Can I just say I hate mass-manufactured communication.

I detest SMSes that I know have been sent to fifty seven other people. I refuse to reply to them.

I can not stand Orkut scraps that wish me a prosperous new year as if I am just another number in the 'friend' list. I refuse to reply to them either. And when it's some smart-ass two-bit program that adds a 'Hi Jayesh' in the beginning to mask the fact that it is a faceless, thoughtless mass-manufactured scrap that was sent to a xrillion other people, I feel no mercy in deleting the crap at once. That's not a spelling mistake.

I fail to comprehend marriage invitations sent by e-mail to a thousand other recipients. I especially hate the obnoxiously added sign-off line - "Please consider this as a personal invitation." I usually don't go to such marriages. Unless the food is likely to be really, really (really) good.

Mass-manufactured communication, like mass-manufactured anything else has no feeling, no emotion, and most certainly, no character. It is heartless, thoughtless and meaningless. It is created with a singularly disgusting intent - one of keeping in touch for the sake of it. It reeks of "I'm so busy, I don't have time to communicate with each one of you individually. But hey, I know you exist somewhere. So here, take this, be happy." It is symbolic of the shameful, miserable, time-bound lives we live. Where friendships are as deep as the breadth of one's LinkedIn network. And where we have no time for cherishing beautiful relationships.

Proponents of the art will talk about convenience. And will balk at the importance I am according to emotion and feelings. Gah to all of you. If you think your convenience comes before what I mean to you, I think I'll take a roll of toilet paper for a friend instead.