that I need to prepare a report which is not due until 2 more weeks! My question is, would it make any difference if he texted me on that particular-public-Raya lagi!-day or if he decided to be more considerate and inform me about it perhaps on Sunday? So I could took the necessary action on Monday. Who on earth would drop everything off upon getting the text message and head straight away to the office / computer to do the report?

And to make things worse, the same person texted me again, this time at 2.55 A.M. on Sunday! And again, it was not about something really urgent and it wouldn't hurt if the person waited for a few more hours and text me perhaps around 7 on Sunday morning. I still can take that. What was this person trying to prove? That he was so efficient? Workaholic? Or just plain inconsiderate and rude?

Another thing is about some people's tendency to 'stalk / harass' other people's phone. Situation one: it is a working day and you are answering a call from your desk. Then your handphone rings. You couldn't take it as you are still on the conversation with the person on line. Perhaps the explaination might take a while. But the person who has been calling your handphone kept on calling you frantically. You got until 8 missed calls from the SAME person within the duration of perhaps less than a minute apart. Annoyed already? Wait until you hear this. Once you were off the phone with the 1st person, you called the 2nd person and this person told you "I dah try call you kat pejabat, tapi engage. Sebab tu I call kat handphone". The question was: if my directline at the office was engaged, most probably that I, myself was on the phone. So what was the purpose of bombarding my handphone with your calls if you possibly know that I was on the other line? Perhaps if the call was so urgent, why don't you leave a message at my colleague etc.? Simple rule: no person in their right mind will  purposely let their handphone rings mindlessly, unless of course they are avoiding you hahaha.

These are only a few examples that I experienced. I think while the technology is advancing so fast, some of us are still not. Tech-NO-logic. We can get the latest-super-smart gadget, but if we still don't have this two basic applications install in our mind - being respectful and considerate, people will still perceive as 'Bodoh'. Yes, that is the exact word that I utter when I came across such unfavourable situation.