Told You That Skype Is Banned Already Lor!

We're organizing a simple farewell event for the boss in September. However, a colleague would have left for his studies overseas and can't be around. So he emailed this line, "No worries, I'll see you on Skype during the event!" I resisted all impulses to type a snarky reply.

Ummm....hello, didn't he get the memo? When we shifted over to this new system, we've been told, unequivocally that Skype is banned on the work systems, laptops and everything. Not only that, it doesn't meet security requirements of our VC protocols and there won't be a common VC-to-Skype platform that could conceivably connect and flash one's face on the screen.

Therefore, when we travel, we are cut off from the cheapest channel of communication (voice and video) with loved ones. You could get onto facebook chat, but nothing else. In an unspoken rule, we are expected to fork out our own money to buy a smartphone to access whatever cheap communication tool we want or absorb all roaming charges on a voice-call. Therefore, if you don't bring your personal laptop; if you don't tweet or blog, and are both a scrooge and a crybaby who needs to talk to your family and friends everyday when you travel, don't apply for a job in my department. You won't be able to survive a 2-week work trip to Vietnam, Africa or the Middle East.

So, back to said colleague who enthusiastically suggested linking up via Skype to join in the party, well, last I checked, no one bothered to reply to his remark. There won't be anyone to skype with anybody lor, unless we bring our personal laptops and internet tokens to log on because the Wireless at SG at the office is so slow and unstable, still. Or, he can skype to one of the many iPhones in the office. Got iPads too. That will work.

All kinds of wrong. Painful or not, you tell me.