The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Hello! Whatever happened to the good old phone calls?

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
ePaper

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Hello! Whatever happened to the good old phone calls?

Afrah Shafiq

DOES IT STILL RING?: Telephones such as this one have become passé. — Photo: S. Thanthoni

BANGALORE: Has free, online chat sounded the death knell of the good old telephone conversation? Caught in the web of busy schedules, pressing deadlines and stressful workload, are the men and women in office on a chat marathon?

Is it finally curtains for the SMS craze. Perhaps, because out there in the pressure cooker of an atmosphere, typing out a line appears so much simpler than text messaging, and so much cheaper than a phone call.

Chatting today is almost a rage. With features such as in-mail chat (chat windows within a mailbox), messenger services, conference facilities, file sharing system and telephony services, it had to be that way.

To probe a bit more on the chat story, catch Nikhil Mathew, employed in a reputed information technology firm in Bangalore. Says he, "Whether it is quickly sharing a joke with a colleague who is sitting just metres away or making work related queries, chatting is so much more simpler." It also comes in handy when one needs to communicate with people overseas, as it is free unlike calling and messaging.

"As I am always logged onto the computer at work, it is more convenient to chat rather than pick up the phone and make a call or fish out my mobile to text someone," explains Satish Agarwal, who works with a marketing firm.

Several offices have blocked the usage and download of chat facilities, but a way has been found around this too. "I have discovered a site that holds all the major chat services that can be used without the need for any downloads," winks a netizen, who preferred anonymity for obvious reasons.

But with mobile service providers offering text-ing services at such minimal rates, why chat? Many people can be in a conversation together while chatting, which is really not possible through a mobile phone.

AISEC, a popular youth organisation, is famous for its online meetings. Iffath Mansoor, a member, explains, "As we have to coordinate with our members who live all over the world, meetings are conducted through group chats every night as there is no other cheaper and quicker way to communicate."

It does have some flip sides too. "When you finally get into that working mood, a flashing message on the screen can be a distraction," complains Sangitha Sethi, a financial consultant.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka